FAST FORWARD

Technological advances in the past 20 years have made the baseball fan experience better than ever

MINOR LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM

The best seasons from prospects make up our minor league all-stars.

All the right moves

Tigers director of performance Georgia Giblin helps players hit, run and throw more efficiently

FROM BUST TO BOOM

Devin Mesoraco reversed early pro struggles to become an all-star catcher

TRAITS TO TARGET

Swing decisions. Contact frequency. Impact. These are more than buzzwords when prospecting in dynasty leagues.

CENTER PIECE

Julio Rodriguez’s raw talent and joyful charisma made him a team leader as a 21-year-old rookie and helped the Mariners end a 21-year playoff drought

WORK OF ART

Andrew Painter did things seldom seen from teenage pitchers and is our first-ever Minor League Pitcher of the Year

BEST OF THE NEST

Gunnar Henderson’s breakthrough season positions him as one of the Orioles’ future faces of the franchise

TWO FOR THE SHOW

The Orioles’ 2019 draft class could define the franchise

Hit the Road

Fit to fight

3 Real Black Belts Who Appeared in

One has already resurfaced in "Cobra Kai"! Will the other two?

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO RIDE IN THE COLD

I'M A BIG FAN OF THE SAYING, "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER, ONLY BAD CLOTHING."

GET MORE COMFORTABLE ON GROUP RIDES

Cycling with your friends can be incredibly fun-you all work together to reduce drag, and the group goes faster while saving energy. Getting to speeds you can't achieve on your own is a rush like no other!

GEAR

NOTES, OPINIONS, USEFUL TIPS, AND THE COOLEST GEAR FROM INSIDE THE WORLD'S MOST RIGOROUS BIKE AND GEAR TEST CENTER

HITTING THE PERFECT TIRE PRESSURE FOR EVERY RIDE

RIDE FASTER. FLAT LESS, CORNER HARDER, AND LOVE EACH MILE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE

PREVENT FLATS AND IMPROVE YOUR RIDE

Over the past decade, 29-inch wheels, bicycle-geometry evolution, and improved suspension performance have increased the speed at which we ride our mountain bikes. Meanwhile, the gravel revolution has us riding our unsuspended drop-bar bikes farther off the asphalt and onto rougher roads and trails. As a result, we're hitting things harder, which takes a toll on our wheels and tires.

THIS MUSICIAN USES CYCLING TO MAKE HIS SONGS COME TO LIFE

Eric Anest stops pedaling, pulls out his iPhone, and presses pause.

HOW TO DO IT

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR EVERY PART OF YOUR RIDE LIFE

THE MAKING OF A MONSTER

Centuries ago, it was an idyllic earthen path. Today, it's the most dangerous road for cyclists in America.

Qatar's World Cup Cruelty

Qatar’s bid to boost its global standing by hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup is hardly unprecedented.

STREET CRED

TOP 7 STYLES THAT WILL SUPERCHARGE YOUR SELF-DEFENSE QUOTIENT!

HOW HE BEAT BULLYING AND BECAME A WRESTLING AND MMA CHAMPION and How He's Giving Back!

Justin Wren began making a name for himself in our world when he embarked on his MMA career in 2006. He went on to build a respectable record of 13-2 in the UFC, Bellator and other orgs. But he really started to shine when he dedicated his life to helping the Pygmies in Africa improve their lot in life by building water wells and eventually a school and a hospital. Now the 35-year-old Wren, whose ring name is "The Big Pygmy," is taking aim at a problem that's plagued society forever: bullying.

BENEFITS OF LONG-TERM STUDENT CONTRACTS, PART 2

In the August/September 2022 issue of Black Belt, Floyd Burk began his examination of the value of student contracts for martial arts schools. Here, he concludes his interview with Marcia D. Watters, Esq., who operates Mr. Jimmy's White Tiger Martial Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland, with her husband Jimmy Smith.

THE LAST RESORT OF PROACTIVE SELF-DEFENSE, PART 3

Returning once again to the scenario I described in the June/ July 2022 issue: You've done everything possible to de-escalate the volatile confrontation, all to no avail. It's crystal clear that the aggressor is about to attack at any moment. After doing everything you can to de-escalate the situation, you make the decision to get physical.

FIGHTING WITH ROPES AND SASHES

THE WORD "THUG" CAN BE FOUND IN ANY DICTIONARY OF MODERN ENGLISH, BUT FEW PEOPLE KNOW THAT IT ACTUALLY ORIGINATED IN ANCIENT INDIA. THERE, MEMBERS OF CRIMINAL GANGS BORE THAT NAME, AND THEIR ACTIVITIES WERE KNOWN AS THUGGEE IN THE LOCAL DIALECT.

NEW FRONTIERS

WITH THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, WOMEN ARE LEVERAGING NEW POWER, AUTONOMY AND IDENTITY IN THE MARTIAL ARTS. WITH THOSE, THEY'RE CREATING MORE PLATFORMS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEMSELVES THAN EVER EXISTED EVEN A GENERATION AGO. TODAY'S WOMEN ARE EXPLORING NEW TERRITORIES AND BREAKING THROUGH OLD GLASS CEILINGS TO DEFINE THEIR OWN REALITIES. LISTED BELOW ARE A FEW EXAMPLES.

PUT UP YOUR DUKES

SHOULD YOU SUPPLEMENT YOUR MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS WITH BOXING? HERE ARE THE PROS AND CONS!

THE MANJI SAI

HOW TO HANDLE THE LESSER-KNOWN COUSIN OF THE UBIQUITOUS SAI

HOW BRUCE LEE INSPIRED THE EVOLUTION OF COMBAT SPORTS

IN A NEW EPISODE OF THE COMBAT SHOW ON THE FREE BLACK BELT MAGAZINE CHANNEL ON JUNGO PLUS, GEORGE CHUNG INTERVIEWS SCOTT COKER, FOUNDER OF STRIKEFORCE AND CURRENT PRESIDENT OF BELLATOR MMA. COKER HAS BEEN A MARTIAL ARTIST FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE. THAT, COUPLED WITH INSIDER ACCESS AT HIS FIGHT SHOWS, HAS GIVEN HIM A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMBAT SPORTS. BEFORE WE BEGIN, HERE ARE A FEW OF THE CHANNEL'S HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMING MONTHS.

A CHIP OFF THE OLD (KARATE) BLOCK

IT'S NOT EASY BEING THE SON OF A FAMOUS SPORTS FATHER. FOR EVERY PEYTON AND ELI MANNING, THE SONS OF NFL QUARTERBACK ARCHIE MANNING WHO FOUND MASSIVE SUCCESS IN THE SAME SPORT AS THEIR DAD, THERE'S A JEFFREY OR MARCUS JORDAN, THE SONS OF BASKETBALL LEGEND MICHAEL JORDAN WHO DID NOT. RICHARD AVERY PLOWDEN IS DECIDEDLY IN THE FORMER CATEGORY.