Martial Arts Past and Present

The 2026 edition marked the 25-year milestone of the Action Martial Arts Hall of Honors, widely marketed as the largest martial arts networking, seminar, and awards gathering in the world. It was held from January 30th to February 1st, 2026. The multi-day convention-style martial arts summit combined: * Hall of Fame / awards ceremonies * world-class seminars * celebrity appearances * tournaments a...

What happens when a seven-year-old boy learns martial arts to protect his mother from domestic violence? Mike Hess, a 10th Dan karate instructor and retired police officer with 35 years of law enforcement experience, shares his remarkable journey from childhood trauma to becoming a respected martial arts teacher. (He’s been running his own school since earning his black belt in 1975.)Throughout th...

From Humble Beginnings to Mastery: Master Angel Lee on Resilience and CharacterStarting with just two years old, Master Angel Lee, a sixth dan martial artist, began a journey that would take him from childhood training under his gung fu master father to facing paralysis and ultimately building a multimillion-dollar business. What happens when someone refuses to let a devastating car accident defin...

If you missed Part 1 of Bill’s Birthday Bash interviews, you can find it here… Bill "Superfoot" Wallace's 80th Birthday Bash - Part 1 The interviews continue with more great stories about how these martial artists got started along with when and how Bill became a truly special part of their lives. As a recap, Friday’s events included testing and a celebrity meet-and-greet. Saturday started off wit...

This week, I come to you from Indianapolis, Indiana from Bill “Superfoot” Wallace’s 80th birthday celebration. Friday’s events included testing and a celebrity meet-and-greet. Saturday started off with Bill leading a morning stretching session followed by several seminars hosted by great martial artists. The day concluded with a wonderful dinner celebrating the great Bill Wallace. In this first pa...

Sensei Ed Briz welcomes Mike Gillespie, a third Dan from Sarasota, Florida, to discuss his martial arts journey. Mike began in the late 1980s at age eleven, inspired by The Karate Kid and persistent requests to his parents. He previously played soccer and ran cross country. Mike identifies the “blue belt blues” as a significant early challenge, a term coined by his first instructor Jim Graydon, de...

Join Sensei Ed Briz as he finishes up interviewing martial arts icon “Superfoot” Bill Wallace, the undefeated middleweight kickboxing world champion and 10th Dan black belt. Bill and Ed discussed karate training and testing. Bill shared his experience training in Okinawa, emphasizing the importance of consistent practice and understanding the “why” behind techniques. They agreed that testing shoul...

Join Sensei Ed Briz as he sits down with martial arts icon “Superfoot” Bill Wallace, the undefeated middleweight kickboxing world champion and 10th Dan black belt. From his humble beginnings weighing just 89 pounds in Indiana to becoming a global martial arts phenomenon, Wallace shares his incredible journey of resilience and adaptation. After a career-threatening knee injury ended his judo prospe...

Join us again as we hear from Grandmaster David Lee Garrison. Early Journey and Discipline Grandmaster Garrison began martial arts in the 1970s after competing in other sports. He admitted he struggled with his temper and competitiveness, but martial arts gave him discipline, structure, and a way to channel his energy in a positive direction. Patience and Consistency He believes beginners often ma...

Journey with Sensei Ed Brizz as he talks with Master Roy Worth, owner of his own Martial Arts school in Florida. Roy explains how he started his own journey into the world of Martial Arts. He has made it a family. From the time he was a boy, watching Kung Fu theater, to helping to keep his very young students on track, he knows the struggle to stay on course with training. We also learn about his...