Black Belt Magazine

From karate champion to coach, international referee, scholar and 8th-degree master, Dr. Alex Sternberg has spent more than five decades pursuing excellence in and beyond the martial arts.

Do you need to travel to Japan to truly understand karate? Dave Lowry explores what can—and can’t—be learned at home, and why experiencing the culture that shaped karate may offer lessons that go far beyond technique.

Failure is never easy, but in martial arts, it can be one of the most valuable lessons a student learns. Kelly Muir explores why instructors shouldn’t fear letting students fall short—and how clear standards, honest feedback and a plan for improvement can turn failure into progress.

Former KGB agent and combat-sambo master Val Riazanov breaks down the brutal realities of knife attacks—and why many conventional defenses may not work when a blade is actually coming at you.

From the archives of Karate Illustrated, we remember Kaicho Takayuki Yamazaki — a martial arts pioneer whose influence reached far beyond the dojo. A 9th-degree black belt, internationally respected sensei and martial arts leader, Yamazaki was part of a generation that helped introduce and establish karate in America alongside legends such as Fumio Demura, Chuck Norris and Dan I...