In my six previous columns, pre-emptive striking featured prominently. One reason for this was to highlight its importance in self-defense when you have to use physical violence as a last resort because avoidance and/or verbal de-escalation failed or

Few fighters have a reputation as formidable and a record as impressive as Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. As you will see, his path from the traditional martial arts to full contact and then to kickboxing had more than its share of bumps. It makes a fasci

Let us look at one historical instance that illuminates a lesson in task saturation, or what Miyamoto Musashi called “sword flowers.” Jujitsu just happens to be the vehicle of this lesson. The art is not being picked on at all. The focus is less on t

If you’ve ever watched Scott Adkins play Yuri Boyka in the Undisputed franchise, you know that he not only can bulk up while maintaining muscular definition (aka “be swole and shredded”) but also can exhibit the flexibility needed to do 720-degree sp

• “For me, the practice of training has to begin with diet,” Eric Lee says in the cover story. “For the physical aspect of being in shape for competition, training hard and well is about 50 percent of the job, and nutrition is about equal to that in

I first noticed Scott Adkins in 2002. My good friend Don Warrener showed me a VHS tape Scott had sent to our company Rising Sun Productions. Don literally had to twist my arm in order for me to see the tape. Once I watched it, I immediately understoo

Be skeptical when anyone suggests changes in your karate training. I’m not talking about changes that are a natural part of the progression of your training. When you began your karate practice, you had to spend long, tedious hours on the basics — li

BY BARRY A. BROUGHTON, PH.D. When it comes to incapacitating an opponent, experienced strikers know that a well-placed liver shot can be as effective as a knockout blow to the head. Most martial artists, however, are not aware of the cascade of event

There was something different about him. His powerful baritone voice sounded familiar, but the accent wasn’t British anymore. The charming smile was the same, but his teeth were edged with gold, his once-chiseled jaw line now lost behind blubbery jow

An error found its way into “Master the Armbar: The Results From the Groundbreaking Armbar Research Study Will Serve as Your Secret Weapon!” which Barry A. Broughton, Ph.D., wrote for our Spring 2023 issue. It’s on Page 54. Figure 4 and Figure 5 shou

Jason David Frank, an accomplished martial artist who starred in numerous versions of the Power Rangers franchise, died in Texas at age 49. No official cause of death has been given. Frank rose to fame in 1993 while portraying the Green Ranger, a vil

On October 22, 2022, the International Combat Hapkido Federation celebrated its 30th anniversary. As you might expect, we’re proud of our organization’s longevity, stability and success. With hundreds of martial arts schools, military bases and law-e

You’re engaged in a physical conflict, moving about as needed — and then all of a sudden, you find yourself locked up with your adversary. There’s no referee to separate you. Now what? Do you struggle to get free or work it to your advantage? In pank

To be successful in mixed martial arts nowadays, you need an all-around game. But 30 years ago, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship started, there weren’t many well-rounded fighters. The earliest competitors were grapplers or strikers but almost

HOME BASE: California STYLES: judo, kenpo, kickboxing, ukidokan RECORD: 63-1-1 with two no contests FILMS: Force: Five, Wheels on Meals, Grosse Pointe Blank What is your origin story? I started in judo, then in 1963 I started kenpo karate. I started

The new Black Belt+ app for your digital device offers access to many things, including more than 1,000 hours of videos featuring the most famous martial artists in the world. Among that portion of the content are hundreds of martial arts movies — cl

Shortly after celebrating his 75th year in the martial arts, Fumio Demura passed away. It happened on April 24, 2023. He was 84 and a ninth dan. Demura’s career in the arts started long before he moved to America from Japan. Born on September 15, 193

A knife fight is a dangerous and bloody matter. Nobody wants to get into a knife fight — ever. Unfortunately, the United States has seen a rise in violent crime, especially incidents involving cutting and stabbing instruments. The take-away is that e

Stand in front of a group of martial artists and bring up the notion of biting during self-defense, and you’ll get bombarded with a wide range of opinions — and probably spawn some arguments and maybe a few altercations. What you won’t get is a conse

It’s not the size of the woman in the fight but the size of the fight in the woman. At 5 feet 3 inches and 115 pounds, “Kathleen” can attest to that. When she was assaulted by a knife-wielding rapist, it was her animal-like determination to not be ra

When the editor of Black Belt requested a survey article dealing with the most meaningful questions martial arts instructors are asked — “meaningful” in the context of being valuable in the eyes of their peers and their students, especially those who