Born Tall, Built Strong, Forged Unstoppable: How Roman Kryklia's Small-Town Roots Shaped a Multi-Belt Champion

The streets of Krasnograd in eastern Ukraine didn't offer much to its children. What it did offer was free time spent outside with friends, lessons learned through experience rather than textbooks, and the understanding that if you wanted something in life, you'd have to build it yourself. For a young Roman Kryklia, those humble streets became the foundation for something extraordinary. On Friday, November 7, at ONE Fight Night 37, the towering 34-year-old Ukrainian stands o

Mixed Martial Arts

Like Father, Like Fighter: How Jonathan Di Bella and His Champion Dad Built a Legacy Together

Some fighters change coaches throughout their careers, searching for the right voice to guide them to greatness. Jonathan Di Bella has...

Mixed Martial Arts

Reforging Tradition: The Living Legacy of Japanese Armor

It will be fascinating for you, if you have the opportunity, to visit one of the museums in the West that have suits of Japanese armor. That’s because feudal Japan took a different approach to body armor than we find in Europe. To some degree, the samurai traded protection for mobility. Rather than using rigid, curved metal sections like the European knights did, the Japanese constructed their armor from an elaborately woven series of leather panels. Roughly half the size of

Traditional Arts

The Karate Chop - Really Deadly or Retro Punchline?

The knife hand strike, once the crown jewel of karate demonstrations, has had quite a fall from grace. Once upon a time, every martial arts student dreamed of chopping through boards like a lumberjack with an anger management problem. Instructors would proudly line up pine planks, and students would step forward with the confidence of someone who definitely wasn’t about to bruise their hand. These days, though, the karate chop feels like it’s been filed away with other retro

Traditional Arts

Cover Throwback - Black Belt Magazine: Gene LeBell

Celebrated on the Black Belt Magazine cover in January 2000, LeBell embodied both the grit of a true martial artist and the showmanship of a Hollywood insider. Truly a larger-than-life figure whose legacy continues to straddle two worlds: the discipline of judo and the spectacle of cinema. Long before MMA was mainstream, LeBell was already blending styles, demonstrating how throws, locks, and submissions could level the playing field. Known as “Judo” Gene LeBell, he was more

Traditional Arts

Cover Throwback - Karate Illustrated: Raymond McCallum and Tommy Williams

The July 1981 issue of Karate Illustrated spotlighted two of the South’s most formidable fighters — Tommy Williams of Oklahoma and a young Raymond McCallum from Texas, both in their fighting prime. Renowned for their explosive transitions from point fighting to full-contact competition, the pair represented the cutting edge of the era’s martial artistry. Their kicking prowess was especially legendary; Williams earned the nickname “The Tornado” for his blistering, high-speed

Traditional Arts