Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2021 i Black Belt Magazine

Editing two industry-leading magazines — Black Belt for practitioners and MASuccess for school owners — is certainly fulfilling, but it does have one drawback: I seldom have time to conduct interviews and write features. Because of a longer production schedule, that limitation didn’t apply to this issue, and I’m thrilled because it gave me a chance to get to know Anthony Pettis. An MMA standout for years, Pettis recently signed with the Professional Fighters League. Of more interest to Black Belt readers, however, is his background in taekwondo. A traditionalist at heart, Pettis trained and competed under the American Taekwondo Association. You see clear evidence of that pedigree in his fights, and you’ll see it when you read his cover story, in which he speaks proudly of his ATA link.…

The staff of Black Belt magazine has ventured into the world of podcasting and created the Black Belt Podcast. Hosted by Harinder Singh Sabharwal — an instructor of jeet kune do, wing chun, tai chi, kali, savate, boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu — it will deliver to your digital device the best in martial arts coverage. In each episode, Sabharwal, who appeared on the cover of our February/March 2020 issue, interviews one of the movers and shakers of the martial arts industry. So far, guests have included Michael Jai White, Jocko Willink, Burton Richardson, Justin Wren, Mike Ninomiya, Miesha Tate and Jackson Rudolph. A new episode will be released every other week. They are available for free on iTunes and Spotify.…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has released two of its biggest-name heavyweights: Alistair Overeem and former world-champion Junior dos Santos. The 37-year-old dos Santos announced that he had been let go by the company via his Instagram account. The release came after dos Santos had been stopped in his last four bouts and declined to take a short-notice fight at UFC 260 on March 29, 2021. Dos Santos, whose record stands at 21-9-0, has fought in the UFC since his eighth career bout in 2008. He captured the heavyweight crown from Cain Velasquez in the first UFC fight to be broadcast on network television: the UFC on Fox Sports 1 in 2011. He lost the title back to Velasquez a year later, and his record has hovered around .500 ever since.…

Japanese Olympic judo gold-medalist Toshihiko Koga has died at age 53. Although the cause of death has not been released, Koga was treated for cancer in 2020. Known for possessing perhaps the great ippon seoi nage, or shoulder throw, in judo history, Koga made his first Olympic appearance in 1988 but failed to medal. The following year, he captured the world championship at 71 kilograms and repeated the feat as world champion in 1991. He won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics — despite a leg injury that hampered his trademark throw. After a brief retirement, he returned to competition, winning the 78-kilogram class at the 1995 world championships and then taking a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Stepping away from competition for good, he became a coach…

The 2021 Sambo World Championships, originally scheduled to take place in Moscow in November, has been moved to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Russian news agency TASS reported that Sergei Yeliseyev, president of the All-Russia Sambo Federation, requested that the International Sambo Federation reschedule the 2025 world championships for Moscow. The request came after a December 2020 ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport restricted Russia from hosting any world-championship sporting events for two years as part of the punishment for a state-sponsored blood-doping program among Olympic athletes. Several Olympic sports scheduled to hold world championships in Russia during this period have sought to skirt the ban because its wording says the location of the event does not have to be changed if it isn’t legally or practically possible. However, sambo,…

BLACK BELT: WHEN @CHUCKNORRIS VISITED THE #BLACKBELTMAG OFFICE AND SAW HIS NAME ON THE BB HALL OF FAME POST. John Machado: What year was that? Thanks BLACK BELT: The photo has no date written on the back, but I would guess it’s from the mid-1970s. BLACK BELT: Is this John Machado, my former BJJ teacher? John Machado: Yes my friend! ON A MUSTREAD BOOK LIST BLACK BELT: IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT’S THE BEST (NON-TECHNICAL) #MARTIALARTS BOOK EVER WRITTEN? Guillaume Morel: Musashi’s Go Rin No Sho maybe? Noel Plaugher: Sun Tzu’s The Art of War Shane Moxie: The Secret Man: An American Warrior’s Uncensored Story, by Frank Dux. Barry Scott Wilson: I thought Ashihara Karate Vol 1 was a great book. kris whip: Either Bruce Lee: The Warrior Within by John Little…

