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Before ninjas were everywhere—from cartoons and video games to Halloween costumes—there was Sho Kosugi, the man who helped introduce the mysterious, masked martial artist to Western audiences and turned ninja films into a full-blown pop culture phenomenon. In the 1980s, if there was a ninja on screen, chances are it was Kosugi—silent, swift, and deadly. Born in Tokyo in 1948, Sho Kosugi began martial arts training at age 5, eventually earning black belts in karate and kendo, and studying judo and ninjutsu. He moved to Los Angeles in his twenties, where he worked odd jobs before landing a breakout role in Enter the Ninja  (1981). Though he played the villain opposite Franco Nero, Kosugi’s intensity, technique, and charisma outshone the lead—audiences couldn’t take their eyes off him. That performance launched a trilogy of ninja classics for Cannon Films: Revenge of the Ninja  (1983): Kosugi stars as a grieving father who relocates to the U.S., only to be pulled into a deadly web of betrayal and crime. This is arguably his most famous role and features his real-life son Kane Kosugi as his on-screen son. Ninja III: The Domination  (1984): A campy cult favorite that blends martial arts with horror and supernatural possession—Kosugi plays the exorcist ninja trying to stop a vengeful spirit. Pray for Death  (1985): Kosugi plays a peaceful man forced to become a ninja once again to protect his family in a brutal, action-packed revenge tale. He followed with Rage of Honor  (1987) and Blind Fury  (1989), then later returned as the antagonist Lord Ozunu in Ninja Assassin  (2009), bringing his career full circle for a new generation of fans. Kosugi didn’t just play a ninja—he defined  what audiences worldwide would imagine when they heard the word. His legacy shaped action cinema, inspired a generation of martial artists, and ensured the ninja would remain a symbol of mystery and power. In the shadows of cinema history, Sho Kosugi still stands tall—katana in hand, eyes sharply looking ahead, and legacy untouchable. Fun Facts: Sho Kosugi trained and fought in many martial arts (karate, kendo, judo, iaido, kobudo, Aikido, ninjutsu, plus Shotokan and Taekwondo), lending authenticity to his films. He served as stunt coordinator, fight choreographer, and technical advisor on his projects. His son Kane Kosugi became a Japanese media star: Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, Godzilla: Final Wars , DOA: Dead or Alive , and roles in Sentai, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider series. Sho founded the Sho Kosugi Institute, authored martial arts writings, and taught martial arts and acting seminars across Japan, the U.S., and beyond

Each week's Black Belt Watchlist is free to watch on Pluto TV! This week on the Black Belt Watchlist , we spotlight a visually stunning martial arts epic: House of Flying Daggers —a film where beauty, betrayal, and blade work collide. Watch now :  https://pluto.tv/us/on-demand/movies/5c12a8d864c71ea53df17390 This masterpiece is a must-watch for martial arts fans. Don’t miss Zhang Ziyi at her fiercest, Andy Lau at his coolest, and some of the most breathtaking fight scenes ever put to film. Set in the final years of the Tang Dynasty, the empire is under siege from rebel factions. Among them is the mysterious House of Flying Daggers , a resistance group stealing from the corrupt to aid the oppressed. Two imperial police deputies—played by the legendary Andy Lau  and Takeshi Kaneshiro —are assigned to investigate Mei, a blind dancer portrayed by Zhang Ziyi  ( Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ). But as both men fall under her spell, their mission takes a deadly and unexpected turn. This isn’t just a romantic thriller—it’s a martial arts showcase. From elegant swordplay to mesmerizing choreography, House of Flying Daggers  exemplifies the poetic grace and power of classic Wuxia cinema.

The July 7, 2015, edition of The Washington Post  described an incident in which a man on a moving train allegedly punched a passenger until he fell, then stabbed him repeatedly in the torso and arms until he died. As the crime unfolded, other passengers in the coach watched; not one intervened. The tendency to not get involved, dubbed the “bystander effect,” is becoming the norm these days, particularly in big cities where a sense of community doesn’t exist. Rather than helping the person in distress, people simply ignore the assault — or start recording it. In rural settings, there still exists enough of a community feel to make people rush to help neighbors in need, especially among the older generation. But in metropolitan areas, you encounter more and more stories like the one above from Washington, D.C. It seems everyone is waiting for someone else — be it the government, police or anyone with authority — to help first. Sadly, that seldom happens. The good news is, it’s not always like that. We can find many cases in which all that was required was for someone — anyone — to start helping. That usually opens the floodgates and other citizens jump in. Recall the actions of Jeremy Glick, Todd Beamer and the other brave passengers who chose to take on the terrorists who hijacked Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. It’s an easy-enough concept: Create or find a leader and someone’s bound to follow. Once that happens, more people will feel comfortable following because they perceive a lower risk of being singled out and harmed. In that tragic D.C. stabbing, a single leader could have started a movement on the train. That’s not to say anyone is to blame — there’s no shame in not getting involved. It’s scary, it’s bloody, it’s violent. It takes a special kind of psychotic to stab another human being in anger and hatred. It’s a personal, tactile, messy affair. Jumping into the middle of it is daunting. Afterward, many who witnessed the carnage said the same thing: “I was waiting for someone else to step in, then I would’ve helped. There wasn’t anything I could have done on my own.” And they’re probably right. Taking down a violent person who’s wielding a knife and has no regard for human life is a difficult task. In no way does that mean it’s hopeless, however. By definition, martial artists train to prepare for all kinds of physical conflict. There are numerous steps you can take now to ready yourself for a situation in which you might have to neutralize a knife attack aimed at a third party. Taking Action First, understand there’s power in numbers. If you’re trying to take down an active stabber on your own, you’ll need skill, strength, speed, explosiveness, a combat mindset and possibly a bit of luck. Your chances dramatically improve if you have allies. Your chances improve exponentially if the person (or people) on your side has trained with you and together you have a plan. But let’s assume you’re on your own when you decide to intervene. Don’t think of disarming the attacker in the traditional sense. In other words, forget trying to take away his knife. Your primary goals should be to stop the next stab from occurring, to control the assailant sufficiently to stop subsequent stabs to you or the victim (even if only momentarily), and to disable or disarm him so he no longer poses a threat. At that point, he’ll be taken into custody by law enforcement, or you and the victim will escape. It’s worth noting that all three goals can be accomplished on first contact — if you can make the attacker suddenly unconscious or otherwise unable to function. Chances are the solution will not be flashy, cool or elegant, and that’s fine. You need to focus on easy-to-execute techniques that will have an immediate effect. Attempt more difficult options only if no simple alternative presents itself. Case Study No. 2 In Rotterdam, Netherlands, a man was videotaped while stabbing his 22-year-old ex from a mounted position on a sidewalk. This is relevant because during the commission of the crime, he was oblivious to three men who were attempting to stop