Section B: Editorial philosophy

Background
 Martial arts is loved by so many people in the world even though it is a niche sport in the
world. “Football is the world’s most popular sport simply because it has the most fans
(3.5 billion) and has active players in almost every country in the world.”
(thesporting.blog, 2023). This statistic is an example of how small martial arts is in the
world with boxing being the only martial arts to make it among the top 10 most popular
sports in the world and coming in at number 9. This statistic is from the sporting blog
where they focus on various sports. “Very few people have any experience with martial
arts outside of the most popular styles, including Karate, Kung fu and Taekwondo.”
(thesporting.blog, n.d.) This is why this magazine will expose people to the different
types of martial arts in the world and their origins and that not every martial arts are
about being aggressive like Aikido which is a “[n]on-violent philosophy: Aikido is
characterised by its non-violent philosophy, which emphasises the (more) peaceful
resolution of conflict than other martial arts” (thesporting.blog, n.d.). Some martial arts
fans do not even know facts like this about specific martial and the magazine aims to
show people that there is more to martial like the fact above. Soccer, Rugby, and Cricket
are the most popular sports according to the Sporting Blog this is also because martial
arts classes are expensive for most South Africans and the sport is violent. There isn’t a
big platform for martial arts in South Africa and the magazine does give that platform and
break those stereotypes people have about martial arts.

Vision/mission statement
Martial arts is still a growing industry in South Africa with MMA leading this is why our
magazine is being published at the perfect time because we can continue to grow with martial
arts in South Africa and in a way document the growth and greatness of martial arts in South
Africa. Our vision is to grow with the sport and become a household name in South Africa where
martial artists and spectators grow with us. We want to become the biggest martial arts magazine
in South Africa and brand out to the continent. Our mission is to give martial artist a platform to
shine and give their story we also want to expose martial arts to the South African audience and
that there is more to the sport than what people think. People still think that combat
sports/martial arts are just violent, and we want to change that narrative because combat sports
are more than that and have changed people's lives, this is also part of our brand. We are also
proudly South African.

Title

Martial Arts in SA will be the title because it is short direct and to the point. Our audience
will understand that the focus will be martial arts in South Africa but when they read the
magazine there will be information about martial arts globally but with the focus being on the
South African scene because martial arts are still growing in South Africa and because our
martial artist needs a platform to stand on when competing against international martial arts. It is
also because martial arts is bigger overseas than it is here in South Africa hence why SA is in the
title.

Purpose of the magazine

There is so much happening in the martial arts industry in a year, and this is because of
competitions, events, and championship matches. The main purpose would be to inform because
most of the information in the magazine will be interviews with coaches, and champions and
keeping the audience updated with what is going on in the industry but mainly giving them
detailed information because information comes out so quickly when it comes to martial arts.
The magazine will also inform the audience about changes in the industry like rules for specific
martial arts. The magazine will also entertain our audience because sometimes there is drama or
gossip in the martial arts industry or tension between fighters which can be entertaining and is
entertaining for the audience. The drama between fighters before a match can make the match
and sport more entertaining and fun that is why, we will also entertain our audience. Our
magazine would also be providing a service because some articles would focus on why martial
arts is good for you and the benefits it can have on your life. Another “benefit to learning martial
arts is an improved ability to perform self-defense maneuver in situations where there is a real
threat” (Kempo Karate - MMA - Self Defense - Level 3 Martial Arts Performance, n.d.) and
martial arts is a good stress reliever. This is also why our purpose would be to also provide a
service.

Section C: Market Research

Background
The reason for choosing this (sport) category is that every country in the world does/plays some
type of sport and that each sport should be represented in some way. Hence why, the idea of this
magazine came about because I wanted to create something timeless and create a bigger platform
for MMA (mixed martial arts) in South Africa and even in Africa. This is because most of the
MMA competition for the African continent happens in South Africa. It is hard to find South
African MMA-specific magazines in South Africa as most information is found online or in
some magazines like LWmag (online magazine) which cover a wide variety of action sports from
snowboarding to mountain biking, tattoos, and social lifestyle. Other sports have their own
magazines dedicated to that sport overseas and in South Africa. Some of the South African
magazines that focus on a sport are SA Rugby magazine, Kick Off which focuses on Soccer, and
SA Sports Illustrated which has closed down. Just as some of these Sports like rugby have their
own dedicated magazine, I wanted to create the same thing for South Africans who love MMA.
The different types of martial arts are still growing in South Africa and this magazine will help
grow the market and expose people to different kinds of martial arts. This magazine will also
help people find martial arts gyms near them because there are not a lot of martial gyms in SA.

The market will mainly be people who know about martial arts are wanting to know about
martial arts or getting into martial and I wanted to give people access and information about
martial arts. Sports people will always support their sport, team, and in this case fighters, hence
why they will buy this magazine just like how the soccer fans will buy the Kick Off magazines. I
also wanted to give my audience the same feeling that they get when watching or practicing
martial arts which is excitement and anticipation. They will get that feeling by getting exclusive
interviews with some winners from competitions, and coaches and knowing that the focus is on
South African martial arts information. The market is broad in the sense that it is for spectators,
coaches, gym owners, and anyone who loves martial arts. Not only will this magazine be for the
spectators but all people involved in the industry like, martial arts gym owners, trainees, and
instructors.” “At this time, it was also noted that 52% of members were men with 48% women.”
(Bennett, 2022) this statistic is global but in South Africa, the women members would be less.
We would still make the magazine inclusive because the women's presence is growing.

