Black Belt Magazine Acquired.

[arnisador]

http://www.sabot.net/news/releases/release15.asp

RICHMOND, VA, October 14, 2003—Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., announced the acquisition of the assets of Richmond, Va.- based Sabot Publishing, Inc., publisher since 1999 of leading special interest publications including Black Belt, Vegetarian Times, Better Nutrition, Southwest Art, Log Home Design Ideas, and the Garlinghouse Company, publisher and supplier of home plan magazines and home plans.

Cruz Bay Publishing, a subsidiary of newly created Active Interest Media (AIM), is headed by Efrem "Skip" Zimbalist III, former Chief Executive Officer of Times Mirror Magazines from 1995 to 2000. "After looking at a number of different options in the publishing industry, we concluded that Sabot provided the right platform on which to build a highly valuable enthusiast publishing and information business," said Mr. Zimbalist. "James Causey and his management group have put together a terrific group of magazines, and I look forward to building on the solid foundation they have created."

 

[arnisador]

Maybe they'll kill that worthless Self-Defense for Women magazine they've been putting out!

 

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by arnisador
Maybe they'll kill that worthless Self-Defense for Women magazine they've been putting out!

I browsed this magazine recently, and I was not impressed, yet after some thought, I realized that some knowledge for the total beginner who has never trained before, might be a good way to generate interest. If you look at it like a womans magzine, then to me it has more 'Content' then many of the other ones.

Oh Well

 

[arnisador]

More than others, yes--but on absolute scale, I was not at all impressed by it.

See also:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2642

 

[pknox]

I wonder if the Mr. Zimbalist mentioned in the article is related to the actress Stephanie Zimbalist, who was a co-star with, among others, current Bond Pierce Brosnan? If so, perhaps we'll see an article on "the secret martial arts of Remington Steele."

 

[theletch1]

I don't know why but it just strikes me as odd that they publish both black belt and vegeterian times. Must be because I just woke up... dunno.

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Originally posted by pknox
I wonder if the Mr. Zimbalist mentioned in the article is related to the actress Stephanie Zimbalist, who was a co-star with, among others, current Bond Pierce Brosnan?

Well, her father was Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. Odds are that III is her brother.

 

[Cthulhu]

So does this mean that Black Belt magazine will now be 100% ads instead 85%?

Cthulhu

 

[tshadowchaser]

I don't imagin they will kill off some of the "junk" adds in the back. Think they might actualy go back to printing a decent magizine and get off promoteing whomever buys advertiseing from them.
It would be nice to see articles once again that resembled those of the early years

 

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

Black Belt Magazine has really gotten pathetic. They print articles without doing any research or providing any contrary opinion. It is really just a Public Relations vehicle for martial artists to promote themselves. I hope they put some tough editors who will question credentials of profiled martial artists, question the effectiveness of published techniques, and stop rehashing Bruce Lee stories.

 

[theletch1]

Originally posted by Old Fat Kenpoka
Black Belt Magazine has really gotten pathetic. They print articles without doing any research or providing any contrary opinion. It is really just a Public Relations vehicle for martial artists to promote themselves. I hope they put some tough editors who will question credentials of profiled martial artists, question the effectiveness of published techniques, and stop rehashing Bruce Lee stories.

That would be a great thing for serious martial artists but it would cut too deeply into the profit margin. BB is there to profit the shareholders not the serious artist anymore.

 

[Seig]

Originally posted by theletch1
That would be a great thing for serious martial artists but it would cut too deeply into the profit margin. BB is there to profit the shareholders not the serious artist anymore.

Which is exactly why MT Magazine was started!!!! It's there for the readers, not the advertisers!

 

[Marvin]

One of the best magizine out for Eastern Martial Arts is the Journal of Asian Martial Arts.
If you've never seen it, check it out.
http://www.goviamedia.com/
Marvin

 

[Cthulhu]

I used to by the Journal of Asian Martial Arts all the time, but haven't had a chance to pick any up for a few years.

Back when I read it regularly, most of the contributors held advanced degrees. I also liked that the majority of the magazine was taken up by content and not advertisement.

I think they're still around $10US an issue. Do they still only come out once every two months?

Cthulhu

 

[Marvin]

I think its 4 issues per year.

 

[rmcrobertson]

I also really like "Journal of Asian Martial Arts." Their stuff on history and tradition and culture, their interviews with traditional martial artists, is usually first-rate.

Their stuff of theory, and on modern martial arts, and on technique, seems much less reliable to me. One problem seems to be that a lot of this stuff is getting written by people in Performing Arts/Drama departments--and people, from what I can see in their pictures, who ain't much at the arts they practice. They tend, too, to be in something like sword (!) or aikido, and the writing emphasizes the spiritual/performative aspects of the arts...you don't seem to see articles by academics on arts they actually practice that measure up to Donn Draeger (still to me the reference standard), or Dave Lowry, or Herman Kauz, for a combination of scholarly knowledge and personal experience....

But the mag's still relatively new (by the way, if you look in back they often have good back issue deals). Again, they do seem to have some probs--lately, a lot of the articles seem to be coming from the same people on the editorial staff--but on culture and history, for preserving what's traditional, I don't think they have a present equal.

"Black Belt," just keeps getting funnier issue by issue. I loved the articles, last couple of years, on using your garden hose as a weapon ("You're in your front yaard watering the roses, when suddenly, DANGER STRIKES...") and aaddvising martial artists to, "use both hands." Far as I can see, the only stuff that isn't ludicrous are the columns by Keith Vargo and Dave Lowry, or the occasional history pieces...

In other words, it is what you'd expect from a completely-commercial magazine...really, it's advertisement...

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Old Fat Kenpoka
Black Belt Magazine has really gotten pathetic. They print articles without doing any research or providing any contrary opinion. It is really just a Public Relations vehicle for martial artists to promote themselves. I hope they put some tough editors who will question credentials of profiled martial artists, question the effectiveness of published techniques, and stop rehashing Bruce Lee stories.

Full agreement.

I don't expect to see any changes, myself, but who knows.

 

[takadadojokeith]

Originally posted by rmcrobertson

Far as I can see, the only stuff that isn't ludicrous are the columns by Keith Vargo and Dave Lowry, or the occasional history pieces...

Thanks...I think. I guess not being "ludicrous" is a high praise considering how people feel about Black Belt around here.

 

[superdave]

I used to really like Black Belt magazine, especially the "Tales of American Karate" articles that Ed Parker used to write. Back then there was a good selection of articles to read and learn from. Interviews with top martial artists and hardly any of the "I taught the Navy Seals, so now will I teach you to kick Godzilla's ***" type of ads. Ah, the good old days!

Lately though, Black Belt isn't fit to line a litter box. I don't even bother to look at it anymore when I buy my magazines.

Now, I mainly read Martial Art, Budo International, Martial arts Insider, and
Martial Arts Digest. These are the only decent mags I can find in my area.

 

[Black Bear]

JAMA prints crap. When I first saw it, because it gave the impression of being more scholarly, I thought I'd like to be published in it someday. Now I won't go near it.