It’s mid-afternoon, and Andrea Meneses is in the middle of a break between training sessions. Meneses – born in Barcelona and raised in Gava by a single father – is a lifelong resident of Spain, but she is in the trendy Wynwood section of Miami, preparing at the Goat Shed Academy for her upcoming Combate Global MMA fight against undefeated American Janet Garcia. “This is the best training camp I have ever had as a professional,” said the 27-year-old Meneses, a former national amateur MMA...

It is with profound sorrow that the community and family of Black Belt Magazine  announce the passing of our beloved Sensei John Sharkey, a teacher, mentor, and guiding light to so many. Based in Naperville, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, he was a true pillar of the martial arts community. Admired, Respected and Loved by everyone his met, trained and influenced martial arts will be better because of John Sharkey. Sensei Sharkey began studying martial arts in 1965. He opened his first...

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” Theodore Roosevelt Historical Roots: Can you tell us about the origins of Irish stick fighting and how it evolved over time?   For centuries all across Europe, people trained for using bladed weapons by practicing techniques with wooden sticks: spears, axes, and swords. Over time the stick-training evolved more and more into its own unique way of fighting. In fact, some historians think that the idea for using a two-handed longsword...