Before someone decides to dig into Jobu’s secret personal life, I will admit that I work for the network I am about to promote. I will not go into more detail, but ethically, I am supposed to mention that I work somewhere if I am going to plug them on my blog. That being said, I really think you guys should check out Human Weapon on HISTORY. This is a show I have always been a big fan of, and I am glad to report that the entire series is now available for viewing online.

The premise of this show, which premiered in July 2007,  is really quite simple. The two hosts, Jason Chambers (a former Mixed Martial Arts fighter and actor) and Bill Duff (a former NFL player and wrestler), travel around the world learning various martial arts. They study and report on the history of these arts and train with various masters. At the end of their studies and training, they face off one on one in a real fight featuring that martial art against someone who has been studying it their whole lives, usually a professional fighter from whatever region they are in. Sounds pretty simple, right?

It is also a very cool show. Chambers and Duff learn everything from Eskrima Stickfighting and Krav Maga, to the more known Karate and Judo. They learn from real masters of the various arts. These are men that, in the martial arts circle, are known around the world. They are taking the time out of their strenuous training days to teach Chambers and Duff their trade (in exchange for some self-promotion, of course). The final battle at the end is usually split between the two hosts, depending on how each man’s strengths match up with the style they are currently learning. In the end, you learn a lot about a country or region you maybe didn’t know a lot about before. You also learn the inner workings of several martial art styles (16 episodes, 16 styles), which is really interesting. Many of these arts date back thousands of years. Some were often practiced in secret as ways to rebel against oppressive governments!

Before you all start jumping down my throat, I realize there are other similar shows out there. Fight Quest premiered in January 2008 on Discovery. It also somehow involved two guys traveling around the world learning about different martial arts styles… hmm. In 2009, the Travel Channel debuted their show, Dhani Jones Tackles the Globe, a show where former NFL line backer Dhani Jones (Giants, Eagles, Saints and Bengals) travels around the world learning and competing in the national sport of several different countries. This show is different enough from the other two because Jones learns a variety of different sports, not just martial arts, but still… come on. I can’t really give an opinion on Fight Quest because I’ve never seen it, and Dhani Jones Tackles the Globe is still on, so it must be pretty good. I, however, stick to the original. I promise I am not just being a homer because I work for the company. The show is great and you guys should check it out!

You can watch the entire Human Weapon series at History.com right now!

image courtesy of: 2007 A&E Television Networks/Katharina Hesse