him. At first, one man tried to push the attacker off the victim using his briefcase. Then two men tried to push him away with halfhearted kicks. Eventually — but after many more stabs — the three joined forces and pulled him off by grabbing the hood of his sweater. Where did they fail? They tried to use the tools they had in a less-than-optimal manner. The man with the briefcase could have swung it like a club, aiming a corner at the attacker’s head. It would have been much easier for the man to do that under stress if he’d practiced it in a dojo. A similar shortcoming probably afflicted the men who attempted to kick. It’s unlikely they’d practiced round kicks that sent their shins into an opponent’s head while the opponent was mounted on another person, but if they had, they might have been able to dislodge the man with the knife a lot sooner. Either action could have worked in this scenario. The odds of success would have been even better because the knifer was oblivious to their presence at first. Lesson Learned Case study No. 2 teaches that you should devote some of your training time to the use of everyday objects as weapons. Note that you must practice employing them offensively, as opposed to defensively like a shield. Your mission is to disrupt the attacker’s command-and-control system. If you've attended a firearms course, you know that there are three proven ways to stop an attacker immediately: shut down the brain, disable the nervous system by severing the spine and break down the body’s structure severely enough to make movement impossible. Assuming you don't have a firearm, the first option offers the greatest odds of success. Strikes to the body are easier to land, but they're less likely to effect the instant stoppage you need to end the attack. Returning to goal No. 1 mentioned earlier — stopping the next stab — it follows that No. 1 on your how-to-immediately-stop-a-deadly-attack list should be attacking the head. Accept that and train with that end in mind. Use improvised weapons to target the head of an opponent or, better yet, a training dummy. Practice approaching at angles that keep you out of his field of vision whenever possible. Generally, that means coming in between 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock. Focus on attacking the knifer from his non-knife side. This will keep you away from the blade, thus reducing the likelihood of getting cut when you kick him in the head. It also will reduce the chance that his attacking limb will get in the way when you strike or kick. Try to limit your attack vectors to ones that would snap the attacker’s head back or move his weight backward or away from the victim at an angle greater than 90 degrees. Your goal is to stop the very next stab, which means you don't want to help him move his weight forward onto the victim. This approach works whether the attacker is standing or mounted on his victim, although it’s much easier to do on the ground because of the distances, heights and angles. Forget about firing a round kick at the head of a standing attacker. You might get only one shot at this; don’t waste it on a high round kick in which too much force is lost to height and in which you’re forced to get close. That will elevate the possibility of your kicking leg getting tangled up on the way to his head. Remember, too, that a standing attacker stabbing a victim is unlikely to be stationary unless he’s backed up against a wall. The victim is probably fighting to get away or stop the stabbing arm, and the attacker is probably holding onto the victim. That’s the worst-case scenario, but it’s how you must train. So, knowing that you need to take action and, because you’re unarmed, must go hands-on, what can you do to achieve your goal of stopping an active stabbing? More important than technique is principle. The dynamics of the attack can vary greatly, so it’s tough to dictate techniques. The principles you use, however, will always be the same. Move to Survive Assume a standing attacker is stabbing another standing person. Your first goal is to stop the very next stab. One way to do that is to wrap the arm that’s doing the stabbing with an overhook from behind. The assailant’s hand is moving the fastest and with the least amount of predictability, and his shoulder/upper arm is moving the least with relative predictability. Therefore, you shouldn’t aim for the hand or wrist; simply make a huge overhook around his biceps with your same-side arm. Next, slide your arm down to his elbow and create maximum backward pressure on his shoulder, effectively stopping any forward movement of the arm. That will stop the next stab momentarily. Of course, simply trapping that arm isn’t enough, especially if the attacker is bigger or stronger, so you have to wrap the arm and simultaneously disrupt the assailant’s balance, focus and ability to rotate his torso toward you to relieve the pressure on his arm. Since you know that “where the head goes, the body follows,” you should deliver a simultaneous palm strike or cross-face to the jaw, forcing his head to rotate away from you and further stretching that shoulder. At this point, you can use your chest against his shoulder blade as a fulcrum. Imagine breaking him in half or splitting a wishbone. With the immediate stabbing danger eliminated for a moment and some control of the head and arm achieved, you need to follow up. This could come in many forms, depending on how you train. A leg-sweep takedown from behind is an option, as is coming off the cross-face into a figure-4 arm control of the knife hand and following up with knees and strikes. Another option is to slide down the arm with both hands and effect a standard wrist-lock disarm, known as a “cavalier” in krav maga. Whatever you go with, make it decisive, explosive and damaging. You cannot let up, or you'll find yourself fending off a very aggressive attacker with a knife. The principles used in this course of action match your goals: stop the immediate stab (wrap the arm), control the limb and/or the attacker (violent cross-face with back pressure on the arm) and disable/disarm (follow up with takedowns or counterstrikes). Going Down You can apply these same principles to a mounted attacker, as well. One minor change in technique, but not principle, would be to wrap the head from the opposite side using a hook with your hand on the chin instead of the cross-face. Now you have more leverage for the neck torque than you did with the cross-face because you can pull with both arms. Just yank back on the stabbing arm with your strong-side arm, rotating the head away in the opposite direction. This time, use your hips as the fulcrum against his shoulder blade. Because separating the attacker from the victim is more difficult on the ground and you can’t expect the victim to naturally create distance from this position like he or she would do while standing, you need to move the attacker. Remember: Where the head goes, the body follows. You’re going to continue to “unscrew” his head from his body by pulling around on his chin, eventually rotating him off the victim and to the ground by pivoting on your outside foot and turning your inside foot about 90 degrees — think “basketball pivot.” After rotating the attacker off and down, your options are more limited than when standing, considering that you don’t want to end up rolling around with a guy who has a knife. Aim for a stomp or a knee to the head while sliding down the arm to catch the wrist holding the knife. If a wrist lock presents itself, break it. If not, continue with power strikes as long as you have some control of the knife hand and you’re not going to be pulled down. High Risk The recommendations in this article are high risk, but if you ever find yourself in a situation where you simply must do something, they should give you a starting point. More important, if other people are around, your leadership ideally will inspire a follower, and then another, to create a movement of good citizens doing good things for someone in need.