When people wanted photos, I’d put them in a head lock or choke. The first time I did it, I was worried that I might insult their culture because wrestling is taken seriously here, but once people saw me do it, they all wanted the same thing. Some even brought their kids and said, “Please put my child in a wrestling hold.” Afterward, they’d say, “You are a very entertaining man, very friendly.” The organizers of the dangal competition asked me to say a few words on behalf of the foreign wrestlers. Not knowing what to say to the crowd, I just blabbered, “Thank you …” I couldn’t remember the name of the city, so I said “… India for having us. We are hoping to give you a good…

One of the reasons the martial arts remain so popular is the health benefit that comes with training. The quest for better performance often leads to improvements in diet, and that inevitably impacts every facet of a practitioner’s life. Back in the day — in other words, before COVID — I often would engage in “marathon training sessions.” They might entail a 30-minute warm-up, a 90-minute class and then two hours of sparring with classmates who also had an abundance of free time. Not surprisingly, I often ran out of gas. That’s what prompted me to try the fat-adapted lifestyle. It trains the body to derive energy from burning fat rather than carbs. That fat needs to come from good sources like avocados, not junk sources like fast food. Over…

Marvelous Marvin Hagler, widely regarded as one of the greatest middleweight champions boxing has ever seen, passed away March 13, 2021, at age 66. Known for his shaven skull and workman-like demeanor, Hagler was a well-rounded puncher who held the undisputed middleweight crown from 1980 to 1987, during which time he made 12 straight title defenses. He legally changed his name to add the “Marvelous” in 1982. Hagler will be remembered, along with Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard, as one of the “four kings” who dominated and revived the sport of boxing in the 1980s. His third-round knockout of Hearns in 1985 is considered one of the most thrilling fights in the sport’s history.…

Cartoonist and best-selling children’s book author Dav Pilkey, along with his publisher Scholastic, have decided to remove Pilkey’s 2010 book The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen From the Future from circulation because of complaints that it promotes racial stereotypes and passive racism. The book portrays the main characters Ook and Gluk learning kung fu and Chinese philosophy from a wise Asian teacher named Master Wong. Pilkey, author of the Captain Underpants children’s series, issued a statement apologizing for the story and calling it a mistake. He pledged to donate the earnings he received from the book to charities that promote diversity in children’s literature and combat anti-Asian prejudice. The decision to withdraw the book comes amid a rise in hate crimes targeting Asians across America.…

Endeavor Group Holdings, which owns 50.1 percent of the UFC, as well as talent agencies WME and IMG, will buy the remaining interest in the mixed-martial arts organization as part of its plan to become a publicly traded company. The entertainment conglomerate has filed for an initial public offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Endeavor previously attempted an IPO in 2019 but failed, in part because it did not have full ownership of the UFC, which the New York Post says is currently valued between $6 billion and $10 billion. While Endeavor saw revenue from many of its subsidiaries shrink during the pandemic, the UFC fared better than most sports leagues and accounted for 80 percent of Endeavor’s profits in 2020. The holding company had more than $5…

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that three-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club world champion Gordon Ryan has signed with the Asian-based martial arts organization. Via a tweet, Sityodtong wrote that Ryan would compete in submission grappling and MMA. In addition to his ADCC accolades, Ryan is an IBJJF no-gi champion and has won the Eddie Bravo Invitational on four occasions. Ryan is currently enjoying a two-year unbeaten streak with more than 40 victories. He holds wins over notables such as Josh Barnett, Aleksei Oleinik, Rousimar Palhares, Gabriel Gonzaga and even his own coach Garry Tonon. For ONE, this is one of its most significant signings. Brandon Vera, the reigning heavyweight world champion, has seen an influx of elite heavyweight talent join the ONE ranks over the past year.…

After we become trusted students, our teachers demonstrate that what looks like the mere clenching of a fist is actually an ingenious way of grabbing an opponent’s wrist and applying a devastating lock that will have him writhing on the ground. The explanations invariably imply that the “outer” movements of a kata are only the superficial crust of the karate pie. The layer of apples, peaches or cherries below the observable crust — the “inner” stuff of the pie — is the real taste of karate, we’re told. There’s a rich vocabulary to describe these secret meanings. Kakushite is one of them. Literally, it means “hidden hand.” Oyo waza is another one. Waza, of course, is “technique.” The o means “to answer” or “to respond,” and yo is “to apply.”…

