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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.
10 YEARS OF TRAVEL, PART 2
THIS MULTIPART COLUMN WAS WRITTEN ON THE OCCASION OF THE 10 TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS LAUNCH AND ITS ASSIGNMENT TO A WRITER NAMED ANTONIO GRACEFFO, THE MARTIAL ARTIST WHO HAS BECOME BLACK BELT’S ROVING REPORTER IN ASIA. IT PRESENTS MORE OF THE AUTHOR’S CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S MARTIAL ARTS.
4 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR DOJO AND YOUR LIFE
These four ways to improve your dojo and your life are all about attitude. As such, they will elevate the mood in your school and make learning more enjoyable. First up: Make "yes" your favourite word.
KEYBOARD WARRIORS
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, A PLETHORA OF VIDEOS HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO WISH TO CONTINUE THEIR TRAINING WHILE IN LOCKDOWN OR NEAR LOCKDOWN. THIS IS A GREAT THING FOR ALL PRACTICING MARTIAL ARTISTS BECAUSE EVERYONE SUDDENLY HAS ACCESS TO NOTABLE FIGHTERS AND TRAINERS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE TO THE MASSES.
KUNG FU HIP HOP, DA MARTIAL ELEMENTS AND MARCO JOHNSON
BEING ONE OF THE TOP MARTIAL ARTISTS IN THE WORLD SOUNDS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ANY PRACTITIONER OF KUNG FU, KARATE OR TAEKWONDO. YET THAT ALONE ISN’T ALWAYS ENOUGH TO BRING SUCCESS OUTSIDE OF MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOLS AND TOURNAMENT VENUES.
WHY YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING “COBRA KAI”
Because I’m somewhat familiar with the Black Belt demographic, I can safely say there’s a good chance you’re a lot like me. You probably grew up in the martial arts, and when The Karate Kid came out in 1984, you loved every minute of it.