As Okinawan Goju-Ryu master Seikichi Toguchi liked to point out, the role of the legs in his style of karate is primarily locomotion. They’re used to move the body into position and then align it so a hand strike can be delivered. The reason is clear: Biomechanically, the most natural and effective weapon for human beings to use is the fist. The masters of old devoted themselves to the study of the human body and how it functions in combat. In their research into the best ways to deliver power with the fist, they arrived at certain conclusions — that mechanics matter, that stance is crucial, that timing is important, that breathing is essential, and so on. Decades later, these were confirmed by Western science. I’ll examine the most pertinent ones here. OPTIMIZE THE MECHANICS When properly executed, a traditional karate punch generates great power. It’s designed to penetrate an opponent’s body, which is why it makes contact with the smallest possible surface area. Specifically, the index-finger knuckle (80 percent) and the middle finger knuckle (20 percent) hit the target as the fist moves through space and rotates. The force imparted by the punch depends on the linear and rotational speeds of the fist and arm. Provided it’s performed properly, the punch will gain power as you increase its speed. An unfortunate component of this formula is the loss of energy that results from joints in the body compressing in response to the impact. FORTIFY THE WEAPON Many striking arts feature some form of rotational punch, but unique to Okinawan Goju-Ryu and advocated by the Shorei-kan school is chinkushi . It was passed from Chojun Miyagi to many of his students, but few invested the time to master it. Chinkushi , which is taught in the sanchin  kata, is crucial for a powerful punch because it effectively transforms the arm into a single striking unit. The best way to understand this concept is by feeling it. Begin the punch by twisting your forearm inward while slowly moving your fist forward. Keep your elbow and arm in constant contact with the side of your body. During the extension of the arm, keep your shoulder down; don’t let it move forward. Just as you reach the point of contact, your forearm continues to twist in its natural direction while your upper arm (specifically, the elbow) simultaneously moves in the other direction, thus drawing the shoulder down and tightening the lat to allow for maximum energy transfer. The effect, as pointed out by Toshio Tamano, senior student of Toguchi and current head of Shorei-kan in Europe, is like taking a wet towel and twisting the ends in opposite directions to wring out the water. The more equal and opposite torsion there is, the more rigid the towel becomes. When no more twisting can be done, the towel is one strong unit. Likewise, your arm effectively becomes one strong unit without requiring you to fully extend the elbow. Chinkushi  is the first link in the chain that needs to be forged to generate the most powerful punch possible. At this point, the makiwara enters the picture. The makiwara is designed not to develop calluses or enlarge knuckles but to strengthen the wrist, which easily can be bent or misaligned when striking. In other words, it’s designed to foster chinkushi . POSITION THE BODY The fundamental stance of Okinawan Goju-Ryu is sanchin dachi . It permits quick and secure movement in any direction, but its primary function is to allow the lower body to be “separated” from the upper body, thus facilitating smooth and fast movement while balance is maintained for striking. The sanchin  stance is a relatively natural one that positions the feet shoulder-width apart and longitudinally aligned so the toes of the back foot are in line with the heel of the front foot. Weight is distributed evenly on the legs. The feet are twisted approximately 10 degrees inward for added stability. Because the knees aren’t locked, they allow the body to remain low and rooted and help you keep your focus on the tanden , the point located at the body’s center of gravity, approximately 2 inches below the navel. When Miyagi taught, he required his students to practice only sanchin  kata for three years. He believed this training should form the basis for the study of Goju-Ryu. His habit reminds us that holding this bent-leg position and moving while in it aren’t part of everyday life — but they can be learned. Once your body has been reprogrammed, you’re ready to learn the next level of Goju-Ryu theory and technique, in Miyagi’s view. MOBILIZE THE BASE Now that you have a basic balanced stance, you need to be able to maintain it while advancing, retreating, or simply shifting positions — and still be able to strike without telegraphing. The type of movement that fits the bill in this situation is known as suriashi , or sliding. When you walk normally, you push off your back foot to take your next step. When you increase your speed and run, you angle your body forward to better push off. Although this is fine for a footrace, it’s ineffective for fighting because your opponent can perceive your movement in his direction. In addition, your ability to maintain balance is more difficult in a dynamic situation once a forward or backward push has been initiated. The result is often the creation of momentum in a specific direction with little or no ability to change course or stop. The solution — moving in suriashi  — begins with the sanchin  stance. Your body is lowered because your knees are flexed. Your front foot moves ahead without tilting your body forward. Your front foot slides along the floor; it isn’t raised the way it is when you walk. Because you haven’t leaned forward, there’s little or no extra weight on the leg, which further facilitates quick movement. Once your front foot finishes its travel, your back foot immediately moves into proper position to recreate the sanchin  stance. Of course, the distance between you and your opponent is critical when moving to transmit maximum power. Your ability to judge distance, or maai , before you strike and then to execute the strike with precision is critical. That entails knowing what your personal ability is with respect to closing the gap to reach your opponent, not to mention having excellent timing. STRENGTHEN THE FOUNDATION The term gamaku  refers to power generation as it pertains to the aforementioned sanchin  stance. It, along with chinkushi , is unique to Okinawan Goju-Ryu. To maximize gamaku , assume the sanchin  stance and, without raising your body, pivot your hips upward while keeping your knees bent. The motion creates a tension and rotational movement in the inner thighs and legs that try to make your feet turn outward. By maintaining the foot position of the sanchin  stance, however, your legs become effectively locked because your hips are turned up as far as possible. At no point are your knees fully extended or locked because doing so would impede your ability to statically and dynamically balance. In short, you need to avoid doing that to keep your stance both strong and supple. CONTROL THE BREATH Being a budo, Goju-Ryu subscribes to a breathing method that’s been used in the martial arts for many centuries. It entails inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. The air is drawn deep into and then expelled from the lower abdomen, down by the tanden . This helps keep your center of gravity low while striking and blocking. When you exhale, open your mouth slightly — as if you’re smiling a little. At the end of each breath, momentarily place your tongue against the roof of your mouth, which allows you to better control your respiration and coordinate it with your strike. A fringe benefit of this breathing method is it fortifies your core and locks it to the rest of your body before the punch makes contact. The connection is momentary, but it’s crucial to creating a powerful punch. Perhaps the best way to practice all the needed skills is performance of the sanchin  kata. ASSEMBLE THE PIECES The following, then, are the main points to remember if you wish to maximize your karate punch: Relax your body by focusing your breathing and energy at your tanden . Draw your punching arm back while bending your knees to lower your stance. Keep your shoulder and elbow down as you slide your front foot forward. As you slide your rear foot forward to recreate the sanchin  stance, begin extending and rotating your striking arm. Just before your punch makes contact, raise your hips and lock down your shoulder as your hand rotates. Exhale to focus all your energy on the strike. The result is a thing of beauty. All parts of the body are recruited to generate power in the punch. They function quickly, independently, and fluidly — until the moment of impact. At this point, your body will be unified for the attainment of your goal. You will not waste any motion or do anything that compromises your balance before, during, or after the strike. You will have effected a perfect punch.

