THE NEXT CHAPTER - Silvio Morelli

Putting Blitz magazine together each month can be a mammoth task. For the editors, it’s not just in the writing, collating and editing of the many and varied pages of martial arts and self-defence material we present, but in deciding which stories, people and martial arts to cover. That’s where you, the readers, come in.



As the 25th anniversary of Blitz approaches and we look to begin the next chapter in the life of the magazine, we want to hear from you. We want you to tell us what you want to read about and what you need to help you along in your martial arts journey.

With 2010 well under way, Blitz Australasian Martial Arts magazine now finds itself in its 24th year of publication. That’s right: we have almost a quarter of a century of Aussie martial arts coverage under our belts. It’s hard to believe it’s nearing four years since our 20th anniversary special edition with martial arts icon Bruce Lee gracing the cover, and even harder to believe it was another two decades before that when my old friend John B Will and I hatched the idea for this magazine. John and I launched Blitz in 1987 and he ran it for four years before I took over, and I’m proud to say that we are the only Australian publication dedicated to martial arts and self-defence that is still around today.

Others have come and gone, but we have managed to stay the course. We have also been able to launch several other niche-interest martial arts publications over the years, including International Kickboxer and our newest title Inside MMA, both leaders in their fields. I believe this has been because our coverage of the subject matter is still driven, first and foremost, by one thing: passion.

Obviously, we are passionate about the martial arts, but we are also passionate about publishing. We are enthusiastic about creating the best publications we can for the markets we serve, whether that be the Thai boxing community, Mixed Martial Arts fighters and fans, traditional martial artists or those with an interest in reality-based self-defence. Things have changed a great deal in the martial arts world since those early days, and we have continued to do our best in the changing circumstances to produce magazines that cater to our readers’ interests. We’ve seen the 1970s and ’80s kung fu craze fade and make way for a resurgence in karate, which was followed by a BJJ boom after the first UFC, then a taekwondo tsunami sparked by the Olympics.

Today, it seems that while MMA is growing rapidly across the world and reality-based self-defence systems are growing in number, many people, even from these interest groups, are starting to look back to the traditional arts and their roots. They realise that, while things must evolve to keep pace with the times, there is much in our martial arts’ history that is of value and shouldn’t be discarded for the latest trend.

While we might cop the odd ear-bashing from the reality-based evangelists for being too traditional, or from the staunch traditionalists for being too progressive, ultimately we strive to strike a fair balance. Our aim is to give even coverage to all the elements of the martial arts scene that are of interest to the average reader — taking into account current trends — as well as introduce you to some of the more unique or groundbreaking systems and instructors that may otherwise go unheard of.

To do this, of course, we need your input. To that end, we will soon be running a readership survey with some great prizes on offer. I urge you to become a member at www.blitzmag.net today and take this opportunity to not only win prizes but to be a part of shaping this magazine for the next chapter in its existence. □

Blitz Martial Arts Magazine MARCH 2010 VOL. 24 ISSUE 03, page 9