So, good martial arts mags and periodicals?

[Jonathan]

Hey all-

I know MT.com has it's own magazine (into which I'm going to look shortly). My understanding is that it's PDF only, is that correct? Not a problem- I do have a preference for print, but I understand and appreciate the benefits of utilizing PDF as a means of getting the word out.

On a more general basis, what martial arts magazines do you read and/or suggest? I already read (but don't subscribe to) Black Belt Magazine... it's been a bit random in quality at times. I think my issue with it is the swath of questionable advertisements. I know that ad revenue is necessary for its operation, it just kind of interrupts the flow of an otherwise decent magazine.

I use to subscribe to M.A. Training before it was cancelled (and I REALLY enjoyed reading it, too!). Something along those lines would be great.

Thanks in advance!

What about websites for general martial arts training and articles?

 

[terryl965]

I like the Master magazine it always has alot of great info. in it. My biggest problem with all these so called MA maizines is all that advertising. They just ruin it for the true martial artist.

 

[exile]

On a more general basis, what martial arts magazines do you read and/or suggest?

Well, it kind of depends what part of the field you're interested in. For TMAs, nothing beats Journal of Asian Martial Arts. It is, so far as I know, the only peer-reviewed periodical devoted to the MAs, and the editorial board is very, very good—the history articles in particular are excellent, and show a lot of technical knowledge. Great place to go for a fantasy-free view of how various MAs came to be and how they're related to each other.

I've heard good things about Classical Fighting Arts, from Dragon Associates—the people who have published Harry Cook's last-word book on the history of Shotokan—and there are supposed to be some excellent British MA publications, including Martial Arts Illustrated, which has close connections with the British Combat Association.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Agreed, I like Journal of Asian Martial Arts

 

[chinto01]

I used to purchase Black Belt magazine until most of it became advertisements. Along with that a while a go was Karate/ Kung Fu Illustrated. Today I keep my selection to Classical Fighting Arts.

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob

 

[turtle]

I have the good fortune of getting just about every martial arts magazine for free but rarely do more than glance through any of them before I unload them on ebay every few months. Black Belt has a lot of basic articles and "personality" type pieces. Inside Kung Fu is outside my area of expertise. MASuccess has some interesting how-to articles for instructors but also seems to spend a lot of time pushing Century's latest programs. MAPro has devolved into an advertising vehicle for the new owners. FightSport has good MMA coverage but also lots of women in bikinis which isn't really my thing. Masters comes with a free DVD in every issue, which is cool, but it seems heavily focused on featuring the artists who have books/dvds with the company that puts out the magazine. Many of them are well known and respected but that might limit the scope/objectivity of what gets published.

On a related note, I hope Journal of Asian Martial Arts doesn't disappear. It's been up for sale for about a year or so. It's the only really thorough mag. Unfortunately, the fact that it's for sale probably says something about what the general population wants in a magazine.

 

[DavidCC]

I like Classical Fighting Arts, and also 'KungFu and Tai Chi Magazine' becasue my friend gets published there.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

I enjoy Kung fu Tai chi magazine because they are cheap have some good articles and give free dvds I also like Kung fu magazine some decent articles in there. Tai chi magazine to me seems to advertise so much on products that I really do not read it unless something really good is in there. Black belt as well unless a really good article in there but to me it has so much garbage. Journal of Asian martial arts is great as well.
I guess for me to purchase a magazine it all depends on what articles are being written to really catch me in to buying it.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I am not a big fan of Tai Chi magazine either although I use to be (15 years ago) but now there to many ads, its to commercial and at times the articles are not all that good or entirely correct either and some of the videos being sold .. well nough said.

 

[Archangel M]

I could never figure out how these magazines can have so many ads and still be so expensive. Its almost to the point where they should be paying ME to look at them.

 

[exile]

On a related note, I hope Journal of Asian Martial Arts doesn't disappear. It's been up for sale for about a year or so. It's the only really thorough mag. Unfortunately, the fact that it's for sale probably says something about what the general population wants in a magazine.

