The oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry, this popular monthly magazine addresses the needs of martial artists of all levels by providing them with information about every style of self-defense in the world - including techniques and strategies. In addition, Black Belt produces and markets over 75 martial arts-oriented books and videos including many about the works of Bruce Lee, the best-known marital arts figure in the world.

The last uchi deshi (live-in student) of Sosai Oyama Masutatsu, Nicholas Pettas, takes you along on his adventure as an eager, 18-year-old boy going from Copenhagen, Denmark to the other side of the globe. Here, in Tokyo, Japan, he doesn't just find himself in another country, but in a different world altogether. The rigorous life of an uchi deshi is filled with drama and the struggle to survive. Even more so for a Western uchi deshi, thrown into an environment where everything is different - the food, the language, the life-style and, above all, the karate. Literally having to fight for his survival on a daily basis, Nicholas turns to his inner self to search for the strength needed to fulfil his dream of completing the daunting 1000-day karate course. Becoming a true lion in the art and sport of karate, and the last non-Japanese to complete Master Oyama's course, today, author Nicholas Pettas is known in Japan as "The Blue-eyed Samurai", an acknowledgment of his true Samurai Spirit.

This book is the most comprehensive and authoritative reference ever published on the wide range of martial arts disciplines practiced in cultures around the world. ABC-CLIO's Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation is the most authoritative reference ever published on combat disciplines from around the world and across history. Coverage includes Shaolin monks, jousting knights, Roman gladiators, Westerner gunfighters, samurai warriors, and heavyweight boxers. These iconic figures and many more are featured in this title, as well as representatives of less well known but no less fascinating systems, all vividly characterized by expert contributors from around the world who are themselves martial arts practitioners. Martial Arts of the World comprises 120 entries in two volumes. The first volume is organized geographically to explore the historic development of martial arts styles in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The second volume looks at martial arts thematically, with coverage of belief systems, modern martial arts competitions, and a wide range of such topics as folklore, women in martial arts, martial arts and the military, and martial arts and the media.

The oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry, this popular monthly magazine addresses the needs of martial artists of all levels by providing them with information about every style of self-defense in the world - including techniques and strategies. In addition, Black Belt produces and markets over 75 martial arts-oriented books and videos including many about the works of Bruce Lee, the best-known marital arts figure in the world.

Escaping a traumatic childhood, Sasha finds peace, sanctuary, and purpose in a martial arts dojo whose sensei teaches her the ways of the samurai warrior. An accomplished black-belt fighter, she now happily dwells in the dojo, tucked away from the streets of Manhattan, until a midnight call sets her on a path into an underground world. Struggling to pay off a gambling debt, her brother Danilo is severely injured in a no-rules club fight run by unscrupulous Russian Mafiosi. To settle the debt, Sasha volunteers to perform in one of these “dark fights,” vowing it’s for one time only. But her beauty, skill, and martial arts mastery bring her to the attention of powerful men who see her as a big meal ticket. Seducing her with money and drugs, they draw her into their sordid scheme until she becomes a big and glamorous draw, enriching herself while enriching her handlers and leaving behind a pulverized host of vanquished rivals. But she realizes how addictive the lure of brutality has become. As the stakes rise, she must become more and more violent to satisfy her handlers’ bloodlust. Can she pull out before destroying someone? Can she pull out before destroying herself? Two fascinating men offer love and escape. But how true are their intentions? Genuine feelings and betrayal, violence and glamour, sex and martial arts all go hand in hand throughout the book. The Dark Fights introduces you to an unknown and frightening world and pins you to the mat until the very last page.

This book presents Aikido in plain English, clarifying its most important concepts, and helping you understand it and the meaning of its practice.

The oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry, this popular monthly magazine addresses the needs of martial artists of all levels by providing them with information about every style of self-defense in the world - including techniques and strategies. In addition, Black Belt produces and markets over 75 martial arts-oriented books and videos including many about the works of Bruce Lee, the best-known marital arts figure in the world.

Learn all about the art of karate with The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Karate, including: • Simple tips for mastering the ancient Japanese martial art of karate • Behind-the-scenes looks at tournaments and competitions • Down-to-earth advice on how to strike, whether it be with fists or feet “The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Karate is a witty, inspiring, and user-friendly book… this book is not only for beginners; it is equally useful for advanced karate students.”—Stan Schmidt, Karate Master of the Japan Karate Association (JKA), Member of the JKA Shihankai (World Council of Masters)

Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969), founder of the Japanese martial art of Aikido, is one of the greatest and most beloved martial artists in history. Remembering O-Sensei is a portrait of Ueshiba as told by his uchi-deshi, the students who lived and trained with him as his disciples. This collection of memories—gathered here for the first time—captures the essence of this extraordinary martial arts master and visionary, revealing Ueshiba's teaching style, his daily habits, his philosophy of life, the lovably human aspects of his personality, and his deep belief that Aikido could be used as a means to creating peace and harmony in the world. The book also provides a snapshot of a fascinating time in Japanese history when a student would apprentice with his master by essentially moving in with him and receiving instruction through rigorous training sessions, and also by serving him and observing his actions in daily life. Most of the students whose remembrances are included in this book went on to spread the teaching of Aikido throughout the world and became masters in their own right.