There are people who swear “Judo” Gene LeBell has practiced martial arts for so long that an image of him putting King Tut in an armbar can be found etched in sandstone in an Egyptian tomb. LeBell insists that isn’t true: “No, I’m not that old, but I was a bodyguard for Genghis Khan.” From the time he was big enough to choke out the schoolyard bully, LeBell has been coming to grips with his destiny as a martial arts legend. As a Hollywood stuntman, he’s rubbed elbows with Tinseltown’s elite and tangled with some of the roughest, toughest wrestlers ever to slip into a pair of tights. His mother, Aileen LeBell, was an icon in the ring: As the nation’s first female fight promoter, she ran the world-famous Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles with an iron fist. Consequently, young Gene was able to pal around with some of the best boxers and wrestlers in the business. “I was 7 years old when I started wrestling with the pros,” LeBell recalls. “My mother sent me down to the Los Angeles Athletic Club to play, and at the club were a handful of really good shooters. This was serious wrestling, a lot of technical skills — none of the clown stuff or gags like you see on TV. All we did was finishing holds.” The owner of the club took a liking to the spunky redhead and asked him what he’d like to learn. His answer: Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, savate, karate, or judo. “Well, karate wasn’t that popular at the time — it was mostly kata — and what they called ‘judo’ was like wrestling without a gi,” he says. “For example, when you grab for a harai goshi (sweeping hip throw), you hook the neck and use it as a handle.” Back then, wrestlers referred to body parts like the ears, mouth, and nose as “handles” because they gave the grappler something to grip, LeBell says. “It’s a very effective way to make someone say ‘uncle.’” 12-SECOND CHAMPION So began a legacy that reads like a script from a Hollywood movie. In 1954 and ’55, LeBell won the National AAU Judo Championships, placing first in the heavyweight and overall divisions. His path to the podium included a triumph over John Osako, who at the time was the top judo player in the United States. At the AAU event, LeBell won 18 matches in two days, 17 with standing throws. To this day, that feat hasn’t been duplicated in a sanctioned judo competition. Gene LeBell may have walked onto the mat as an unknown, but he bowed out as a judo legend. LeBell also competed in wrestling. He holds the dubious distinction of having held a world title for 12 seconds. It would have been longer, but in a moment of exuberance, he accidentally hit the Texas wrestling commissioner in the head while swinging his newly won belt. “I tried to explain to the guy that it was an accident,” LeBell says with a grin. “But he was really steamed, and he yanked the belt and title from me on the spot. So I officially became a champion for 12 seconds.” His experiences in those grappling arts led LeBell to develop his own style of combat, one that merged what he deemed the best of wrestling with the best of judo. As a result, many of his trademark submission holds can’t be found in any rule book or textbook. But then, “Judo” Gene has always been a guy who makes up the rules as he goes. PRETTY IN PINK LeBell raised more than a few eyebrows when he bucked the rules and wore a rather untraditional pink gi to a very traditional judo tournament in Japan. When he bowed onto the mat wearing pink, the martial arts fashion police were outraged. LeBell just smiled, then set about pinning and tossing his opponents, proving that real men do wear pink. “The pink gi wasn’t something I did intentionally,” LeBell says. “It happened while I was training in Japan. I accidentally washed it with a red shirt and some other brightly colored clothing, and my gi came out a deep pink. When people started teasing me, it gave me a good excuse to get them on the mat and stretch their bodies a bit.” One Japanese judo champion and his entourage were less than impressed with the larger-than-life gaijin in pink, so much so that they traveled to Los Angeles armed with an attitude and a challenge. “They came to my dojo at Los Angeles City College, and the interpreter said his friend was some kind of a champion in Tokyo,” LeBell recalls. “I really didn’t pay too much attention. Then he said they wanted to fight. I said, ‘You want to do randori?’ He said, ‘No! We do newaza,’ which is mat work. So I lay down and told him to get his best hold, and he put me in a side pin.” The Japanese champ was a bit taken aback; he never expected LeBell would give him the opportunity to put him in a hold at the start of the match. With the American’s judo students sitting against the wall watching, LeBell calmly asked his opponent if he was ready. That apparently ticked him off, and he muttered something in Japanese to his interpreter. “He said you need to have a doctor standing by,” the interpreter explained. That didn’t sit well with LeBell, as would soon become evident to everyone. “We started, and I just rolled him over, and since he had an attitude, I choked him out real fast,” LeBell says. “When he came to, I turned around, and the guy and his entourage took off without even saying goodbye.” What was the secret of LeBell’s escape from the side pin? “From my wrestling days, I knew how to get out of that hold easily — which isn’t the Kodokan way of getting out of a Scarfhold,” he says. “One hand goes between the legs, and you squeeze his balls a bit while you roll the guy over. Since there’s no referee, you just do what you gotta do.” FIRST MMA FIGHTER Long before the Ultimate Fighting Championship made the Gracie name a household word in the world of grappling, there was a contest that pitted a nationally ranked heavyweight boxer against a world-class judo player. The boxer was No. 3–ranked Milo Savage, and the judoka was Gene LeBell. It all started in 1962 when a man named Jim Beck boasted to a room full of karate students that he could beat any martial artist in the world. A black belt named Gene LeBell accepted the challenge, only to find out he’d be fighting Savage instead of Beck. The winner of the bout would take home $1,000, a hefty purse back then. Plenty of intrigue and backstabbing are connected with what ensued. LeBell and Savage agreed to face off in a boxing ring, and Savage may or may not have had an advantage or three. “He used brass knuckles under his gloves,” LeBell says. “I was also fighting with a dislocated left shoulder, so I had to be careful not to get tagged.” In round four, LeBell slipped under Savage’s jab and executed an explosive maki komi harai goshi, dumping the surprised boxer on the mat. The grappler then applied one of his famous chokes, putting the pugilist to sleep. “Judo” Gene had made history — and he had to slip out the back as a riot erupted. He did, however, pocket a grand for his labors. HOLLYWOOD FALL GUY As Gene LeBell devoted more of his life to the martial arts, the arts were kind enough to give back. They catapulted him into the movies, where he worked as a stuntman, television sportscaster, and promoter. Even now, it’s tough to turn on a television and not see LeBell being set on fire, falling off a building, smashing a motorcycle into a big rig, or, my personal favorite, sinking in a vat of wet concrete in 1985’s Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. “I think my first job was on the Lassie  TV show,” he says. “I've been working so many years that the son of the guy who directed Lassie  grew up to direct movies of his own – I worked for him, too!” In true Gene LeBell form, he even got to hit himself with a chair in one flick. “It was the movie Raging Bull,  I played the announcer in the riot scene,” LeBell recalls. “The next day, I was a stuntman wearing a mustache and a hat, throwing chairs and the ring during the riot. The magic of movie editing had me in the ring as the announcer while I was throwing chairs at myself from ringside. The best part of that was I got double residuals.” Over the years, the martial artist has taken falls and more than 1,000 movies and TV shows. In the process, he's been privileged to work with everyone from Bob Hope to Bruce Lee. “I met Bruce when he was working on The Green Hornet  series,” LeBell says. “I got a call from the stunt coordinator for the show, asking me to check out some kid named Bruce Lee.” “The first thing I noticed was that Bruce was very fast and always wanted to take the action beyond what the script called for. Once the director called, ‘action,’ he got that in a lot more from Bruce!” LeBell and Lee became friends, frequently training at each other's dojo. “We worked out on a one-on-one basis,” LeBell says. “He taught me a lot of Kung Fu moves that I'd never seen, and he showed me how to do crescent kicks and spinning back kicks. In return, I showed Bruce some judo throws and grappling techniques.” Been There, Done That LeBell, who was Black Belt's 1991 Judoka of the Year, has traversed life on his own terms, and he's comfortable and confident with respect to the decisions he's made in business and martial arts. One of them pertains to showbiz: LeBell belongs to an elite club called Stunts Unlimited."There are only 50 individuals in Stunts Unlimited," he says. "All the people are running shows and they're world-class stuntmen and stuntwomen. I'm still doing stunts, but I am getting older, and since it hurts when I tie my shoes these days, I don't want to roll anymore cars. But I still enjoy sliding them through a plate-glass window." When asked about the changes he's seen over the years, the martial arts icon mostly focused on how much more he's paid now for abusing his body in movies. "I used to get $50 for stunts, but now it's $903," he says. "Last week, I did a job and had six hours of overtime and a stunt adjustment at $400. I ended up making three grand and didn't even need to put on a stunt pad." An avid motorcycle enthusiast, LeBell often can be seen two-wheeling around Southern California on one of his 40 rides — when he isn't crashing one on a movie set. For decades, he's worked as a test rider for Yamaha, Honda, and BMW and frequently hangs out at a motorcycle shop in Hollywood, talking to customers. Never one to sit still, LeBell can be found every Monday evening in North Hollywood, California, engaging in an activity that's even dearer to his heart. There, at Hayastan MMA Academy, he and longtime friends Gokor Chivichyan and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez train the next generation of grapplers and MMA stars at Chivichyan's dojo. After all, when he retires for good, someone will have to take the reins from "Judo" Gene LeBell, and they might as well learn from the best.