It’s quite a spectacle out there on social media, with spirited discussions and ongoing debates on the subject of what constitutes realistic knife defense. What do these people understand that others don’t? Tensions can run high as they dismiss — or compliment — the effectiveness of various techniques. Before you get too impressed with any technique you see online or in person, there are several things you should understand about knife attacks. Students and disciples generally learn the gospel of the knife from their beloved teachers, who often learned it from their beloved teachers. Most accept their lessons without question, and like family heirlooms, they preserve them and pass them on with great pride to the next generation. Some teachers, however, have a more contemporary approach. They change with the…

What’s the most important life lesson you learned from martial arts? “To be persistent, to keep moving forward and to give it everything you’ve got.” What’s your favorite martial arts movie? “One hilarious movie I just saw about martial arts is The Foot Fist Way. My other favorites are a boxing movie called The Road to Glory and a capoeira movie called Only the Strong with Mark Dacascos.” What MMA fighter inspires you? “Honestly, a lot of them do. I get inspiration even from the guys at my gym, the kids who are up-and-comers, giving it their all. They leave with bloody noses and then come back the next day. I get inspiration from all of them because there’s always something to learn, whether it’s mindset or skill set.” What’s…

Back in 2018, when Cobra Kai was just a hit on YouTube Red and not yet a megahit on Netflix, I met Sean Kanan at the Dragonfest martial arts expo in Burbank, California. My main reason for approaching him, of course, was to ask if he would be reprising his role as Mike Barnes, the “bad boy” of The Karate Kid Part III, in the sequel series. He said that he’d love to but that nothing had been decided. Afterward, we struck up a conversation, during which I learned that Kanan is much more than an actor who played a martial artist; he has a long history in the arts and still trains. We stayed in touch over the years, and when he called to let me know he was…

Jack Seki, the traditional sensei who taught me Japanese jujitsu, never gave his students a separate term for each block they learned. For Seki, blocking was an integral part of any jujitsu technique that involved stopping or deflecting an attack before countering. Rather than it being a distinct movement, the block was just a step you took so you could protect yourself long enough to get to the attacker and deal with him. There were only two terms Seki used: te no tatake for blocking a hand technique and juji for blocking an overhead strike or a kick. That was it. Some jujitsu ryu and most karate ryu typically have 10 or 12 distinct names for blocks delivered at specific angles or elevations, and teachers devote lots of class time…

On March 21, 2021, judo legend Harold E. Sharp, 10th-degree black belt, passed away in his home. He was 93. Sharp’s judo career exceeded 70 years. In 1953 the Kodokan awarded him a first-degree black belt. In 1954 he was honored by the Japanese government for winning an international judo competition and helping spread the martial art after World War II. He became known worldwide for his 1955 book The Sport of Judo. Sharp was covered extensively in Black Belt’s formative years. Specifically, his article titled “My Life and Judo” appeared in the November 1964 and January 1965 issues. In California, Sharp opened a dojo in North Hollywood and taught at the La Mirada YMCA. Among his early students was Star Trek’s William Shatner. In subsequent years, Sharp wrote other…

India used the occasion of International Women’s Day to announce one of the largest efforts ever to teach women self-defense: The nation’s goal is to train half a million girls in five years, according to India Today. The initial phase of the program aims to train 100,000 students during the next year. According to Tahsin Zahid, head of the Sports, Physical Education, Fitness and Leisure Skills Council, which is overseeing the program, the course has been designed for Indian women and the often-restrictive clothing they wear. Zahid said the program will draw from a number of martial arts, including krav maga, kali, jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing and grappling.…

Sumo wrestler Terunofuji capped a nearly three-year comeback from knee surgery to win the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo and likely return to ozeki status, the sport’s second highest rank. The Mongolian-born Terunofuji entered the event’s last day of competition with a one-win lead over three other wrestlers but was literally pushed to the brink by his final opponent Takakeisho. After Terunofuji missed an arm grab, Takakeisho shoved him against the edge of the ring — but couldn’t quite force him out. The Mongolian righted himself and finally managed to push Takakeisho out of the circle for the tournament-clinching victory, the third top-division title of his career. A one-time ozeki, Terunofuji was hampered by knee injuries and demoted in 2017. Following surgery in 2018, he was forced to compete…

