Black Belt Woman:
The Magazine of Women in the Martial Arts and Self Defense

Historic magazine of the women's martial arts and self defense movement arising out of the second wave of feminism, published from 1975 to 1976.

Edited by Dana Densmore, Michelle Zavos, and Joan Chernock. Contributing editor, Nancy Lehmann. Articles by Beth Austin, Py Bateman, Valerie Eads, Bobbi Snyder, Alice Macpherson, Pat Turney (Banshee), Nadia Telsey, Pauline Short, Ann Stacy, Susan Murdock, Suzanne Mitten, Erica Gutman, Nancy Lehmann, Dana Densmore, and many other pioneers of the women's self defense and martial arts movement.

These are the original magazines, long unavailable and very rare. An invaluable find for libraries and archives of Women's History and Media Studies.

Green Lion Press has obtained the last few boxes and will distribute them until they are gone.

UPDATE, May 2012: They're now all gone; sorry!

(Attention Women's Movement Archives: We have saved out several complete sets of the original magazines for qualifying Archives. These sets include the sold-out 1976 Continental Directory of Martial Arts and Self Defense Schools and Classes for Women. Please email Green Lion to enquire about obtaining one of these reserved sets.)

We are also sold out of the Directory of Women's Schools and Classes.

Issue 1 - September 1975   Includes "Karate: the Art of Not Fighting," "Self Defense Situations: Drawing the Line of Justice," "Self Defense is a Way of Life for Women," "On Bruises and Stiffness," "Some Very Basic First Aid Supplies for the Studio," "Ice and Heat," "Making and Using a Striking Brick," "Ja Shin Do: the Way of the Determined Spirit," "Some Thoughts on Developing Women's Martial Arts," "An Independent Women's School of Tae Kwon Do," "Running a Women's School: Notes on Business, Promotion, and Suppliers," and others .

Issue 2 - November 1975. Includes "Anger into Energy: Developing a Self-Protective Attitude," "Consider a Future as a Self-Defense Teacher," "Physical Fitness is for People," "Women: Self Defense is a Social Responsibility," "Olive Oyl Says: Defend your Territory!," "Brown Belt Blues," "How to Make a Punching Bag," "The Ja Shin Do Dumbbell Exercises," "Self Defense Situations: Success Stories and Psych-Outs," "Shin Splints," "Notes from the Feminist Media on Self Defense and Related Topics," "Women in the other Martial Arts Magazines," and others.

Issue 3 - January/February 1976 Includes "The Struggle for Control and Dignity," "Let's Organize," "Organization of Women Martial Artists in Los Angeles," "On Irresponsible Self-Defense Manuals," "Three Stages in the Development of a Fighter," "Women's Martial Arts Union," "Meechee Dojo Olympics," "Wen-Do," "Why Should Women's Karate Organize as a Sport?," "Rewriting the Rape Script" "First Aid and the Martial Arts Instructor," and others.

Issue 4 - March/April 1976. Includes "The January Teacher's Conference," "The Fighting Woman Story," "Getting into Training," "Judo and Karate in Texas," "The Martial Arts as a Way of Life," "Breaking through Boards...and Limitations," "Review: How to Say No to a Rapist and Survive," "Support for a Knee Injury through Taping," "Training and Pregnancy," "Common Sense Self Defense by Olive Oyl: Don't Look Like a Victim," "Women in the Other Martial Arts Magazines; a Survey," "The Way Things Were" "Teaching 'Em Young," "What It's Like to be a 10-year-old Purple Belt," and others.

Issue 5 Special Section on How to Choose a School or Class - May/June 1976 Includes "How to Choose a Karate School," "How to Choose a Self-Defense Course," "A Guide to Choosing Between a Self-Defense Course and Martial Arts Training," "Make Your Own Kicking and Striking Target from a Telephone Book," "The Value of Kata (Forms) in Training," "Building Determination," "Self Defense Situations: Funny Thing Happened... and The Instantaneous Response," "Common Sense Self Defense by Olive Oyl: Walk with Confidence," "1976 Women's Karate Championships," "Notes from the Feminist Media," and others.

Issue 6 Special Issue on Testing and Ranking - July/August 1976 Includes "The Psychology of Testing," "Alternative to Ranking," "Testing and Ranking in a Women's School," "Some Comments on the Function of Hierarchy," "A New Belt is a New Beginning," "Thoughts on Ranking and Self Evaluation," "The Underlying Philosophy of Testing," and others.

1976 Continental Directory of Martial Arts and Self Defense Schools and Classes for Women. - June 1976, 60 pages. Includes listings by U.S. State and Canada for each of the following categories: Women's schools run by women black belts; Mixed schools friendly to women with at least one woman black belt instructor and a large proportion of women students; Women's ongoing classes taught by a woman black belt instructor; Women's ongoing classes taught by a woman with no formal rank or with a rank below black belt; Self Defense courses taught by a woman; Other recommended mixed schools; and Other organizations and collectives.

Distributed by Green Lion Press while they last. These are the original magazines! When they're gone, they're gone.

 

Extra bonus with complete sets: Classic vintage cover of Issue 1: Olive Oyl "Spinach is a Crutch" suitable for framing as a poster. This is the original cover from 1975 (extras were printed at that time to use as promotional flyers for the newly-launched magazine).   --as historic original in original form 8 1/2" by 11" on original cover paper or --same original cover laminated on both sides.

Link to Ja Shin Do History Page

Santa Fe
New Mexico

www.greenlion.com