Martial Arts Professional Magazine

17.    When fighters stand and fight upright during the entire fight, unless they are very tall, this type of posture demonstrates a lack of disciplined movement skills and often sets them up to be easily hit. For example, if you are short, then you would not stand upright to fight a much taller opponent.
18.    Many […]

Mistake # 25: Many fights end because one contestant has a habit of carrying his hands too low for a proper defense. That contestant additionally lacks any head movement (rhythm), making his skull an easy target. You cannot expect to survive a fight if you have either or both of these defensively weak habits.
Mistake # […]

5. Avoid standing squared (open shoulders), while either in front of an opponent or in the pocket. Common sense tells you that if your shoulders are open, then you not only present an easy target for your opponent to hit, but also it is difficult to rotate your hips fully through the center line to […]

Trying to counter an attack when a fighter should be leading the attack. Counter-attacking, like faking, is a very advanced art form. It requires knowing three things: the lead of the opponent, your method of avoiding his lead and the exact method to execute the proper counter shot.
Failing to step in when punching. Whether jabbing […]

Screen new students before you allow them into your school. To qualify for Black Belt, one must demonstrate skills and possess the right attitude. To gain membership to a school, however, the only standard seems to be money.
Organizations, such as the elite military and the FBI, require high qualifications before accepting new recruits to assume […]

Do you have what it takes to be a pro fighter?
Are you physically suited to be a profes­sional fighter? I’ve seen many careers end because of problems, such as asthma and high-blood pressure. I’ve seen people break their metacarpal bones in their fists repeatedly because of inadequate bone mineral density. I’ve seen people who were […]

In the East, martial arts seemingly origi­nated from the need to advance military tactics, fight oppression and deal with the everyday criminal life in, at times, a very primitive class structure. My European ancestors came to America attempting to escape religious and political persecution. Class structure was very much in place in Europe, as it […]

Everyone wants to be involved in something in which they can feel profoundly proud. It is often difficult to know what makes you proud to be a martial artist. Learning to tolerate the actions of others can be stressful. It makes it difficult to take the time to think about other people or try to […]