The team that brought you the incredible Ip Man film series featuring Donnie Yen is back in action! In The Prosecutor , a gripping legal thriller said to be inspired by a real Hong Kong case, martial arts icon Donnie Yen plays a veteran police officer-turned-prosecutor who risks everything to uncover the truth. When a man falsely confesses to drug trafficking after being framed, Yen’s character becomes convinced of his innocence. Driven by a deep sense of justice, the prosecutor embarks on a personal investigation that threatens his career, his reputation, and even his life. The film weaves a tense narrative about the cost of standing up for what’s right within a flawed legal system. To bring this high-stakes story to life, a skilled team of Japanese action choreographers and stunt professionals was brought on board. Takahito Ouchi , known for his work on blockbuster action films such as Flash Point , served as the action director, working alongside Yen's frequent collaborators, Kenji Tanigaki and Yu Kang . The trio helped craft fight scenes that really deliver raw physicality with the emotional stakes of the film. One of the standout sequences is a nightclub fight filmed at a private club in Hong Kong's Quarry Bay, featuring 40 to 50 stunt performers with aerial drones capturing dynamic shots, enhancing the action while preserving its realistic intensity. All real action, no post-production CGI. In other words, a thrilling, unflinching display of martial arts not to be forgotten. The Prosecutor  stars Donnie Yen in the lead role, but his involvement goes beyond acting—Yen also serves as the film’s director and co-producer. His passion for action-driven storytelling shines through both in front of and behind the camera. Raymond Wong , a veteran producer, also backs the project. With this powerful collaboration, The Prosecutor  promises to deliver not only a gripping legal drama but also a film with cutting-edge action that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The Prosecutor  releases in North American theaters on January 10, 2025, through Well Go USA. Be sure to check it out!

When was the last time you truly failed? It’s a question we’d all rather ignore. We’re often taught to gauge success by how well we avoid missteps, and society applauds our continuous forward motion. But what if I told you that failure — yes, failure — is actually the secret ingredient to unlocking growth and future success? If you measure progress solely by the intervals between mistakes, you’re overlooking the most valuable insight: failure isn’t something to dodge; it’s something to embrace. Missteps, blunders, and even outright failures are, in fact, the very building blocks of achievement. You simply can’t grow without them. Failure is the ticket price for the success you aspire to achieve. So the next time you’re hesitant to fail, remember that every setback lays the groundwork for your comeback. Embrace failure, use it to fuel your momentum, and get ready to crush your 2025 goals. But here’s the catch — it’s not failure alone that guarantees growth. It’s our awareness of that failure and our ability to extract lessons from it. Growth comes from how  you respond to failure. How you reflect, learn, and apply those lessons to the future. You see, it’s not about how often you fall. It’s about how quickly you rise, and how much wiser you become in the process. This philosophy isn’t new. In fact, it’s been embraced for centuries by cultures around the world, especially in ancient Japan. There’s a practice that perfectly embodies this idea, and I’m about to tell you why it’s just what you need in your life. The Ancient Japanese Tradition That Can Change Your Life One of the most powerful images many martial artists have in their mind when visualizing harsh training is that of a hardened Japanese warrior standing beneath a freezing waterfall, allowing the icy torrents to pour over his body. This isn’t some ancient ritual for the sake of pain; it’s a practice known as misogi or takigyo , and it’s all about purification, endurance, and personal growth. The purpose is simple yet profound: it’s about pushing beyond your limits. It’s about embracing hardship — physical, mental, and emotional — in order to purify yourself and prepare for the challenges ahead. In the frigid water, under extreme conditions, a warrior is forced to face his fears and discomfort head-on, because that’s the only way to emerge stronger, more resilient, and ready for whatever life throws his way. In fact, Morihei Ueshiba (the founder of aikido) is even said to have regularly traveled to Kumano Nachi Falls for meditation in this style in his search of self-perfection and refinement of the art. Mind you, you don’t have to stand under a freezing waterfall to benefit from this philosophy. The core principles — pushing beyond limits, facing discomfort, and learning from adversity — can be applied to your everyday life and martial arts training. The Modern Era We live in a world where distractions are everywhere. From constant information overload to the overwhelming ease of indulging in whatever feels good in the moment, we’ve become experts in avoiding discomfort. But that avoidance comes at a price: we miss out on the personal growth that comes from challenging ourselves. In today’s world, your version of the Japanese practice might look different. Maybe it means running your first ultra marathon, or stepping away from a job that no longer fulfills you and finally committing to your own business. For you, it might even mean setting a goal to travel overseas and train in martial arts for months, totally immersing yourself in the discipline. The point is this: challenge yourself.  Don’t take the easy route. Embrace difficulty. Seek out experiences that will push you beyond what you thought was possible. In fact, I’m going to challenge you right now. Are you ready? Your Path to Transformation Here’s the formula: Pick a goal.  For instance, let’s say you want to win a martial arts tournament. Make it 10x harder.  Now, instead of just winning, aim for something even bigger — like becoming the NASKA World Champion. Take action immediately.  Stop reading this article, and go find the next competition. Commit to it. Start training. Right now. This isn’t about just achieving something. It’s about the transformation  that happens in the pursuit of your goal. The process of pushing yourself, of embracing the struggle, of learning from every setback — that’s where the real magic happens. It’s not about winning the tournament. It’s about becoming a different person in the process. Much like how the black belt you're wearing doesn't matter — it's about who you became in order to wear it. Your transformation isn’t just about achieving a title or a trophy. It’s about becoming someone who never quits  — someone who embraces failure as part of the growth journey. It’s about committing to the work, trusting the process, and knowing that at the end of it, you’ll be stronger than you ever thought possible. Pick your goal, make it bigger, and take action today. If you do, you’ll find that failure doesn’t define you — it refines you. And when you look back at all the obstacles you’ve overcome, you’ll realize that each one was an essential step toward becoming the person you were always meant to be. It’s time to grow.

Athletes are always seeking results. They’re looking for a leading edge that might make the difference between a razor-thin victory and fading into obscurity with the question, “What was the name of the guy who came in second?” To achieve those results, countless tips and tactics have been offered—and continue to be. But not all of these suggestions are rooted in fact. Some are steeped in superstition, while others are driven by market dynamics (aka, the desire to make a buck). In an effort to shed some light on this, let’s carefully navigate the fitness minefield and uncover the exercises to avoid as a fighter. Keep in mind, these are merely my opinions and observations. 1. The Plank Holding the body in a fixed position seems to take the athletic world by storm from time to time. Whether it’s the plank, the wall sit, the Hercules chair, or the horse stance, we’re supposed to believe that by staying stock-still, we’re preparing ourselves for an activity that requires movement. When I hear advocates of the plank, I’m reminded of the character George Michael from Arrested Development , who in one episode was proud of his achievement of being able to hang from a bar. (More on bar hanging in a moment.) Yes, I see the utility of holding a plank as a training step for those who can’t yet do a push-up. Yes, holding a plank for an extended period is difficult. Yes, I’ve heard the argument that it can build mental toughness by “muscling through” an extended plank session. But here’s the thing… You know what else builds your body like a push-up? A push-up. You know what else is difficult? Functional movement under load that mimics your physical pursuit. And you know what else fosters mental toughness? Hardcore functional movement and participating in your martial art. My guess is that the plank mentality has become so prominent for three reasons: It’s egalitarian—anyone can hit a plank for at least a bit. No gear is required. It’s an easy way to fill time in a group class. As martial arts teachers and practitioners, why would we allow such a basic, static position to take up so much of our training time? The plank isn’t even a sensible form of active recovery—it’s just something we’ve adopted for no good reason. There are, however, two static exercises that pass the functional smell test: the dead hang (a must-do for rock climbers and aspiring ninjas) and the neck bridge (essential for those involved in wrestling sports that still use a pin). 