About

Martial Arts Business Magazine is back!

After its inception as the FIRST martial arts business trade publication in 1989, Martial Arts Business Magazine is back!

Martial Arts Business Magazine first introductory issue in 1989.

We are not a print publication like before but introducing a blog for martial arts product reviews, discussions and articles on martial arts, law enforcement, security training, and disability/amputee issues.

Martial Arts Business Magazine was founded in 1989 by Ric Black then a 30 year martial arts veteran in Littleton, Colorado. He brought about incorporating business practices he learned in the health club business into teaching martial artists how to attract students, retain members and earn a good standard of living for their profession. Many sensei and sifu were supporting their school out of their family incomes just to stay open.

In proceeding years many martial artists who adhered to these principles taught and those of others like Nick Kokinis of Educational Funding Company and John Graden of NAPMA – National Association of Professional Martial Artists and so many others not mentioned who brought the martial arts teaching and business practices to a higher standard of success 20 years later.

The first martial arts tradeshow was held in March, 1990 at the San Remo Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada sponsored by Martial Arts Business Magazine. The tradeshow was a moderate success with martial arts business pioneers CEO Michael Dillard, Eric Lee, Jim Mather and numerous others whom I would like to personally thank for their innumerable contributions the martial arts have reached two decades later.  Martial Arts EXPO 1990

We often think the martial arts schools we see today that dot every city in the USA and abroad have always been that way but fail to remember the days in the 1960’s when the martial arts were taught in private garages, YMCA’s and Boy’s Clubs and rarely in a fulltime commercial martial arts school.

Times have changed, organizations numbering 200 schools exist, the arts are practiced in every country on Earth, with many disciplines and philosophies.

We at Martial Arts Business Magazine.com hope to bring you up-to-date news, articles, product reviews, books and video from around the globe from contributors like you. We will cover three divisions martial arts, law enforcement, and disability/amputee. Forums and news will be available and we hope you’ll actively participate.

Thank you for your patronage two decades getting this business underway and to see its success today makes me proud to have been one of its contributors.

Ric Black – Founder

Martial Arts Business Magazine 1989