Oh no! I hate that kind of news...

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I used to get them all but realized eventually I was just wasting money and not really getting alot out of them. To much advertising and self marketing going on.

I will agree that there are a few magazines that are good:

Journal of Asian Martial Arts is absolutely the best with well thought out and well written articles.

Bujin-Kan an online pdf formated magazine is well done but does have issues in timeliness.

Filipino Martial Arts Digest has lots of really good information! (and it's free)

Most of the rest is junk and the info cna be found for free by just browsing.

Nice thread though!

 

[arnisador]

Journal of Asian Martial Arts[...]
Classical Fighting Arts[...]
Martial Arts Illustrated

Strong agreement on the first two, and the third is certainly above-average! I find CFA more fun to read but JAMA does have high standards.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Magazines to survive needs two things....subscriptions and advertisement to help pay for the cost of putting out a magazine.

Every business needs to make a profit. People will not pay huge amount of money for a magazine with little or NO advertisement in them.

As a rule of thumb? 60% of magazines are sold..the 40% is so the self looks full. National average per mag...is 60% sold the rest is trash. Most times the numbers are 60% trash. Making this a very wasteful business!

Going on twelve years distributing magazines for stores in Hawaii....Our company carries over 7000 titles, the mans mags are over 300 titles(playboy and etc..)...where do they get those people to poise?

If a certain title does not generate enough sales? ...it will be cut from the store...everything is automatic ordering and deleting.

Ever brought an ad from a magazine? ..you will be surprise of it's cost...

After a while only those ads that makes money will be repeated in every issue....so if you see them over and over? .....people are buying those items.....?

Until you own a business? ...and learn about advertisement cost? ...especially advertisment in a magazines? ......you will quickly learn why so many ads in them.

Keep in mind people will want to advertise in only successful magazines...to get to as many readers as possible!

Aloha, (note: how many just read the articles and NEVER buy the magazine? ....and wonder why...you don't see them any more?)

 

[tellner]

Another Cynical Curmudgeon for JAMA

 

[Xue Sheng]

Another Cynical Curmudgeon for JAMA

:eye-popping: Journal of the American Medical Association

 

[arnisador]

Journal of Asian Martial Arts

 

[exile]

Journal of Asian Martial Arts

We desperately need the kind of impartial quality control of MA information that JAMA provides. Open any issue and you'll see immediately that this periodical, unlike all but one or two others in the field, isn't a delivery vehicle for advertising messages... what will happen if it folds? There is a huge amount of rethinking and restudying of old evidence, and display of new findings, that's needed in MAs so that we know where where we really came from, as vs. the comfortable just-so stories of people with nationalist agendas, or the fantasies circulated by promoters of politically-correct origin myths about combat methods. JAMA so far has been the one place where this work, the best-documented and most solidly based out there, could get a hearing. I would so hate for it to go down the tube....

 

[chinto]

We desperately need the kind of impartial quality control of MA information that JAMA provides. Open any issue and you'll see immediately that this periodical, unlike all but one or two others in the field, isn't a delivery vehicle for advertising messages... what will happen if it folds? There is a huge amount of rethinking and restudying of old evidence, and display of new findings, that's needed in MAs so that we know where where we really came from, as vs. the comfortable just-so stories of people with nationalist agendas, or the fantasies circulated by promoters of politically-correct origin myths about combat methods. JAMA so far has been the one place where this work, the best-documented and most solidly based out there, could get a hearing. I would so hate for it to go down the tube....

hell find me a mag that is about MA that has JAMA's quality and lack of 80% adds and I would subscribe!

 

[YoungMan]

And didn't have articles written by students of the Instructors they are interviewing. You're writing an article about your Instructor and you expect me to believe it's impartial? I don't think so.
Also, how many of these articles are written by Insructors just trying to get publicity for their school (-cough cough-Tae Kwon Do Times-cough cough).