Top 10 Covers of Inside Karate Magazine: #2: The Sword and the Cinema!

In the early 1980s, there existed a magazine called Kick Illustrated. It was the world's premier source for photos of kicks. But its editors weren't satisfied. They dared to ask the question, "What if?" What if there was a magazine that pulled back the veil not just on kicks, but on punches. On grapples. On open-fist palm strikes. On throat chops. And so was Inside Karate magazine born.

Inside Karate, or "Karate Inside Karate," as its own covers seem to call it, combined all the over-earnest badassery of late-20th century martial arts with the zazzy, breezy coverlines of a city magazine. That combination, much like a combination of strikes followed by a triangle choke, turned Inside Karate into this world's preeminent printed publication and earned it a stranglehold on the martial arts community's reading circles until its untimely demise in 1999. Did readership really dwindle? Or was the new century simply unprepared to coexist with such a kickass periodical?

Don't be fooled by copycats like Professional Karate or Karate Illustrated. They have neither the high-quality karate action photography nor the deep-diving karate action features to compete with the marketplace leader. Join us as we count down the best magazine covers in karate action history.

This is it. The issue where the magazine finally stops beating around the bush and reveals the ultimate martial arts technique: Shooting your opponent with a gun. Doesn't matter if you're facing a black belt in karate, tae kwon do, capoeira, judo, jeet kune do, kung fu or tae bo. A bullet trumps everything!

Also: Let's get real, Inside Karate. Why even bother teaching jujutsu moves to women? Just give 'em a rifle.

Combine that amazing story with a cover feature about Bolo Yeung, the guy who played Chong Li in Bloodsport (Want to get a glimpse of his legendary pecs? You're gonna have to buy the issue!), and this issue is clearly the #2 choice for our countdown!


Think you can do better? Study the cover archive here and show us your moves!