Malachy Freidman
Black Belt presents LIVE training seminar with Malachy Friedman. Join us for some Brazillian Jiu Jitsu Heisen Guard techniques.
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The UFC returned to American network television for the first time in more than two years Saturday on ABC while former featherweight champion Max Holloway returned to his winning ways following two straight losses, earning a unanimous decision over Calvin Kattar in Abu Dhabi. Holloway showed he still has plenty left as a fighter dominating Kattar from the opening bell of the main event with a mix of punches and low kicks.
It appeared as if the former champion might stop his opponent in the fourth round landing a series of vicious body blows followed by hard elbows to the head as a bloodied Kattar sagged against the fence. But Kattar somehow survived managing to keep himself upright through the fifth stanza as well, only to lose a lopsided decision. After dropping his title to Alexander Volkanovski and then losing a controversial rematch, Holloway may have put himself in position for one more crack at the championship following Saturday's impressive performance.
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NEW: Black Belt Hall of Fame Member Profiles (1968-1990)
January 15 | 2021
The Legendary Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame has never before been documented in a single location. Now, you can learn about all the icons that have achieved one of the greatest honors in all of martial arts.
Black Belt Magazine is proud to announce the NEW Member Profiles feature for the Hall of Fame. At the time of this article, the online records account for every inductee from the inaugural year of 1968 all the way through 1990 (upwards of 200 martial artists). The page will be updated continuously and will include every inductee through 2020 in the near future. For now, you can enjoy images and facts about the legendary members for each induction they received before 1991. Take advantage of this never-before-seen opportunity to learn about many of the martial artists who contributed to the lifestyle, culture, and community that every martial artist experiences today.
When it comes to grappling arts most people have heard of Judo, Ju-Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sambo, and Sumo. The dynamic art of Shuaijiao, though it is not as well known as the others, should be.
What is Shuaijiao?
Shuaijiao (also spelled Shuai-Chiao) is a Chinese martial art that is approximately four thousand years old. Shuaijiao was born in a time of warfare long ago when to fall on the battlefield meant likely to never get up, and in that spirit, the curriculum of Shuaijiao focuses on throwing in a variety of ways. It is a standup grappling style, meaning that although there are hip throws, leg sweeps, and hand techniques, like many other arts, there is no ground grappling. The goal of Shuaijiao is to end up in a dominant position standing.
<p>I spoke with Jan-Yu Weng, president of the United States Shui-Chiao Association (USSA) about the goals of the organization as well as for the best definition of Shuaijiao, "It's a stand up grappling martial art from China that can be used as self-defense, a competitive sport, and like any other martial art, a life-long way to stay fit and exercise."</p>When watching a Shuaijiao match, I think most martial artists familiar with any of the popular grappling styles mentioned previously will see some familiarity and even recognize similar techniques in their styles. As Weng explains, "If you're already a grappler where you're doing Judo or JiuJitsu or wrestling types, Shuaijiao is going to come relatively easy to pick up as those are all complementary systems." Anecdotally, years ago I learned some Shuaijiao techniques, and a decade or two later when I began learning Judo, I noticed some of the throws were remarkably similar.<em></em>
<p class="">Check out their <a href="https://shuai-chiao.org/" target="_blank">USSA website</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USAShuaijiao" target="_blank">Facebook!</a></p>
Training
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://blackbeltmag.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUwNzIxNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzgzMDg5N30.ZQLlJDNTdnjFpVCIQmNTZ3cvWFPCcxlia90qvzfYnkI/image.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C195%2C0%2C195&height=700" id="48275" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ab2c9b16047863419c79d6a583f27bef" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Shuaijiao Training" data-width="1245" data-height="700" /> <p>Like any martial art, especially grappling styles, practicing with a partner is key. And while there is no substitute for a body, Shuaijiao has some unique solo practice drills that practitioners of other styles, whether grappling styles or not, may want to try, as Weng tells, "We use a lot of apparatus to do our training. One of the most basic ones is our belt, to do what we call <em>belt cracking</em>." The name comes from actually snapping the belt to build up the practitioner's grip and forearms, as well as overall conditioning of the body. "The solo forms, belt cracking, and other apparatus training are all dynamically linked to Shuaijiao techniques. You can train conditioning, timing, strength, with that connection to a technique."</p>Competition
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://blackbeltmag.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUwNzIyNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTI3NDE5MX0.zB2Kn27bcSKUpUeUlPCZE4QpM6xyxKokeXyPgM-LWgA/image.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=700" id="98cd0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3495a970f3890d6c23d189097c56ac69" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Shuaijiao Competition" data-width="1245" data-height="700" /> <p>Like other grappling styles, Shuaijiao is also a sport and there are national and international competitions. Traditionally, the top national competition for the last 25 years has been held every April in Cleveland Ohio. International competition is held through the World Shuai Jiao Federation (WSJF). The tournaments are held biennially in China and alternating between locations throughout the world including the US, and countries in South America and Europe. While the Covid pandemic has cast a shadow over national and international competition for 2021, check the website below or the Shuaijiao USA Facebook page for information and updates.</p>The Future
<p>With the popularity of grappling styles growing it makes sense that Shuaijiao should have as good a chance as any at finding students and expanding their reach. That said, there are some challenges as Weng states, "We realize our limitation to growing Shuaijiao in the U.S. is the lack of qualified teachers and schools in more areas around the country. Our desire is to be able to use our digital framework that we're building, as well as have our coaches, begin to reach out and help, and not only build up coaches and teachers but build up healthy schools."</p><p>People interested in finding out more about Shuaijiao and how to start training in your area should make contact through the website and Facebook page for online seminars and/or a qualified teacher in your area.</p>Watch a Great Shuaijiao Match:
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eb20d292375d1d2906b70a1201198cef"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5E0OcUA6rv8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>2013 Shuai Jiao World Championships at Yixing, China.From Your Site Articles
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ONE Championship: Unbreakable Main Event Preview
January 19 | 2021
ONE Championship's first event of 2021 is on the horizon as the company returns to the Singapore Indoor Stadium for ONE: Unbreakable on January 22.
In the main event, bantamweight kickboxer Capitan Petchyindee Academy challenges ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Alaverdi "Babyface Killer" Ramazanov for his crown.
The Thai challenger has a chip on his shoulder for this contest. Capitan mentioned that he wants to prove all of his doubters wrong with a title-winning performance on Friday in a video detailing the matchup.
<p>Capitan said, "I want to take out everyone who thought I wasn't good enough."</p><p>But don't count Ramazanov as one of his fans. After Capitan's record-breaking KO outing last year, "Babyface Killer" said he was not impressed. As for their upcoming meeting, Ramazanov had a slight smile on his face when giving his prediction.</p><p>"If I like him, I won't knock him out. I'll be nice to him," said the bantamweight king.</p><p>The two men identified the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent and appear to be dialed in ahead of their meeting. When the bell rings, fans should expect one of the most technical matches of the year right out of the gate in 2021.</p><p>Hear from both men as they discuss both their rise through the ranks and the main event clash set for ONE: Unbreakable in the preview video from ONE.</p>
<p><br/></p><p>Watch ONE: Unbreakable live and free on the B/R Live app on Friday, January 22, at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST.</p>
Alaverdi Ramazanov vs. Capitan | Main Event Fight Preview
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