This months Black Belt Mag

[Bujingodai]

I understand that BB isn't the epitome of real MA mags but hey. But this month really sucked. The article with Matteo and DeMasco was somewhat informative I guess. I just wish the stances were a bit more believable.
Then the article on American Combato, pt 3. I have read all three now and see this as a pretty basic system. It just doesn't seem all that real or effective, maybe I am way off. Has anyone trained in it here?
I dunno to me the mag just reeked this month. Too bad it cost me 8 bucks

 

[rachel]

If black belt magazine isn't so good is there another magazine out there? I've been looking and haven't seen too many martial arts magazines. I'd like to find one.

 

[Cthulhu]

One of my old favorites is the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. I haven't seen one for quite some time, but back when I got them regularly, I enjoyed them. Nowhere near the amount of ads as other commercial magazines and much of the writing was done by people with advanced degrees. However, each issue was about $10 a pop and they only covered Asian systems.

Cthulhu

 

[Yari]

I used to read "Journal of Asian Martial Arts" over ten years ago. I was good then. Really dont know it now. But I've never seen it in the stores.

/Yari

 

[Cthulhu]

Our local martial arts store has them, but now that I have my own family, it's hard to part with $10 for a single issue

Cthulhu

 

[tarabos]

an issue of black belt magazine sucked!?

i'm shocked.

i usually stick with the interent for any news a magazine can give me...all most of them are anymore is 2/3 advertising and 1/3 propaganda for some crock of a martial art that is the latest fad. yeah...maybe the internet has all that crap too...but at least i dont' have to pay them to read it.

if i want to read actual pages on a martial art i'll buy a decent book about it.

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by rachel
If black belt magazine isn't so good is there another magazine out there? I've been looking and haven't seen too many martial arts magazines. I'd like to find one.

If you enjoy b.b. mag, then by all means keep reading it! I buy it
whenever there's a kenpo article being featured. I always read
the other articles as well, and as of right now, I enjoy what I
read. Maybe as I advance more in my art, I'll have the same
distaste for it, I dunno. But as it stands right now, I don't see
what's so terrible about Blackbelt Mag.

 

[arnisador]

Inside Kung-Fu is better, I think, though suffers from many of the same problems and of course is more narrowly focused (though it still covers other stuff, e.g. FMA).

 

[Quick Sand]

Your comment seems to assume that we have a local martial arts store. I really wish we did but not luck. It makes getting equipment a real pain.

 

[Ty K. Doe]

I've found this one to be quite good

 

[GouRonin]

Remember the movie "Men In Black" when they wanted to get the scoop on what is really going down in the world? I see BB as that kind of mag. Sure it's mostly one big advertisment but it's pretty good that in telling you what people are doing.

The mags that people really like are the smaller focused mags that deal with smaller issues in martial arts and often are more narrow in scope.

So BB is ok by me as long as you look at it for what it is and look beneath the surface to what's going on.

 

[Disco]

American Combato.......

Dave, I have seen a few of those articles and in my opinion, there are some major flaws. One example really sticks out in my mind. He was grabbed from behind on his left shoulder. He turned (to his right), coming face to face with his attacker. He could have turned right into a weapon (gun, knife) in the attackers right hand. Not to smart in my book. There were other, what I consider flaws, but I would have to go back and find the mags again and review. Surfice to say, I was not impressed.

 

[MartialArtist]

Most fights don't have guns or weapons, but you never know, so hence, it really depends on knowing your situation.

 

[Matt Stone]

BB is bad. IKF is worse (due to the politics that are rife within the CMA community). In comparison, BB isn't that bad then...

I have gotten really tired of the ragazines that line the periodical section of my local Barnes and Noble or Borders booksellers. JAMA is good, but only a quarterly publication. It is worth the $$$, but the amount of reading vs. the amount of $$$ is what makes it daunting for me.

I came to a decision - since I don't like most of what I read in the ragazines, I am writing articles of my own to submit. I have one on Yiliquan done already (waiting on some photos that have to go along with it), and have 3 or 4 others about 75% finished. I am also working on two books (one on Yiliquan and one on MA in general).

I'll let everyone know what the status is on the articles once I get them submitted. I would recommend the same course to everyone - if you are tired of the crap, write something better! That'll show 'em!

Gambarimasu.
:asian:

 

[arnisador]

Yes, please let us know when the articles and books come out!

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Yiliquan1
I'll let everyone know what the status is on the articles once I get them submitted.

Please do that.

 

[Matt Stone]

Wow! Such support for a fat, opinionated, socially unacceptable ***** stirrer... :boing1:

Nice to know I haven't pissed everyone off completely!

:cheers:

Gambarimasu.
:asian:

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Yiliquan1
Wow! Such support for a fat, opinionated, socially unacceptable ***** stirrer... :boing1:

Nice to know I haven't pissed everyone off completely!

:cheers:

Gambarimasu.
:asian:

Not completely. :rofl:

 

[Ty K. Doe]

I dunno to me the mag just reeked this month. Too bad it cost me 8 bucks

WOW! You paid $8:erg: . I only pay $4 bucks and the cover price is $4.99 U.S. and $6.99 CAN. I'd find a new place to buy.

 

[James Kovacich]

Originally posted by Cthulhu
One of my old favorites is the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. I haven't seen one for quite some time, but back when I got them regularly, I enjoyed them. Nowhere near the amount of ads as other commercial magazines and much of the writing was done by people with advanced degrees. However, each issue was about $10 a pop and they only covered Asian systems.

Cthulhu

You can get it at. Barnes and Noble. Probably online Barnes and Noble too.

It may be quarterly, not sure.