2. Cardio Sessions for Fixed Times I still occasionally hear the phrase, “You know, for cardio I need to do this activity for this long.” My initial reaction is to ask, “What sort of event or activity are you preparing for?” This is because the human body responds to specificity. If you doubt that, just think about whether a professional soccer player, who requires extensive running, trains the same way as an NFL defensive lineman. Or whether a defensive lineman should skip sprints, power sled work, and ballistic lifting in favor of better 5k times. If you honestly think these types of training are equivalent, then put your money where your mouth is and bet on teams that ignore specificity. Oh, wait—you can’t. Because pro sports are a business, and they won’t allow such a useless training plan to hurt their marketability. I suspect that much of the “cardio for this long” trend is simply a way to make class schedules work. Aerobics classes, Spinning, and the like often use this training methodology because it’s easier to fit into a gym’s schedule. If you’re a cardio trainer getting paid by the hour, you won’t put food on the table if your client gasses out after eight minutes of hardcore sprint work. To those who time their workouts and are vocal evangelists for “Our ancestors ate and trained like this,” I ask: Do you honestly think that Caveman Thag Reynolds and his hunting buddy, Crag Sullivan, were ever persistence-hunting a gazelle when they checked their sundials and said, “Better knock it off for the day—I don’t want to overtrain”? 3. Spot Reduction We’ve all heard (or uttered) variations of the following: “What do I need to do to get rid of this gut? A bunch of sit-ups?” “What exercise gets rid of love handles?” “My butt is a little heavy—will lunges help?” It’s an easy mistake to make because it seems like a cause-and-effect relationship: “Hmm, my gut is getting bigger. I need to focus my activity on my gut to make it smaller.” But when we think this way, we ignore the flip side of the spot-reduction fallacy: Can anyone point to a specific activity, lack of activity, or single food that caused a person to pile fat onto the gut, hips, or butt? No. It doesn’t work that way. If an overall lack of activity is the cause of these fat deposits, why isn’t the fat distributed evenly? The answer is a combination of genetics and hormonal profiles, but let’s avoid getting too deep into the science. In general, men tend to deposit fat around the middle, while women tend to deposit fat around the hips and thighs. The key takeaway is that these fat deposits didn’t happen because of a lack of targeted activity. They resulted from an overall pattern of behavior. In a nutshell, spot-reducing and targeted-toning simply do not exist in the real world of human physiology. To reduce the size of trouble areas, you must stop trying to target specific spots and focus on overall exercise. The more your body works, the faster it will reverse course on those trouble spots. If you want to lose the love handles, skip the twisting sit-ups and opt for multi-joint, big-movement exercises that burn calories and fat overall. Don’t assume that just because you’ve performed crunches until your stomach is sore, you’ve burned fat from that specific area. Chances are you’ve simply fatigued a muscle. You’ll do more to burn fat in those trouble areas by opting for a series of sprints, barbell thrusters, and jump-rope sessions than you will by doing endless sit-ups. One more thing: If you believe that exercising a single body part will reduce its size, why don’t you see right-handed professional tennis players with itty-bitty right arms? The human body simply does not work that way. To achieve true fat loss and transformation, you need an overall fitness approach that eventually targets problem areas and helps you become a better martial artist.

In today’s fast-paced world, martial arts have become more than just a means of self-defense—they’re a lifestyle. Whether you’re looking to improve your fitness, enhance your mental health, or learn to protect yourself, there’s a martial art that fits your needs. But with so many options available, how do you choose the one that’s right for you? This detailed guide for 2025 will help you navigate the world of martial arts, understand what each discipline offers, and make an informed decision tailored to your goals and lifestyle. Why Martial Arts in 2025? Martial arts have evolved significantly over the years. In 2025, they encompass traditional disciplines, cutting-edge training techniques, and even technological advancements like AI-assisted coaching. Here’s why martial arts remain a popular and effective pursuit: Physical Fitness:  Martial arts provide a full-body workout that improves strength, endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular health. Mental Resilience:  Training enhances focus, discipline, and stress management. Self-Defense:  Practical techniques can help you feel safer and more confident in real-world situations. Community and Culture:  Joining a martial arts school often means becoming part of a supportive, like-minded community. Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Martial Art Selecting the right martial art depends on several personal factors. Here are the most important ones to consider: 1. Your Goals Self-Defense:  If your primary aim is to protect yourself, consider Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), or Jeet Kune Do. These arts emphasize practical, real-world techniques. Fitness:  High-energy disciplines like Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and Capoeira are excellent for burning calories and building endurance. Mind-Body Connection:  If you’re seeking a more meditative or spiritual experience, arts like Tai Chi, Aikido, or traditional Karate may be more suitable. Competition:  Sports-oriented martial arts like Taekwondo, Judo, or Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) offer opportunities to compete and test your skills against others. 2. Your Physical Condition High-Intensity Options:  Younger or more physically fit individuals may enjoy Muay Thai, MMA, or Wrestling, which require significant stamina and strength. Low-Impact Alternatives:  Older adults or those recovering from injuries can benefit from Tai Chi or Aikido, which focus on controlled movements and balance. 3. Time Commitment Some martial arts, like BJJ and MMA, require a significant time investment to master. Others, like Krav Maga, can teach you practical techniques in a shorter timeframe. 4. Cultural Interest Martial arts often come with rich histories and traditions. If you have a particular affinity for a culture, you might enjoy exploring its martial arts, such as Kung Fu (China), Kalaripayattu (India), or Capoeira (Brazil). 5. Budget and Accessibility Martial arts classes vary in cost. Popular styles like Karate and Taekwondo often have established dojos in most areas, while niche disciplines may require travel or higher fees. Deep Dive: Popular Martial Arts in 2025 Here’s a closer look at some of the most popular martial arts and what they offer. 1. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Best For: Competitive fighters and fitness enthusiasts, MMA is the ultimate hybrid of striking techniques like Boxing and Muay Thai and grappling arts such as Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, making it perfect for those aiming to train like pros or dominate in high-stakes competitions. In 2025, cutting-edge training simulators revolutionize the game, offering real-time performance analysis to refine your skills and push your limits like never before. 2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is perfect for those who value strategy over sheer strength, offering a highly technical martial art that rewards patience, precision, and intelligence. With a focus on ground fighting and submissions, BJJ is particularly well-suited for self-defense and smaller individuals, proving that technique can triumph over size. Whether you're looking to build confidence, improve problem-solving skills, or master the art of leverage, BJJ empowers practitioners to outthink and outmaneuver opponents, making it an unbeatable choice for anyone seeking a thoughtful yet powerful approach to martial arts. 3. Krav Maga Best For Real-World Self-Defense: If you're looking for a martial art designed for real-world situations, Krav Maga stands out as the ultimate choice. Developed for the Israeli military, it focuses on neutralizing threats quickly and efficiently, making it a no-nonsense approach to personal safety. Whether you're dealing with unpredictable scenarios or need effective techniques to protect yourself and others, Krav Maga equips you with the skills to handle real-life confrontations with confidence and precision. Practical, straightforward, and highly effective—this is the self-defense system you can count on. 4. Muay Thai Muay Thai, famously called the "Art of Eight Limbs," is perfect for those seeking high-energy workouts that build striking skills like no other. Combining punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, this dynamic martial art is a powerhouse for fitness, coordination, and mastering devastating striking techniques. Whether you're looking to push your physical limits or sharpen your combat skills, Muay Thai delivers a full-body workout that keeps you engaged and empowered every step of the way. 5. Tai Chi Tai Chi is the perfect practice for seniors or anyone seeking mindfulness, offering a unique blend of slow, deliberate movements that enhance balance, flexibility, and mental clarity. This graceful exercise not only reduces stress but also promotes overall health, making it an ideal choice for improving physical and mental well-being in a calming, accessible way. 6. Jeet Kune Do Best For fans of Bruce Lee and adaptive techniques, Jeet Kune Do stands out as a revolutionary martial art created by the legend himself. By blending the most effective techniques from various disciplines, it offers a uniquely adaptive and efficient approach to combat. Known for its practicality and emphasis on real-world application, Jeet Kune Do isn’t just a martial art—it’s a philosophy of efficiency and adaptability, making it the ideal choice for those seeking a powerful, no-nonsense approach to self-defense and mastery. 