A good friend called one afternoon to tell me that the store he owned would be setting up a booth at the upcoming Science Fiction & Comic Book Convention, which was to be held at a fancy hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California.

He called to inform me he'd just found out that the special guest speaker for the event was to be none other than, action superstar JACKIE CHAN! He would be there that day to promote the release of his latest film: Rumble in the Bronx in the US.

Recently, AMAM-MAGAZINE.COM was invited to cover the official unveiling of international superstar Jackie Chan's likeness, now immortalized as a featured wax statue at the popular Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum on Hollywood Boulevard.

World Champion Shootfighter Bart Vale is one of the pioneers of mixed-martial arts in the USA.

After competing as a kickboxer, Vale trained in grappling and freestyle fighting under Masami Soranaka and Yoshiaki Fujiwara of Japan's Universal Wrestling Federation. Vale coined the term “Shootfighting” to describe this new mixed-martial arts style that combined kickboxing with shooting (to rush in and take down your opponent), or legitimate wrestling. He also co-founded the International Shootfighting Association to help promote the new sport.

Vale was one of the first foreigners to compete in Japan. In doing so he became the first American to win a World Shootfighting Championship in 1992. Vale has also competed in kickboxing and no-holds-barred matches in Japan, the United States and Russia.

"Celebrating 100 years of pioneering film-making by Akira Kurosawa"

If the legendary Japanese director were still alive he would be a century old this year.

Arguably, he might be the most influential film maker in history. Born in Tokyo in 1910, the prolific writer-director has a hugely celebrated film-making career that spans more than 50 years. Learn more about this highly influential filmaker here...

2009 Los Angeles Film Festival at the Billy Wilder Theater:

Made in 1969 / 1970, "The ultimate little movie that could," was bounced through three film studios before finally being released in 1971 / 1973.

It's huge success remains one of the most amazing film stories in the history of the movie industry, and is still owned by the filmmakers, Delores Taylor and Tom Laughlin.

Fans can now enjoy seeing this pioneering classic cult favorite, featured in its new HD restored-Digitally projected format.

3-11-09: MMA Clothing Pioneer, Charles Lewis Jr., better known to UFC & MMA fans as "Mask", was killed in a hit-and-run accident early Wednesday morning in Newport Beach, California.

At close to 1p.m., a Newport Beach Police cruiser spotted a red Ferrari and a white Porsche driving recklessly on the southbound side of Jamboree Road, according to a public information officer with the Orange County Sheriff's Dept.

January 29th, 2009: Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu Grandmaster Helio Gracie dies of pneumonia at age 95, leaving behind an impressive legacy among the world's martial arts community.

Listening to Joe Frazier talk about his legendary third bout against arch-rival Muhammad Ali on that sweltering morning in the Phillipines back in 1975, you get the impression that he's still upset about the controversial decision...

It's rare for an experienced student or novice instructor to find a new teacher who is able to consistently introduce such volumes of advanced martial arts techniques as Sifu Larry Hartsell has.

Those of you who are avid martial arts enthusiasts know what level of impact this must have; it's like being an up and coming musician and getting the opportunity to study guitar with Eddie Van Halen or learning the piano from someone as accomplished as Elton John!

What do you call a man who has fought bears, jumped the "General Lee", was friends with Muhammed Ali, tought both Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, whose mother is the only woman ever to have been inducted into the "boxing hall of fame", who sparred with "Sugar Ray" Robinson, was taught to choke and break necks at age 7 by a legendary herculean wrestler named Ed "Strangler" Lewis, has been lit on fire, dropped from buildings, and was the man who won the first ever MMA competition in American history ...

... if you have any brains you consider him the toughest man alive, and if you're smart the you call him the prettiest man in america. We at AMAM present to you "Judo" Gene LeBell -- don't piss him off.

Before Bruce Lee was a martial arts star, he was a young actor, bullied by his schoolmates and often getting into trouble. In this interview, Wing Chun Kung Fu Grandmaster William Cheung recounts Lee's early days of training and the difficulties he faced as a martial arts prodigy.

