CATEGORIES

JAW TRAINING FOR STRIKERS

NEWS FLASH: FIGHTERS GET PUNCHED IN THE JAW! THE JAW AND ITS HINGES, ALONG WITH THE CHIN, ARE COMMON TARGETS FOR KNOCKOUT ARTISTS. A WELL-PLACED PUNCH TO THE JAW CAN RENDER AN OTHERWISE TREMENDOUSLY CONDITIONED ATHLETE UNCONSCIOUS IN A HEARTBEAT.

2021 U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS & CONTENDERS

Ones to Watch at the World’s Most Prestigious Martial Arts Competition

THE KRIS-ENING OF RAYA AND THE RUSSIAN RAID

When you think about society’s need for Asian female heroes who can influence Asian-American women of all ages to stand up for themselves and fight for justice in their communities, Raya and the Last Dragon could not have come at a better time.

“Your Karate's a Joke!”

A Personal Journey to Prove It’s Not and to Reignite the Warrior Spirit

LEG-BREAKERS, STREET DENTISTS AND ENFORCERS

LET’S SAY YOU RUN A SMALL LOAN-SHARKING ENTERPRISE. NOTHING BIG — YOU’VE GOT A TERRITORY OF THREE TO FOUR CITY BLOCKS.

HOW SELF-DEFENSE DIFFERS FROM COMBAT SPORTS

TO LAUNCH THIS COLUMN, I’LL BRIEFLY INTRODUCE MYSELF AND MY OBJECTIVES. MY NAME IS LITO ANGELES, AND MY LIFE’S PASSION IS MARTIAL ARTS.

TRADITIONAL TO MIXED!

OBSERVATIONS ON THE JOURNEY FROM TKD TO MMA COURTESY OF ANTHONY “SHOWTIME” PETTIS

CQC SAMBO

Why You Should “Fill Your Cup” With Wisdom From This Russian Close-Quarters-Combat System!

THE CHINESE CONNECTION

Critical Look at Chojun Miyagi’s ndmark 1936 Lecture on the rigins of Karate

EVICTION NOTICE! WHEN YOU'RE FORCED TO TEACH OUTSIDE: THE FAQ

BETTER BUSINESS

BUILDING BLOCKS

Budoshin Jujitsu’s Classification of BLOCKING TECHNIQUES Epitomizes Simplicity

5 FIGHT FALLACIES

Slicing Through the Myths That Surround Edged-Weapon Defense!

STAMP

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad — For Most People. For STAMP FAIRTEX, However, It’s Not Enough!

WATCH YOUR WORDS

THINK ABOUT HOW WORDS SPOKEN OR HEARD CAN INFLUENCE THE WAY WE TRAIN IN THE DOJO. THOSE SAME WORDS CAN INFLUENCE THE WAY WE MOVE OUR BODIES.

RANDOM THOUGHTS WITH RICKSON GRACIE

RICKSON GRACIE IS WIDELY REGARDED AS THE BEST OF THE BEST IN BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, BUT HE’S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. HE’S A WARRIOR, A PHILOSOPHER, A THINKER, AN INSPIRATION AND A ROLE MODEL. WHICH IS WHY WE’RE PRESENTING THESE GLIMPSES OF THE MAN THAT NOT MANY BLACK BELT READERS HAVE SEEN.

COMBATIVES COROLLARIES

IN LIFE, DRAWING COROLLARIES BETWEEN RELATED SUBJECTS IS INTERESTING AND OFTEN ENLIGHTENING. IN PARTICULAR, COROLLARIES BETWEEN WARFIGHTING AND PERSONAL COMBAT CAN TEACH US MUCH.

JEET KUNE DO COMMUNITY BIDS FAREWELL TO TAKY KIMURA

MEMBERS OF THE MARTIAL ARTS COMMUNITY — AND FOLLOWERS OF THE ARTS OF BRUCE LEE, IN PARTICULAR — SUFFERED A LOSS ON JANUARY 7, 2021, WHEN SEATTLEBASED INSTRUCTOR TAKY KIMURA PASSED AWAY AT AGE 96. HE HAD BEEN THE MOST SENIOR LIVING STUDENT OF LEE AND ONE OF ONLY THREE PEOPLE (ALONG WITH DAN INOSANTO AND THE LATE JAMES YIMM LEE) CERTIFIED BY LEE TO TEACH. “SPEAKING FOR MYSELF — AND I KNOW BRUCE WOULD HAVE FELT THIS WAY, AS WELL — IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE HAD TAKY AS A PART OF MY LIFE,” SAID LINDA LEE CADWELL, LEE’S WIDOW.

THE DANGAL IN THE JUNGLE, PART 1

YOU KNOW YOU’RE SOMEBODY WHEN YOU’VE APPEARED ON AN INDIAN DANGAL POSTER — IN OTHER WORDS, IN A WRESTLING ADVERTISEMENT.