7. Capoeira Capoeira is perfect for creative individuals who thrive on music and movement, offering a dynamic blend of dance, acrobatics, and combat that sets it apart as one of the most unique martial arts. This captivating practice goes beyond self-defense, immersing you in a rhythmic and artistic experience that feels like a celebration of culture and physicality. Choosing Capoeira means embracing a martial art that is as much an art form as it is a discipline—an exhilarating way to express yourself while building strength, agility, and coordination. 8. Karate Karate is the perfect choice for anyone seeking discipline, foundational techniques, and a strong connection to tradition. Known for its emphasis on striking techniques, kata (forms), and self-discipline, Karate instills focus and respect while building physical and mental strength. It’s an ideal martial art for beginners who want to master the basics and for those who value the timeless principles of tradition. Karate offers a structured path to personal growth, making it a rewarding journey for individuals of all ages. Emerging Trends in Martial Arts Training for 2025 AI-Driven Coaching:  Advanced wearables and apps provide feedback on form, timing, and efficiency. Virtual Training Programs:  Train from the comfort of your home with live or pre-recorded online classes. Fusion Styles:  Innovative instructors are blending traditional arts with modern techniques, creating hybrid systems. How to Get Started Research Extensively:  Watch videos, read reviews, and explore forums to learn about different martial arts. Try a Few Classes:  Many schools offer free trial sessions. Take advantage of these to see which art resonates with you. Set Clear Goals:  Decide what you want to achieve—whether it’s fitness, self-defense, or competition—and choose accordingly. Find the Right School:  Look for qualified instructors, a welcoming environment, and a curriculum that aligns with your goals. Choosing the right martial art in 2025 is about finding what inspires and motivates you. Whether you’re drawn to the competitive edge of MMA, the strategic brilliance of BJJ, or the spiritual calm of Tai Chi, there’s something for everyone. Martial arts are a journey, not a destination. Embrace the process, challenge yourself, and enjoy the countless physical, mental, and emotional benefits along the way.

Words matter. But do they matter as much as action in the karate dojo? Not really. You can talk a great game, wax philosophically for an hour, or explain a concept in exacting, accurate detail. But if you cannot translate all those words into action, it doesn’t mean much. That’s one reason a lot of talking isn’t necessary in training. You can learn something intellectually, but if you do not karada de oboeru  — “learn with your body” — you’re still critically unschooled. That said, to ignore words is to miss a critical entry into some areas of karate that need to be studied and understood. Trying to explain the transmission of power is among the most challenging of tasks for the karate teacher. The Transmission of Power in Karate It’s interesting that in typical Japanese dojos, little explanation is given to transmitting power. The Japanese equivalents of “hit” and “strike” are most commonly used. This might reflect the importance of bladed weapons in Japan’s martial culture. A Japanese sword cuts on contact. There isn’t much need to describe finer details. (Note, however, that in the Chinese fighting arts, where there’s a strong emphasis on strategies that involve using the body instead of a weapon, terms to describe the application of different kinds of power are numerous. Strikes in the Chinese arts can be described approximately using words like “pounding,” “disrupting,” and “exploding.”) Okinawan karate, an amalgamation of Japanese and Chinese sources merged with native roots, seems to fall somewhere in the middle. There are terms in Uchinaaguchi , the Okinawan language, that distinguish methods of transmitting power. What is revealing is that there are no satisfactory Japanese equivalents. When we come across something of this nature, it’s a good idea to examine it closely for what it might reveal. Atifa: A Unique Okinawan Concept Atifa  is an Okinawan word that refers to transmitting energy in a specific way. Pushing a door open is not an example of atifa . Jerking up a window is. Atifa  carries the connotation of “shocking” or, more accurately, “pulsing.” Punching a heavy bag is not atifa . Place your palm on the bag, then relax the muscles in your arm until you’re using just enough energy for the palm to stay connected to the bag. Put your feeling down into your hips. Try to tighten the muscles there, then let that quick tightening travel all the way up your side and into your arm. Don’t push. Try to just give a shudder or a pulse. You’ll make the bag move, though it will probably be just a twitch. That movement is an expression of atifa . There are, of course, colorful stories of martial arts masters who can, with some mysterious touch, cause shockwaves to be transmitted that will disrupt blood flow or the heart’s beating or work some other magical damage. Perhaps these skills really exist, but I’ve never seen them. Atifa , however, while it’s subtle and does require a lot of training, is not in this realm. Think of it this way: There’s the steady, continuous force exerted in turning a jar’s lid. There’s also the brisk, relatively light force exerted on a tight lid when you rap it with the back of a knife blade to loosen it. Atifa  is that latter kind of energy application. Not magic, just physics. The Role of Relaxation in Atifa There’s a reason — forgive the simplicity here — you can make a whip crack more easily than you can a stick. The flexibility of the whip allows it to travel fast enough to make the noise. Another word for flexibility here is “relaxation.” Atifa  requires relaxation. It’s easy to talk about relaxation when there’s no real danger, no sense of urgency. Under the extremes of violence, though, we all know that “freezing,” or tightening one’s muscles, is a response that’s difficult to overcome. The path toward mastering atifa  lies in dedicated, continuous training. Training the Atifa  Technique One practice that will give you an idea of how atifa  works is using the makiwara. Some old Okinawan karateka insisted the makiwara was essential for learning to strike with atifa ; they maintained that the notion of using the padded post just to learn to strike with more muscular power was a perversion of the instrument and a misinterpretation by the Japanese that occurred after karate was transplanted to the mainland. Stand closer to the striking post than you would when making a reverse punch. Bend your arm so your fist is at the height of the pad and about a foot away from it. Now open your hand, shake your wrist and relax. Strike slowly, concentrating on keeping your hand relaxed. Make a fist just before contact is made. It’s important not to use power here. If your timing is off and you hit with any strength at all, a loose fist is a sure way to injure yourself. Your goal isn’t to make a stronger punch — not yet. It’s to make a more relaxed strike, one in which no tension is applied until the instant of contact. When you can reliably hit the makiwara this way, increase the distance of your strike. The best way to do this is to lightly swing your hand up and hit at a rising angle, instead of cocking your fist at your hip as you would in normal training. This kind of striking, while it takes time to develop, is more natural once you get a feel for it. Watch high-level karateka in sparring: Their arms are loose, relaxed. Beginners, on the other hand, make tight fists and keep them awkwardly held against their sides, as if they are doing a basic punching exercise in the dojo. Less-experienced karateka confuse those basics with what karate is all about. It’s tantamount to playing the scales when you want to perform in a concert. Learning to strike with atifa  is certainly on the upper end of training in terms of complexity. It must be a goal of the serious karateka, however. Dave Lowry has written Karate Way  since 1986. For more information about his articles and books, search his name in the search box.

