A primary theme established at Black Belt back then was that the current state of the martial arts be reflected in its pages. The prominent martial art was judo while aikido, kendo and karate trailed behind. In those days, most people were involved in martial arts as a competitive endeavor, or, purely defensive purposes which included soldiers or law enforcement officers. Nevertheless, there were those who enjoyed doing martial arts for recreation or entertainment. Judo tournaments were the typical martial combat sports, which makes sense as judo was slated to become an official medal event in the 1964 Olympic Games. Naturally, judo instruction and competition were common subjects reported and written about in Black Belt early on.