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The cover for the Black Belt Buyer's Guide 2008.
(Cover designed by
John Bodine) |
The Black Belt Buyer’s Guide 2008, the fourth installment of Black Belt’s annual compendium of martial arts products, services and educational opportunities, will be available for newsstand purchase November 6, 2007! CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER NOW!
Within its 172 pages, you will find hundreds of alphabetically organized listings for everything modern martial arts practitioners might want to get their hands on: uniforms, weapons, books, DVDs, protective gear (and bags to carry it in)—even kendo armor!
Whether you are a seasoned martial arts instructor, a young student just starting out, or a casual fan who enjoys kicking back to catch a Bruce Lee or Jet Li flick, the Black Belt Buyer’s Guide 2008 is your one-stop-shopping resource for the newest and hottest equipment, accessories and multimedia entertainment. Rather than sending away for a stack of catalogs or spending countless hours searching through disorganized and difficult-to-use Web sites (which we did for you in researching this project), you can simply flip through this comprehensive catalog’s concise and informative product and service descriptions.
If you prefer enjoying cool stuff rather than trying to find it, then the Black Belt Buyer’s Guide 2008 is just what you’re looking for. Whether you’re on the hunt for uniforms, shirts, hats, a school-management system, instructional DVDs, the hottest new video games, headgear and body padding, a new sword, training mats for your dojo, or padded weapons for the kids to play with, the Black Belt Buyer’s Guide 2008 is just where you’ll find it.
Because it is a “guide,” the Black Belt Buyer’s Guide 2008 does not offer critiques or reviews. We leave that to online forums, where people have the time to thoroughly use all the gear, play the games, wear the uniforms and document their personal experiences for public consumption. Such opinions can be of great value, but this guide’s purpose is, literally, to guide you through what’s currently available in apparel, business, education, entertainment, training equipment, training gear and weapons. Its easy-to-use format breaks each of these categories into subcategories.
Each subcategory features the top industry players’ newest products and services organized alphabetically alongside color imagery. Each listing includes the source company’s Web site and consumer telephone number for instant access and additional information. We encourage you to visit their sites, call their hot lines and support the participating companies who continue to bring you the latest innovations in martial arts entertainment, education, equipment and technology. Without them, we’d all be bruised, bored and merely fantasizing about becoming the next martial arts legend instead of striving and training toward such a goal.
Despite the months of research, coordination, design and fact checking that went into the construction of this compilation, the Black Belt Buyer’s Guide 2008 does not constitute a total representation of the industry at large. Such a publication would be akin to a cumbersome department-store catalog rather than a practical quick-reference tool. Plus, not all of what’s available is worth mentioning in print. There’s no need to waste your time sifting through useless bulk when you could be checking out the best of the best. For those who wish to research further, we have provided a complete company directory as well as sidebars listing the top Web sites from various categories of interest.
This year’s edition also features a lineup of exclusive interviews with experts and luminaries representing a wide of range of martial disciplines. From reality-based pioneer Jim Wagner, samurai sword expert Masayuki Shimabukuro, muay Thai fighter Lisa King and mixed martial arts legends Bas Rutten and Frank Shamrock to jeet kune do expert Tim Tackett, longtime jujutsu instructor George Kirby and judo authority Hayward Nishioka, we’ve assembled a tapestry of perspectives regarding the study and practice of martial arts. Some talk about their latest projects, some talk about their favorite martial arts films—and some talk about the lifelong pursuit of principles that has enriched them physically, mentally and spiritually. Each printed interview was culled from longer conversations, much of which will be available for further reading soon here at www.blackbeltmag.com.
Attractive, streamlined, fun and informative—those were our goals for the Black Belt Buyer’s Guide 2008. Whether you are a veteran instructor, novice student or hard-core fan, this guide is the ultimate resource for everything you could want or need in the martial arts world.
About the author: Raymond Horwitz is special projects editor for Black Belt and served as editor for the Black Belt Buyer's Guide 2008. You can reach him via e-mail at rhorwitz@aimmedia.com.
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