Ke Huy Quan is back—and this time, he’s not just fighting for his life. He’s fighting for love. Love Hurts , the latest action-comedy from 87North Productions, throws Quan into his first-ever leading role in a full-fledged martial arts film, blending high-octane choreography with heartfelt (and hilarious) moments. Ke Huy Quan: From Childhood Star to Action Hero For martial arts fans, Quan needs no introduction. He captured hearts as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom  and as Data in The Goonies , but after a long break from Hollywood, he returned in Everything Everywhere All At Once , delivering an Oscar-winning performance packed with incredible fight sequences. Now, in Love Hurts , Quan steps into the spotlight as Marvin Gable, a former hitman turned real estate agent whose past literally comes knocking in the form of his ex, Rose (played by Ariana DeBose). The film takes a classic rom-com setup—ex-lovers forced to work together—and flips it into a relentless martial arts thrill ride. But Marvin's story is far from simple. He receives a crimson envelope from Rose, a former partner-in-crime whom he once left for dead. Suddenly, he’s dragged back into a world of ruthless hitmen and double-crosses, where his open houses turn into deadly war zones. Hunted by his brother, a volatile crime lord, Marvin is forced to confront the choices that haunt him, all while trying to move forward with his life. Quan gets to prove he’s not just back in Hollywood—he’s here to throw down. Why Love Hurts Hits Different For martial artists and action lovers, Love Hurts  especially stands out for a big reason: the fights. Directed by Jonathan Eusebio, a legendary stunt coordinator known for his work on John Wick , The Bourne Ultimatum , and Black Panther , the film delivers brutal yet fluid choreography. The fights are visceral, using real-world martial arts techniques, creative stunt work, and just the right touch of comedy to make every hit count. Standout sequences sees Quan utilizing wing chun trapping hands, judo sweeps, and some Jackie Chan-style environmental combat. But it’s not just the action that makes Love Hurts  special—it’s the heart. Martial artists know that every fight tells a story, and here, the fights aren’t just about survival; they’re about love, regret, and second chances. As Marvin’s world unravels, each fight is a confrontation not just with his enemies, but with his past. 87North: The Kings of Hollywood Action If you love action films, you already know 87North. Founded by John Wick  co-director David Leitch and producer Kelly McCormick, the studio has been cranking out some of the best fight-centric films of the past decade, including Atomic Blonde , Nobody , and Bullet Train . With Love Hurts , they’ve taken their signature stunt-heavy style and fused it with a fresh, emotional core. Who Should Watch It? If you’re a martial artist, a stunt enthusiast, or just someone who loves a good action-comedy, Love Hurts  is a must-watch. It’s got crisp fight choreography, a charming lead performance from Ke Huy Quan, and a unique blend of romance and mayhem that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Bottom line? Love Hurts  proves that sometimes, love really does hurt—but watching Ke Huy Quan fight his way through heartbreak has never been more fun. Love Hurts  is available NOW in theaters!

It’s become increasingly difficult to legally arm yourself for the purpose of self-defense. Laws vary greatly from state to state, and the last thing you need is to find yourself jammed up because, although you legally defended yourself, you did it using an illegal weapon. The same can be said for using an inappropriate yet legally carried weapon. For example, a folding knife may be legal, but it might not be appropriate for the circumstances — yet it’s the only thing the intended victim has with them, so it gets used. Introducing any weapon into a violent situation can be problematic. Courts generally take a dim view of hurting someone with a weapon unless the situation clearly supports its lawful use in self-defense. The distinction between a purpose-built weapon and a weapon of opportunity is basically this: A purpose-built weapon is "an instrument of combat by design," whereas a weapon of opportunity is an everyday implement that’s at hand and pressed into service as a weapon because of urgency or necessity. Enter the Flashlight Which brings us to the point of this column: the flashlight. Notice I didn’t say “tactical flashlight” or “CQB flashlight.” The reason for the differentiation can be found in the preceding paragraph. In my opinion, if a structurally sound flashlight is designed with a sharp, crenulated bezel that’s specifically for striking, it is, in fact, a weapon. And to be honest, it’s a maiming weapon. I’m not mincing words, and I’m well aware of the plethora of such flashlights in the marketplace. What I’m suggesting is that you don’t purchase a light with sharpened edges or teeth designed to cut into an attacker. What to Look for in a Flashlight I always advise people to choose a flashlight based on a few important design features. First is diameter and length. I recommend a light that’s approximately 8 to 8½ inches long for a couple of reasons. It will carry well in a rear pocket, the average depth of which (in jeans) is 5 to 6 inches. A light that’s 8 to 8½ inches long means the head is positioned above the pocket rim and is instantly available, provided you have the right grip, to use as a bludgeon or dan bong  (Korean for “short stick”). The diameter should be ¾ to 1 inch so it’s easy to manipulate and can be used as a kubotan or koppo. If the diameter is right, the light will fit between your hand and wrist in the natural saddle that occurs near the styloid process on the ulna or radius side. If it’s too thick, it won’t be effective as a kubotan and can’t be held between the thumb and little finger as a koppo. The second feature is brightness,  usually measured in lumens. The light should be bright enough to legitimately “night-blind” a would-be attacker and preferably bright enough to diminish his vision in daylight hours as well. How bright is bright enough? If you have a light that produces more than 100 lumens, you’ll effectively diminish anyone’s vision at night. Brighter is better, of course, but that entails increased power requirements and better bulbs, which can adversely affect size. The third important design feature is construction. Most good lights today are made of “aircraft aluminum” and have decent shock-absorption qualities with respect to protecting the electronics and the LED bulb against damage from impacts. You’ll want to ensure that your light will continue to function as designed if you start hitting things with it or drop it in a struggle. The last pertinent feature is the switch —  in particular, the ease of use and resistance to unintended activation. This is mostly about personal preference. Some people prefer side-switching designs, while others like tail-cap switches. Suffice it to say that the one you choose should permit you to turn the beam on and off easily and with certainty, with only one hand. Putting the Flashlight to Use in Self-Defense Once you do some research and handle a few models — and it’s crucial to handle them — buy the light you believe best suits your purpose. Now, what do you do with it in a self-defense situation? I don’t have the space to get into the actual techniques here, but generally speaking, you have a blinding tool in your hand that you can strike with. In the simplest terms, if a thug was to approach you in a threatening manner, you could flash him in the eyes with the beam and run. If a thug was to walk up and physically threaten you, you could hit him in the eyes with the beam and then hit him in the head with the light. See what I did there? The light can function as a simple bludgeon, held in your hammerfist and used to smash into arms, chests, faces, and hands. It can be used as a kubotan or pain-compliance tool with a little familiarity and training. Either end of the light can be used against clenched hands or used to concentrate force into a small area, generating excruciating pain. The barrel can be used to roll against nerves in the wrist, creating some good pain as well. You also can wield a light like a dan bong — by holding the head (which is why I prefer lights with a head rather than designs that have a uniform diameter) in the ring created by your thumb and index finger. The rest of your hand cups the head, and the barrel protrudes from your hand. From this grip, you can whip the light and snap-strike targets effectively. Finally, you can hold it between your thumb and little finger in a way that permits usage as a koppo. That enables you to slap an adversary in the face or head, as well as parry a punch. The Flashlight: A Fight-Bender, Not a Fight-Ender Like a pocket stick, a flashlight likely will be a “fight-bender” and not a “fight-ender.” It can buy you time, distract, and dissuade. But unless you literally knock someone out with it while you’re in an adrenalized state, your opponent probably will keep fighting. The most important thing to remember regarding flashlight self-defense is this: Like with any purpose-built weapon, if you find yourself having to grab it, that should trigger your brain that you’re in a potentially dangerous situation and need to get the hell out of there. And like with any other tool, it’s the user that makes it effective. Otherwise, it’s just an object. If you’re going to carry a light for self-defense, you need to train with it.