Black Belt Magazine

On the occasion of my 30th anniversary as a martial arts magazine editor, I decided to weigh in on the contentious subject of the most dangerous martial arts based on what I’ve witnessed. In a nutshell, which styles would I least like to face in a fight and why? Before beginning, I need to bring up two points. First, I’m not ignoring MMA, but I’m not listing it, either. MMA is a fight sport composed of techniques gleaned from other arts. Are MMA fighters dangerous? Absolutely! But it’s an amalgam. Including MMA on a list of most dangerous martial arts would be like including “flight of beers” on a list of favorite adult beverages. Second, my list should not be viewed as a value statement. For most practitioners, the biggest…

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, 1938, he grew up in the city of Yokohama. His first exposure to what would become a lifelong passion occurred when the boy spotted his neighbor practicing kendo. Demura took up training at age 9. Later, he was introduced to a famous karateka named Ryusho Sakagami of the Itosu-Kai organization. The master accepted the youth as a student, unknowingly setting him on a course for greatness. Demura received his shodan in 1956 and started competing soon afterward. In 1961 he won his first major tournament,…

The Professional Fighters League has signed internet-influencer-turned-pro-boxer Jake Paul to a contract to compete in MMA. Paul is supposed to appear in a new superfight category with bouts held outside the PFL’s normal tournament format and televised exclusively on pay-per-view. Paul, 6-0 as a boxer with all his bouts coming against other internet influencers, basketball players and retired mixed martial artists but no legitimate boxers, has never fought in MMA. PFL Chairman Donn Davis said it could be at least a year before Paul is ready for his first bout. Paul has been calling for a two-fight series against former UFC contender Nate Diaz, one in boxing and one in MMA with the PFL. Paul also acquired an equity stake in the PFL and was given the title “head of…

The longest-running sponsored team in the history of sport karate has recruited two more athletes. Following the signing of Gabrielle Rudolph, the team announced the addition of Jake Mueck and Sean Magallanes. The team plans to develop these talented point fighters as they join the likes of Alex Mancillas and Sebastian Villanueva. Mueck, just 16 years old, joins Villanueva in the junior division to provide a dynamic duo of young talent on the Paul Mitchell roster. Formerly representing Team United under the tutelage of Trevor and Casey Nash, Mueck already has a world-champion pedigree. In fact, his kicking style is reminiscent of Trevor’s iconic leg. Magallanes, 20, will join Mancillas wearing the coveted black and white in the men’s division. He’s touted as one of the best lightweight fighters in…

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 villain who eventually became a hero and was later known as the White Ranger. Between various reboots of the TV show and movies, he appeared 200 times as a Power Ranger, more than any other actor. On the show, Frank frequently displayed his martial arts abilities, which he began developing at age 4 when he trained in karate under noted Southern California instructor Louis D. Casamassa and his son, sport-karate champion Chris Casamassa. Frank went on to study a number of other arts before creating his own…

The press in India is reporting on a martial arts program now being employed by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, a force that guards the country’s border with China. The training is seen to be in direct response to a 2020 hand-to-hand combat clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. The fighting came in an area where both militaries are prohibited from carrying firearms with Chinese troops reportedly employing “medieval” weaponry, including clubs wrapped with barbed wire or with nails embedded in them. Twenty Indian troops were killed in the fighting, while estimates put the number of Chinese deaths between four and 45. The new training for the ITBP includes three months of instruction in 15 to 20 techniques drawn from various martial arts, including judo, karate and…