traditional arts | Black Belt Magazine 2/4

Gentle Spirit of Jiu Jitsu: The Origin and Benefits of Ju-Shin Practice

George Kirby

Aug 6

Traditional Arts

Gentle Spirit of Jiu Jitsu: The Origin and Benefits of Ju-Shin Practice

During the early part of the Tokugawa era (1603-1868), there lived in Japan’s Saikaido province a respected samurai...

Shi Yan Ming: Bringing Shaolin Martial Arts and Shaolin Philosophy to America!

Mark Jacobs

Aug 5

Traditional Arts

Shi Yan Ming: Bringing Shaolin Martial Arts and Shaolin Philosophy to America!

Displaying the shaven head and orange robes of a Shaolin monk but with a hip gray hoodie tossed on top, Shi Yan Ming....

Black Belt Team

Aug 3

Traditional Arts

Event of the Week: The Internationals

The Long Beach International Karate Championships is an international karate and martial arts tournament first launched in Long Beach...

Adam James

Jul 30

Kung Fu

Leo Fong’s Winding Road to Wei Kuen Do

The only Asian on campus, he found himself surrounded by a group of students during recess. They began throwing racial slurs at the newcomer

You’ve Got to Get Hit in the Face, The Missing Element in Your Martial Arts Training

Keith Vargo

Jul 28

Premium

You’ve Got to Get Hit in the Face, The Missing Element in Your Martial Arts Training

No matter how good a training hall is, he said, “you’ve got to have people hitting each other in the face sometimes...

Judo Back in the Day - A Revealing Look at the Early Days of the Grappling Art in America

Hayward Nishioka

Jul 21

Premium

Judo Back in the Day - A Revealing Look at the Early Days of the Grappling Art in America

After hearing me make a few statements like that, a young student asked, "What about Judo?" This is the way I happened to experience it....

Bekauri Poised for Olympic Judo Title Defense on Day 5 of 2024 Paris Olympics

Black Belt Team

Jul 20

Judo

Bekauri Poised for Olympic Judo Title Defense on Day 5 of 2024 Paris Olympics

Day five of the Paris Olympics is set to be a thrilling day in the judo tournament, especially in the women’s U70kg and men’s under-90kg...

Event of the Week: Dragonfest (August 3, 2024)

Black Belt Team

Jul 20

Traditional Arts

Event of the Week: Dragonfest (August 3, 2024)

This week we feature DragonFest, the official event sponsored by the Martial Arts Museum.

Day 4 of Judo at the 2024 Paris Olympics: Anticipated Showdowns in Judo's Middleweight Categories

Black Belt Team

Jul 19

Judo

Day 4 of Judo at the 2024 Paris Olympics: Anticipated Showdowns in Judo's Middleweight Categories

The fourth day of the Judo tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics is set to be electrifying, showcasing the highly competitive middleweight..

Martial Arts Worldview: Training in Hapkido, Watching 'Billy Jack' and Becoming a Sheepdog

James D. Brewer

Jul 18

Traditional Arts

Martial Arts Worldview: Training in Hapkido, Watching 'Billy Jack' and Becoming a Sheepdog

As a 23-year-old graduate student in Middle America in the early 1970s, I was hungry for whatever I could learn about the Asian martial arts

Do Karate Students Need to Know About the Japanese Sword?

Black Belt Team

Jul 16

Traditional Arts

Do Karate Students Need to Know About the Japanese Sword?

In short, karate and swordsmanship are both fighting arts, but there’s little in the way of technical or strategic overlap..

Fighting Stars Cover Story Throwback: Angela Mao Ying

Black Belt Team

Jul 14

Karate

Fighting Stars Cover Story Throwback: Angela Mao Ying

The October 1974 cover of Fighting Stars featured a 22-year-old Angela Mao Ying in her unforgettable role as Bruce Lee's sister...

The Sword Behind the Smile: Samurai Poker Face

Dave Lowry

Jul 9

Traditional Arts

The Sword Behind the Smile: Samurai Poker Face

I remembered one that I heard as a child: umi no uchi no katana, “the sword behind the smile...

The Bhagavad-Gita: A Martial Artist's Guide to Violence and Mystical Vision

Keith Vargo

Jul 5

Traditional Arts

The Bhagavad-Gita: A Martial Artist's Guide to Violence and Mystical Vision

It’s a relatively short dialogue between a hero named Arjuna and his charioteer, the god Krishna...

Master Wong: Awareness in Training and Becoming a YouTube Sensation

Black Belt Team

Jun 19

Traditional Arts

Master Wong: Awareness in Training and Becoming a YouTube Sensation

All martial arts are good, Master Wong says. However, people often believe otherwise because they see moves that are done differently...

Want to Maximize Your Fighting Ability? Try Combat Chess! QUEEN OF ALL MOVES!

Harinder Singh Sabharwal

Jun 19

Jeet Kune Do

Want to Maximize Your Fighting Ability? Try Combat Chess! QUEEN OF ALL MOVES!

One of Bruce Lee's preferred techniques was the straight right lead. He also taught the lead-hand finger jab, which is technically faster...

Fighting With Blades: Let Us Not Slash History to Shreds

Mark Hatmaker

Jun 13

Traditional Arts

Fighting With Blades: Let Us Not Slash History to Shreds

A few like-minded associates and I recently were comparing notes on the historical blade work of some indigenous cultures...

Karate Illustrated Cover Story Throwback: Benny Urquidez 1974

Black Belt Team

Jun 9

Traditional Arts

Karate Illustrated Cover Story Throwback: Benny Urquidez 1974

The cover of the July 1974 Karate Illustrated issue showcased a 23-year-old Benny "The Jet" Urquidez executing a flawless side kick. This...

Daito-Ryu 101: Aikijujutsu Has Influenced Many Martial Arts - Its Time to Learn More About It

S.D. Seong

Jun 6

Traditional Arts

Daito-Ryu 101: Aikijujutsu Has Influenced Many Martial Arts - Its Time to Learn More About It

Daito-ryu aikijujutsu is definitely not the world’s most popular martial art. It’s not even close...

Dave Lowry

Jun 4

Traditional Arts

3 Words All Instructors Should Know

THAT MIGHT SEEM ODD. As a sensei, after all, you’re supposed to know. That’s why you’re a sensei, isn’t it?

John T. Bingham

Jun 3

Kung Fu

Big Cats of Kung Fu

Anyone who’s had to fend off an angry animal — even one as small as a house cat — knows the fury they can bring to a fight.

When Cranes Fly: What You Need to Know About This Rare Style of White-Crane Kung Fu

Lorne Bernard

May 30

Kung Fu

When Cranes Fly: What You Need to Know About This Rare Style of White-Crane Kung Fu

China’s Fujian province is famous for being the home of the Southern Shaolin Temple and many powerful styles of traditional kung fu.

Throws & Strikes: Use Them the Way They Were Designed!

Marcus Day

May 23

Mixed Martial Arts

Throws & Strikes: Use Them the Way They Were Designed!

For traditional martial artists, the line between styles can seem concrete: Hard styles strike, and soft styles grapple.

Black Belt Team

May 21

Premium

Bruce Lee Answers Letters to the Editor

Black Belt published a two-part article on Bruce Lee (Green Hornet's "Kato") in 1967. Black Belt received received a flood of letters...

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