Every year the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts plays host to a weekend-long series of training with a variety of very special guest instructors. A great opportunity for inspired students and self-defense enthusiasts to train with some of the legends in the martial arts community, this unique program allows attendees some comprehensive exposure to a select collection of true pioneers in their field.

"Maximum distance, maximum velocity. Applied to vital targets do not require great strength, only quiet assurance, knowledge, and precision."

~ Ted Lucaylucay

5-Time World Champion Kathy Long is a true pioneer of women's competitive Kick-Boxing.

In 2009, Kathy has now set her sites towards MMA competitions and has made her "Cage-Fighting" debut this past summer.

During a recent outing to Yosemite National Park, she ascended to the peak of the famous Half Dome. When asked about the experience, Kathy remarked, "After five hours of hiking to the top, my legs were literally burning. It reminded me of the time and effort it takes me training in the gym to become fully prepared for a fight!"

I was one of the first original students to join Bruce Lee's Chinatown school (Kwoon) in Los Angeles, California, says Sifu Bustillo. I was just 24 years old when I first met Bruce Lee. Bruce always emphasized the importance of being well-rounded in all the fighting-ranges of combat; at I.M.B. Academy, my students are instructed to focus on that, he continues, Jeet Kune Do allows the individual to create a personal curriculum. Part of Bruce Lee's philosophy was to know oneself in order to gain more self-knowledge.

My return to my martial arts roots, Kenpo, was the direct result of a spark of continuous hunger for spirituality through fighting arts. I have always regarded Kenpo in the highest esteem. My father introduced me to the art in 1966. I was thirteen years old. As a consequence of initiation I met another man, Ed Parker, whom I looked to sort of as an alternate father figure. He told me a parable about having cried and cried because he had no shoes as a youth, until he met a man who had no feet. A humble man, he associated with and trained celebrities such as Elvis Presley, but never flaunted it.

My first visit to the world famous Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts was over a decade ago. I went there mainly to witness a demonstration featuring a new and exotic discipline called, Shoot-wrestling or Shooto, which was being formally introduced to the United States from Japan by a very impressive artist I'd read about named, Yorinaga Nakamura.

I was in awe the moment I finally stepped foot inside the Academy!

As a Buddhist, we look at life literally as an ocean of suffering, not expecting anything to go smoothly. ~ Steven Seagal

Action film superstar Steven Seagal is a man of many impressive talents. A renowned master of martial arts who's said to have the honor of being one of the only western Caucasian's to have formally taught the art of Aikido while living in Japan.

Standing next to Dan The Beast Severn during our first meeting at the 2005 Black Belt Hall of Fame Festival, where I took part in his training seminar, he appeared to be very broad and strong.

A very imposing figure indeed, one that I would want no part of in a fight, even though he claims he's never actually been in one! As it turns out, he's only 'The Beast' amidst his various competitions

This is the first in a series of articles dedicated to those specific individuals that have been there before us, and that have already put in the time, effort and sweat in order to make the path easier for the rest of us to follow ... introducing Luis Solis.

DAN RODARTE is like a deep wellspring full of life experiences. He sort of reminds me of an oasis in the desert. A fertile place filled with vast information that promises to quench ones constant thirst for some pure refreshing knowledge. He deserves our respect not only for what he's accomplished as a devoted martial artist & caring instructor, he's also earned it for his enormous contributions as one of the most revolutionary full contact martial arts event promoters in the last few decades!

Recently, I paid an unannounced visit to an unassumingly small martial arts studio in Bellflower, California, which is operated by the rather colorful Maha Guru 'Pak' Vic de Thouars.

In 1946, he and his family had moved to the Netherlands then soon back again to Java. Later, in the summer of 1948, 'Pak' Vic de Thouars began his personal Sera martial arts training.

The city of Hong Kong recently hosted a weeklong festival to honor the memory of the late action film star Bruce Lee. While Bosnia erected a similar statue the month before.