Kung Fu Magazines

[cerebus]

I don't really read many of the modern mags anymore. My favorite mags are 1970s/ 1980s era Inside Kung Fu (back when it rawked), and some of the more obscure mags from the 70s like "Secrets of Kung Fu" and "Real Kung Fu" both English-language mags published in Hong Kong, I believe. Other mags with cool articles from back in the day were the old Black Belt (even though it concentrated mainly on Japanese arts) and Official Karate (the most cheaply-made, but with some very interesting content).

Ah, the good ol' days...

[ngokfei]

All the magazines tend to be alot of flash without content. More than 40% of the magazine is advetising and then the articles in the magazine pertain to the advertisements.

For this reason I don't subscribe to any magazine anymore, just pick up a few a year that I find have an interesting article.

Rather save my $5 and put it toward buying books and vids (vcd's, etc)

Onething though is I do like picking up the MMA magazines, at least they give direct information mixed in with their advertisements plus alot of hands on demonstrations of skills and techniques.

Remember the old "MA Training" magazine?

[GeneChing]

Ironically, JAMA is one of the only magazines that I never published in. I did send them something back in the mid 90's and got a polite rejection. I took that submission and cut it up into about a dozen other articles for different publications, so no hard feelings whatsoever. As for it's standing as an academic journal, it's a newsstand magazine obviously. You buy it on the newsstand. That doesn't happen with academic journals. In fact, I find it absolutely fascinating that no other magazine genre can support an academic-style journal on the newsstand. I'm not sure what that means in the big picture, but surely it's a unique barometer of our community.

cerebus & ngokfei, unless a magazine is privately subsidized, the bulk of the income comes through advertising. While this is even more prevalent today (especially with the shifting landscape of print publishing, particularly periodicals) it has always been so. Advertising drives the industry. Same goes for radio and TV. What is unique about periodicals is that they are tailored to a community - in our case, the martial arts. If you don't support the community, specifically its publications, its advertisers and its events, the community dies. Of course, my perspective on this is quite unique since it's how I make my living, but I've always found the advertising as interesting, if not more so, than the content. It's just like looking at who backs a political contender.

cjurakpt, thanks for your comments (I especially like the 'not always PC BS' nod ). I hear you about our layout. We do tend to be more graphically edgy than the others. We like to push the boundaries there. Admittedly, sometimes our experiments fail. But we'll keep taking those risks, just to keep ourselves challenged. I appreciate your tolerance.

[The Willow Sword]

Its a good publication,regardless of the elitist snobby comments by lkfmdc about it.
I have always liked the Aikido Articles in Jama. But being as i am a LONG time poster here in KFM i am in KFM's camp all the way. Online articles are great and from what i have seen of the Mag its pretty good as well. Never bought a subscription to it(hehe have always read my buddy's copies) Hmm Maybe i should get a subscription finally after all these years.
contemplating finances,,Peace,TWS

[GeneChing]

...I can't believe I've let this thread go this long and not plugged subscriptions. I must be slipping. Thanks for the assist on that, TWS.

[mkriii]

I like Kung Fu Magazine the best. I just started getting my subscription to it last month. Black belt is my second choice. Iside Kung Fu is third choice. My one complaint about all of them (mostly in BB and IKF) is that the people in the pictures look weak. When they are demonstrating a technique the people that are supposedely attacking look like thier arms are flimsy and no power in the attack which has me thinking.....is this technique really going to work for real?

[NJM]

I also enjoy KFM because of the hilarious Tiger Claw ads.

They try so hard, and I'm sure they'll get it eventually. :P

[The Willow Sword]

i FINALLY bought a subscription to KFM.

Looking forward to my first Issue, Gene.

Peace, TWS

[Zhang Yong Chun]

...I can't believe I've let this thread go this long and not plugged subscriptions. I must be slipping. Thanks for the assist on that, TWS.

LOL, I was waiting for that!

[GeneChing]

Your timing is good because we have an issue at press. It should be ready in a week or two. Sometimes people subscribe just after we send out an issue, which means they have to wait two months before they receive one (we're bimonthly, but people always seem to think we're monthly, probably IKF transference...)

As for our ads, we have a lot of fun with them. Sometimes it ****es people off. Sometimes, it creates legends. Most of the time, it's good for a laugh. Of course, we aim to sell stuff - it's ads after all and that funds all the research we do - but we hope that it entertains as well.

[lkfmdc]

Its a good publication,regardless of the elitist snobby comments by lkfmdc about it.

Unfortunately, "elitist" and "snobby" describe the journal, which is funny because it is not an academic quality journal

If they just dropped their pretension we'd be fine with it

[Dale Dugas]

I just ponied up and bought a 2 year subsciption.

Woo hoo!!

[GeneChing]

...we'll have to order extra mega-XL got qi? shirts for you.

As for pretensions, I'm pretending that Kung Fu Tai Chi is the new Maxim. I can dream, can't I?

[Dale Dugas]

Yeah,

I like 3XL rather than 2XL.

Let me know when they are in and I will order some.

[cjurakpt]

Ironically, JAMA is one of the only magazines that I never published in. I did send them something back in the mid 90's and got a polite rejection. I took that submission and cut it up into about a dozen other articles for different publications, so no hard feelings whatsoever.

better than cutting up the submissions editor into a dozen pieces!

cjurakpt, thanks for your comments (I especially like the 'not always PC BS' nod ). I hear you about our layout. We do tend to be more graphically edgy than the others. We like to push the boundaries there. Admittedly, sometimes our experiments fail.

I would hardly construe one critical comment from an obviously elitist aesthete as evidence of failure - but thanks for the acknowledgment

But we'll keep taking those risks, just to keep ourselves challenged.

hey, keep living on the edge - obviously if peeps are buying it, they are liking it...

I appreciate your tolerance.

I appreciate your graciousness

If they just dropped their pretension we'd be fine with it

no you wouldn't - you'd have nothing to complain about...