Women Kickboxing Pioneer Lilly Rodriguez Passes Away
Lilly Urquidez-Rodriguez, the first women’s world kickboxing champion and highly respected trainer, passed away on January 13th 2007 at the UCLA Medical Center.....

Martial Artist and Roman Catholic Priest, Father Casicia passes away
On January 15th 2007 Roman Catholic Priest Fr. Phillip Cascia passed away after a long illness. Fr. Cascia held the UN-presented record of being the perish leader at St. Anthony's Church in Prospect Connecticut for over 25 years.....

Grand Master Bong Soo Han, The Father of Hapkido in the Western World, Passes Away
On January 8, 2007 Grand Master Bong Soo Han peacefully passed away while at his home in Santa Monica surrounded by his family and friends.....

AKS Legend, Ernie Lieb Passes Away
When Ernie Lieb began instilling his philosophy of karate in his students, he practiced Korean Chi Do Kwan. Because he felt there were areas of the style he had learned which required modification to accommodate the American physiological structure and attitude, Ernie developed what is today known as the American Karate System. The American....

Soke Michael DePasquale, Sr. passes away
Soke DePasquale Sr. is one of the true pioneers of martial arts in the United States having begun his study of the martial arts in the 1940’s. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he returned home and resumed his pursuit of study in the arts. He is a renowned Jujutsu Master and holds the 10th Dan rank and the titles of Ni Dai...

Brad Rehor Passes Away
I received with great surprise and sadness the news of the passing of one of my most accomplished and beloved students, Black Belt Brad Rehor. Brad was in Brazil to defend a title he had won several times before, the World Championship at the 2006 Master's BJJ World's...

Sonny Umpad Remembered
When I received word two weeks ago that Escrimador Master Sonny Umpad was suffering from terminal cancer and then last week, received word that he had passed, it was a sad moment for me. Although I met Sonny once in the early 90’s briefly during the California State Karate Championships in Oakland, California, and again in the late 90’s at the Bruce Lee...

Founding Member Howard Jackson passes away
It is with great sadness we report that Kickboxing Champion and World Black Belt Founding Member Howard Jackson passed away March 7, 2006 11:00AM Tuesday morning, at the City of Hope hospital in Duarte, CA. He was cremated on March 14th, 2006. A memorial service was held for Howard on Saturday March 25, 2006 at 11:00AM in Pasadena, California...

Grandmaster Carlson Gracie Sr. passes away
Jiu-Jitsu legend Grandmaster Carlson Gracie passed away Wednesday morning (Feb. 01, 2006). He was 72 years old. According to his son Carlson Jr., Carlson had been hospitalized for complications from kidney stones and he appeared to doing well as late as Tuesday evening: "He was cracking jokes last night and everything seemed ok. This morning he had a fatal...

Sybaris founder among plane crash victims
The two pilots at the controls Monday night when a plane crash killed four people near Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling were good friends--one a financial adviser who flew blood platelets for the survivors of the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon, the other the founder of a hotel chain that offers romantic getaways. Mark Turek, 59, of Winnetka, was flying the twin-engine...

Joe Corley Tribute To
Ken Eubanks and Ken Knudson
These are sad days, but both of these men brought so much positive energy to everyone around them. Ken Eubanks has been that steadfast beacon of optimism in our NASKA lives for so long, and we will miss him dearly. He was the man who always walked the talk and that...

A Legend Passes
The Martial Arts World lost a true pioneer and legend on January 3rd, 2006 as Grandmaster Ken Eubanks passed away in Kentucky. World Black Belt sends our deepest sympathies for the loss of this great martial artist and wonderful gentleman.

Martial Arts Community Loses a True Champion
Fresno martial artist and Hollywood actor Stuart Quan died suddenly on January 8, 2006. Quan, 42, lost consciousness while returning home from a snowboarding trip. Friends tried to revive but to no avail. Quan is being remembered by thousands of people whose lives he touched.