Arizona Sixkiller’s House of Kenpo Karate 1570 E Northern Ave., Suite B Kingman, AZ 86409 (928) 607-0021 sixkillerjr.jess@yahoo.com California Blain Cort’s Total Self-Defense 2955 McMurry Drive Anderson, CA 96007 blaincort@gmail.com Golden Tiger Karate 9501 Flushing Quail Bakersfeild, CA 93312 (661) 345-4371 goldentigerkarate@yahoo.com Kuk Sool Won - Rohnert Park Martial Arts 311 Professional Center Drive Rohert Park, CA 94928 (707) 494-1151 Kuksoolwonrp@yahoo.com Red Dragon Championship Martial Arts 1603 Garnet Ave. San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 263-4212 reddragonpb@live.com Budokai (Budokaikan Association) 4616 Park Granada #72 Calabasas, CA 91302 (747) 444-7940 senseialex@budokai.net Connecticut New England Rendokan 1845 Silas Deane Highway Rocky Hill, CT 06067 (860) 628-1022 Info@ner1.net Florida All American Martial Arts & Krav Maga Academy 4255 US Highway 1 South, Suite 4 St. Augustine, FL 32086 (904) 797-2262 lessons@ staugustinetaekwondo.com Georgia Kombative…

These rankings will be updated after major sport-karate tournaments and do not belong to any singular league — but may assist in matchmaking for future professional events. Those ranked as “champion” are the defending champions from the 2019 ISKA U.S. Open World Martial Arts Championships. The rankings have been adjusted to account for age changes in the upcoming season and inactivity because of COVID-related event cancellations. MEN’S WEAPONS Champion: Jackson Rudolph 1 Danny Etkin 2 Jake Presley 3 Alex Riggs 4 Rashad Eugene 5 Rosario Succarotte WOMEN’S WEAPONS Champion: Mackensi Emory 1 Sammy Smith 2 Julia Plawker 3 Noell Jellison 4 Chloe Flower 5 Isabella Caracta MEN’S CMX FORMS Champion: Reid Presley 1 Jacob Pinto 2 Danny Etkin 3 Mason Stowell 4 Aidan Considine 5 Shaquan Parson WOMEN’S CMX FORMS…

1 The Fitness Training Station is a bag hanger that refuses to be only that. Its durable steel frame features dip bars, pull-up handles and push-up handles, plus pegs for hanging plate weights to boost stability. It gives you everything you need for an upper-body workout that hits the chest, biceps and triceps. Of course, it also holds a heavy bag that weighs up to 100 pounds. The unit doesn’t require drilling into a wall or the ceiling to install. Bag not included. Some assembly required. MAKE: CENTURY MODEL: FITNESS TRAINING STATION MSRP: $249.99 URL: centurymartialarts.com/training-bag-collection/fitnesstraining- station-1087016 2 Martial arts and fitness training go hand in hand. You can keep both skill sets up to speed without having to hop from store to store because Century Martial Arts now has…

For self-defense, which of your skill sets would you draw on first? Would it be the umbrella “MMA toolbox” you’ve built or possibly your boxing, your taekwondo or your muay Thai? “For me now, because I’m good at recognizing ranges, it really depends on what terrain and distance and weapons [are involved],” Anthony Pettis says. Overall, the most practical martial art for self-defense is probably jiu-jitsu, he says. “You might get to do some striking, but in a street fight, most of the time you end up in a grappling situation. And if you are a little bit knowledgeable on the ground, you’re probably better than the guy or girl that attacked you.”…

Jack Seki used quite a bit of generic terminology either to make it easier for students to remember groups of similar techniques or because he believed that knowing a group of techniques under a common name and being able to apply them was more important than knowing all their specific names. (Although, he did give specific names at times.) The latter supposition is probably the more accurate one: When Seki was working with nerve/pressure-point attacks in a class one evening, a student asked, “Why don’t you tell us the names of the pressure points of the techniques you’re using?” Seki responded, “Knowing the names of all the points won’t help you in a street situation. Knowing where they are physically on the human body is more useful than knowing their…

• “[Chung do wan] is associated with taekwondo, but technically it is my style,” Ki Chung Han says. “Really, I was the only person with it to come to the Unites States, and I never hear too much about my style. We have a lot of fancy kicks … as well as clean forms and side kicks. I guess now in Korea, it is popular to train in this style. Today, a lot of people call it taekwondo because it is easier to associate with.” • A martial arts instructor who teaches at Lewis University offers advice for new students: Train no more than three times a week to avoid burnout, attend summer camps if you can, compete in tournaments, visit other dojo, study boxing matches and watch martial arts…