Traditional Martial Arts | Black Belt Magazine

Oct 22

Rethinking Rank: What Does It Really Mean to Be a Black Belt?

Before Jigoro Kano and the Meiji Restoration, there was jujitsu. Back then, a person practiced in an ordinary kimono, usually a hakama and..

Fixing Modern Taekwondo, Here’s What We Can Do to Start Fixing the Problem

Herb Perez

Aug 10

Tae Kwon Do

Fixing Modern Taekwondo, Here’s What We Can Do to Start Fixing the Problem

As a martial art/combat sport, taekwondo has gone through several transformations. Each generation of practitioners is plagued by critics...

Karate’s Forgotten Pioneer: Yasuhiro Konishi

Dave Lowry

May 20

Traditional Arts

Karate’s Forgotten Pioneer: Yasuhiro Konishi

History has a flow; some characters are caught in the currents and carried along, while others fall into an eddy and are soon forgotten.

Dave Lowry

Dec 27, 2023

Traditional Arts

What Is a Kiai?

Two Japanese characters make up the word: Ki means “energy,” and ai means “to unify.” The concept appears often in the traditional...

Black Belt Team

Dec 26, 2023

Traditional Arts

Learn the Real Chuck Norris Facts

Like most netizens, we love Chuck Norris jokes. But Chuck Norris is more than just an action hero. As this classic interview with Sara...

Chuck Norris: How to Choose A Martial Arts School

Black Belt Team

Dec 25, 2023

Traditional Arts

Chuck Norris: How to Choose A Martial Arts School

In a recent letter, someone mentioned his interest in taking karate lessons. He wanted to know what questions he should ask a prospective...

A New Look at Samurai Swordsman Miyamoto Musashi

Noel Plaugher

Dec 24, 2023

Traditional Arts

A New Look at Samurai Swordsman Miyamoto Musashi

When it comes to martial arts and strategy, only a few books are considered must-reads. One of them is The Book of Five...

Can Traditional Martial Arts like Aikido Still Grow in the Age of MMA? Part 2/2

Black Belt Team

Dec 19, 2023

Aikido

Can Traditional Martial Arts like Aikido Still Grow in the Age of MMA? Part 2/2

by Antonio Terrone Last week we published part one. Part two offers final suggestions for keeping traditional martial arts alive. There...

Which Martial Arts Styles Are Most Effective for Self Defense?

Charles Earley

Dec 15, 2023

Self-Defense

Which Martial Arts Styles Are Most Effective for Self Defense?

We live in a pretty dangerous world these days. Despite our best efforts, a physical confrontation can happen at any time during even the...

Can Traditional Martial Arts like Aikido Grow in the Age of MMA? PART 1 of 2

Black Belt Team

Dec 12, 2023

Aikido

Can Traditional Martial Arts like Aikido Grow in the Age of MMA? PART 1 of 2

by Antonio Terrone There has been much clamor in the aikido world about a recent study suggesting that practice of the traditional...

Black Belt Team

Oct 4, 2023

Traditional Arts

Trailblazer: Gabrielle Rudolph

Gabrielle Rudolph is a trailblazing martial artist and is a featured instructor on the most comprehensive martial arts platform in...

UNESCO Declares Cambodian Martial Art Bokator an "Intangible Cultural Heritage"

Mark Jacobs

Nov 30, 2022

Traditional Arts

UNESCO Declares Cambodian Martial Art Bokator an "Intangible Cultural Heritage"

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the Cambodian martial art of kun lbokator, more...

A Brief Anatomy of Strangling, Choke, and Triangle Techniques

Gary Goltz

Nov 17, 2022

Traditional Arts

A Brief Anatomy of Strangling, Choke, and Triangle Techniques

This week’s blog is by my good friend and colleague by Steve Scott. Using strangles and chokes is serious business and is not for the...

Father of Bermudan Karate Frederick "Skipper" Ingham Dies

Mark Jacobs

Nov 11, 2022

Traditional Arts

Father of Bermudan Karate Frederick "Skipper" Ingham Dies

Frederick "Skipper" Ingham, regarded as the father of karate in Bermuda and a quiet force in the development of professional sport...

Appreciating Modern Female Martial Artists

Annika Kahn

Oct 21, 2022

Traditional Arts

Appreciating Modern Female Martial Artists

I invite you to stop a moment and ask yourself to remember your grandmother’s, great-grandmother’s, great-great-grandmother’s lineage....

Noel Plaugher

Aug 29, 2022

Traditional Arts

Repetition: The Key to Success

I’ve been a lot of things in my life (musician, writer, entrepreneur, martial artist, etc), but success at any of them was never easy....

Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do: The Anxiety of Influence

Keith Vargo

Jul 19, 2022

Jeet Kune Do

Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do: The Anxiety of Influence

A great artist is measured not just by his fame or even his achievements; he’s measured by his influence on others. Fame alone is...

5 Things You Did Not Know About Combatives

Conrad Bui

Mar 24, 2022

Combatives

5 Things You Did Not Know About Combatives

When you hear the term “combatives,” maybe you immediately envision a tough, muscular, ex-military brute beating the crap out of you...

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