Black Belt Magazine Acquired.
- Thread starter arnisador
- Start date
I browsed this magazine recently, and I was not impressed, yet after some thought, I realized that some knowledge for the total beginner who has never trained before, might be a good way to generate interest. If you look at it like a womans magzine, then to me it has more 'Content' then many of the other ones.
Oh Well
OP
- Thread Starter
- #4
More than others, yes--but on absolute scale, I was not at all impressed by it.
See also:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2642
See also:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2642
P
pknox
Guest
I wonder if the Mr. Zimbalist mentioned in the article is related to the actress Stephanie Zimbalist, who was a co-star with, among others, current Bond Pierce Brosnan? If so, perhaps we'll see an article on "the secret martial arts of Remington Steele." 
I don't know why but it just strikes me as odd that they publish both black belt and vegeterian times. Must be because I just woke up... dunno.
Randy Strausbaugh
Master Black Belt
Well, her father was Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. Odds are that III is her brother.
I don't imagin they will kill off some of the "junk" adds in the back. Think they might actualy go back to printing a decent magizine and get off promoteing whomever buys advertiseing from them.
It would be nice to see articles once again that resembled those of the early years
It would be nice to see articles once again that resembled those of the early years
Old Fat Kenpoka
Master Black Belt
Black Belt Magazine has really gotten pathetic. They print articles without doing any research or providing any contrary opinion. It is really just a Public Relations vehicle for martial artists to promote themselves. I hope they put some tough editors who will question credentials of profiled martial artists, question the effectiveness of published techniques, and stop rehashing Bruce Lee stories.
That would be a great thing for serious martial artists but it would cut too deeply into the profit margin. BB is there to profit the shareholders not the serious artist anymore.
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Which is exactly why MT Magazine was started!!!! It's there for the readers, not the advertisers!
Marvin
Black Belt
One of the best magizine out for Eastern Martial Arts is the Journal of Asian Martial Arts.
If you've never seen it, check it out.
http://www.goviamedia.com/
Marvin
If you've never seen it, check it out.
http://www.goviamedia.com/
Marvin
I used to by the Journal of Asian Martial Arts all the time, but haven't had a chance to pick any up for a few years.
Back when I read it regularly, most of the contributors held advanced degrees. I also liked that the majority of the magazine was taken up by content and not advertisement.
I think they're still around $10US an issue. Do they still only come out once every two months?
Cthulhu
Back when I read it regularly, most of the contributors held advanced degrees. I also liked that the majority of the magazine was taken up by content and not advertisement.
I think they're still around $10US an issue. Do they still only come out once every two months?
Cthulhu
Marvin
Black Belt
I think its 4 issues per year.
R
rmcrobertson
Guest
I also really like "Journal of Asian Martial Arts." Their stuff on history and tradition and culture, their interviews with traditional martial artists, is usually first-rate.
Their stuff of theory, and on modern martial arts, and on technique, seems much less reliable to me. One problem seems to be that a lot of this stuff is getting written by people in Performing Arts/Drama departments--and people, from what I can see in their pictures, who ain't much at the arts they practice. They tend, too, to be in something like sword (!) or aikido, and the writing emphasizes the spiritual/performative aspects of the arts...you don't seem to see articles by academics on arts they actually practice that measure up to Donn Draeger (still to me the reference standard), or Dave Lowry, or Herman Kauz, for a combination of scholarly knowledge and personal experience....
But the mag's still relatively new (by the way, if you look in back they often have good back issue deals). Again, they do seem to have some probs--lately, a lot of the articles seem to be coming from the same people on the editorial staff--but on culture and history, for preserving what's traditional, I don't think they have a present equal.
"Black Belt," just keeps getting funnier issue by issue. I loved the articles, last couple of years, on using your garden hose as a weapon ("You're in your front yaard watering the roses, when suddenly, DANGER STRIKES...") and aaddvising martial artists to, "use both hands." Far as I can see, the only stuff that isn't ludicrous are the columns by Keith Vargo and Dave Lowry, or the occasional history pieces...
In other words, it is what you'd expect from a completely-commercial magazine...really, it's advertisement...
Their stuff of theory, and on modern martial arts, and on technique, seems much less reliable to me. One problem seems to be that a lot of this stuff is getting written by people in Performing Arts/Drama departments--and people, from what I can see in their pictures, who ain't much at the arts they practice. They tend, too, to be in something like sword (!) or aikido, and the writing emphasizes the spiritual/performative aspects of the arts...you don't seem to see articles by academics on arts they actually practice that measure up to Donn Draeger (still to me the reference standard), or Dave Lowry, or Herman Kauz, for a combination of scholarly knowledge and personal experience....
But the mag's still relatively new (by the way, if you look in back they often have good back issue deals). Again, they do seem to have some probs--lately, a lot of the articles seem to be coming from the same people on the editorial staff--but on culture and history, for preserving what's traditional, I don't think they have a present equal.
"Black Belt," just keeps getting funnier issue by issue. I loved the articles, last couple of years, on using your garden hose as a weapon ("You're in your front yaard watering the roses, when suddenly, DANGER STRIKES...") and aaddvising martial artists to, "use both hands." Far as I can see, the only stuff that isn't ludicrous are the columns by Keith Vargo and Dave Lowry, or the occasional history pieces...
In other words, it is what you'd expect from a completely-commercial magazine...really, it's advertisement...
takadadojokeith
Orange Belt
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Thanks...I think. I guess not being "ludicrous" is a high praise considering how people feel about Black Belt around here.
S
superdave
Guest
I used to really like Black Belt magazine, especially the "Tales of American Karate" articles that Ed Parker used to write. Back then there was a good selection of articles to read and learn from. Interviews with top martial artists and hardly any of the "I taught the Navy Seals, so now will I teach you to kick Godzilla's ***" type of ads. Ah, the good old days!
Lately though, Black Belt isn't fit to line a litter box. I don't even bother to look at it anymore when I buy my magazines.
Now, I mainly read Martial Art, Budo International, Martial arts Insider, and
Martial Arts Digest. These are the only decent mags I can find in my area.
Lately though, Black Belt isn't fit to line a litter box. I don't even bother to look at it anymore when I buy my magazines.
Now, I mainly read Martial Art, Budo International, Martial arts Insider, and
Martial Arts Digest. These are the only decent mags I can find in my area.
B
Black Bear
Guest
JAMA prints crap. When I first saw it, because it gave the impression of being more scholarly, I thought I'd like to be published in it someday. Now I won't go near it.