EVICTION NOTICE! WHEN YOU'RE FORCED TO TEACH OUTSIDE, PART 1

FROM THE DAY BLACK BELT WAS FOUNDED, MARTIAL ARTISTS HAVE LOOKED TO THE MAGAZINE FOR GUIDANCE ON CURRENT TRENDS IN THE ARTS, FROM KICKBOXING IN THE 1970s TO GROUND FIGHTING AND REALITY-BASED SELF-DEFENSE IN THE 2000s. NOWADAYS, THE HOT TOPIC IS, UNFORTUNATELY, SCHOOL SURVIVAL IN THE ERA OF COVID.

WING CHUN'S LINK TO TRIADS It's Not What You Think!

One of the most popular systems of kung fu in the world today is wing chun. It was cast into the international spotlight by Bruce Lee, whose formal training started in the art, but its popularity has exploded since Donnie Yen brought founder Ip Man to life in four blockbuster movies.

LETHAL HANDS

11 TIME-TESTED TOOLS You Need for Close-Quarters Combat Courtesy of the Ancient Greek Art OF PANKRATION!

A LOVE LETTER TO BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU

When actor Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles) was a kid, a prophetic event occurred, one that contradicts the oft-heard phrase that says what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Why do I say “prophetic”? Because if what happened had stayed in Vegas, Flanery still might be digging ditches instead of using that moment in time to forge a future that led to Born a Champion.

MARTIAL ARTS VS. FIGHTING ARTS

JUDO ISN’T REALLY GOOD FOR SELF-DEFENSE. TRADITIONAL KARATE COMPETITIONS THAT DON’T HAVE ANY CONTACT AREN’T VERY EXCITING. TAI CHI DOESN’T DO ANYTHING FOR AEROBIC FITNESS. TAEKWONDO IS JUST A SPORT. COMMENTS LIKE THESE ARE COMMON IN MARTIAL ARTS CIRCLES. OFTEN, THEY COME FROM THOSE WHO IMAGINE THEMSELVES MUCH MORE EXPERIENCED AND COMPETENT THAN PERHAPS THEY ARE. WHEN WE HEAR SUCH STATEMENTS, WE WOULD DO WELL TO CONSIDER WHAT IS REALLY BEING SAID. MORE IMPORTANT, WHEN EVALUATING ANY ASPECT OF A FIGHTING ART, WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT ART IS FOR.

THAT WON'T WORK ON THE STREET!

IT’S SAFE TO INFER THAT EVEN BACK IN THE DAYS OF THE GREAT ASIAN DYNASTIES, THERE WAS SOMEONE POINTING AT THE TEACHER OF A KINGDOM’S ARMY AND SAYING‚ “THAT WON’T WORK IN BATTLE.” MARTIAL ARTISTS ARE KNOWN FOR BEING CRITICAL OF TECHNIQUES THAT ARE NOT INTRODUCED BY THEIR INSTRUCTOR, THAT WERE NOT CREATED BY THEM PERSONALLY OR THAT COME FROM OUTSIDE THEIR SPECIFIC SYSTEM

LEON JAY IS OUT TO SPREAD SMALL- CIRCLE JUJITSU AND SMALL- CIRCLE JUDO

FEW MARTIAL ARTISTS HAVE NOT HEARD OF WALLY JAY AND SMALL-CIRCLE JUJITSU. A MEMBER OF THE BLACK BELT HALL OF FAME, JAY WROTE MUCH ABOUT THE ART HE FOUNDED, AS HAVE NUMEROUS OTHERS. WHAT MANY PEOPLE AREN’T AWARE OF IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM THAT’S TAKING PLACE UNDER LEON JAY.

HOW BRUCE LEE CONQUERED THE RAT

According to Chinese astrology, 2020 was the Year of the Rat — which kind of explains the bad luck we all had! Turns out rats are not compatible with and can be countered by goats.

CRASH THE GAP, THEN STRIKE WITH FULL BODYWEIGHT!

I ALWAYS ADVISE COMBATIVES STUDENTS TO CONTINUOUSLY BUILD A GAP — A SPACE OR DISTANCE — BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND THEIR ATTACKER TO INCREASE THE POWER OF THEIR ELBOWS AND KNEES. HOW SHOULD YOU GO ABOUT DOING THIS? I’LL EXPLAIN.

The Sabaki Revolution

As Seen Through the Evolution of Enshin Karate’s Rules, Concepts and Techniques

UNESCO'S INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF MARTIAL ARTS

It’s a martial arts gem that’s not yet well known. It’s an international organization that’s trying to bridge the gap between styles, techniques and countries. In addition to striving to do all this, it’s a group that’s emphasizing the positive values the martial arts teach.

PAPER TIGERS

MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE PROMISES TO CREATE A NEW GENRE!