1969. July/Aug/Sept. The July cover shows a martial artists wielding the traditional Japanese weapon called the tonfa. The theme for the 2nd International Conference of Martial Arts was Bridges to Progress and was set to be held at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan. The event which had gained lots of interest by martial artists worldwide was a huge success. Other news was Chuck Norris, Bob Wall and Mike Stone presenting the Four Seasons Karate Tournament in Torrence, California. The team who won the whole enchilada at the Four Seasons included Arnold Urquidez, Armondo Urquidez and Bill Ryusaki. Praying Mantis kung fu is the topic of the August Cover while two karate-ka are shown battling it on the September cover. Inside is mention of the loss of aikido founder, Morihei Uyeshiba, who passed away at age 86. Joe Lewis continues his rampage of winning by taking Jhoon Rhee's National Karate Championship in Washington, DC, while Bill Wallace gains more recognition on the circuit as he and his team win in Kentucky.