Readership and demographics

Age- The overall age group for martial arts in the world is “either a boy between the ages of 7-12
or a man between the ages of 25-34” (Galperin,2022). The magazine will mainly cater to the 25-
34 age group but will have some news about the younger age group so that parents can also keep
their children updated. “About 49% of people ages 18-34 consider themselves a fan of combat
sports” (Galperin,2022). This means that most of our target audience will be able to afford the
magazine print or the online subscription because this age group will be working and earning an
income.

Race- “About 60% of the MMA audience is estimated to be white, but African Americans and
Hispanics are strongly over-represented among US viewers.” (MMA Facts, n.d.) Because martial
arts is still growing in South Africa a lot of data is from overseas specifically the USA because
they have the biggest audience, most martial arts gyms, and people that do martial arts. But this
is still applicable because white people are the ones that dominate in the martial arts world in
South Africa as well as gym owners and spectators. “The most common ethnicity among Martial
Arts Instructors is White” (Bennett, 2022) but because black instructors are still growing, we will
cater to both races but with a focus on the white ethnicity but it will not make up most of our
magazine because we are trying to create a timeless magazine.

Gender- “Audiences are very diverse, often made up of women, men and families.” (Slier, 2023)
this means that our readership will be diverse because both genders are audiences when it comes
to watching martial arts. Although MMA is seen and still is a male-dominated sport “[t]he
number of female competitors is growing at a rapid rate globally and is becoming the big thing
right now. Women are already referees so there’s no reason why they can’t also fight.” (Slier,
2023). This shows that the is a growing female presence in the MMA world. That is why we can
not only cater to the men but the women as well if we want to grow with the MMA.” The
majority of the studies we read found that MMA audiences were around 75 – 90% males and 10
– 25% females” but as stated above the female presence in the martial arts world is growing
rapidly and that is why we will target both genders with a bit more focus on males.

Readership (language)- The magazine will be in English because people in the martial arts
industry speak English whether it is their first or second language. This is because, in
competitions held in South Africa and other parts of the world, English is spoken so that
everyone can understand as well, and in martial arts gyms they speak English when teaching.
“English is widely used as a second language and common language of communication, mainly
in the cities” in South Africa (Alexander, 2019). This is why the magazine will be in English, but
it will be in basic English so that our audience can understand because there are martial arts
terminology which people will not understand if they are not huge fan are part if the martial arts
industry.
LSM- In South Africa, LSM stands for Living Standards Measurement and it is a marketing
segmentation research tool. “The tool divides the population into LSM groups where ten is the
highest level for those with the most wealth and one is the lowest level of the poorest population
who own no measurable wealth.” (Ntloedibe and Ngqinani, 2020), this means that some people
who are in the LSM 1-4 group are the poorest in South Africa and usually live in urban and rural
areas these people will not be able to afford the magazine because they will not have disposable
income to but the magazine. LSM 5-7 will mostly live in urban areas but will also live in rural
areas this group, has “ownership of [a] number of durables plus cellphone[s], [they] can purchase
take-away food, lottery tickets. Level 7 full access to services, increased ownership of durables

plus motor vehicle, (Ntloedibe and Ngqinani, 2020). This means that levels 6-7 but mainly level
7 will be able to afford the magazine because some will be able to afford martial arts
classes/training and even go watch some of the competitions live. Level 8-7 “most access to
wealth” (Ntloedibe and Ngqinani, 2020). This will be the main target audience because they have
more disposable income to buy the magazine and they will be able to afford to practice martial
arts and since our audience is also martial arts gym owners, trainees, and professional fighters
they will buy the magazine because martial arts is part of their life and enjoy it.

(Thai Fitness, n.d.) screenshot from a Thai fitness website.

This shows that level 7-10 are the main target audience and people who can afford to go learn
martial arts and watch the competitions live. Watching EFC (EFC is cage fighting) live which is
MMA costs around R950 per ticket (efc.howler.co.za, n.d.). Buying a magazine that is niche
sport is no less than R50. The Runner magazine is R89,90 for example as this shows that
readership will fall in the LSM level 7-10

Proposed circulation and readership- Readership will be higher than the magazine circulation
because the “"pass-along" rate is generally thought to be about 2.5 readers.” because the same
magazine is read by more than 2 people. The total circulation of SA Rugby is 10069 during their monthly
print, this tells us that we will have a proposed circulation of 6,000 copies because we are still a growing
and new magazine. Our page view will be higher due to people always being on their phones and that
people get information fast on their phones. There are 137 MMA gyms in South Africa and growing but
there are also martial arts gyms these are gyms that focus on specific martial arts like Krav Maga, karate,
etc. This is why our print copies will be 4000 because our members can subscribe to get their monthly
magazine.
Distribution
The niche magazine audience will mainly want the magazine to be online due to it being easier
to access and people will find it faster to access because they do not have to go to the shops to
buy the magazine. If they are subscribed to the magazine then they will automatically get the
magazine, which will be more convenient for the audience. We will also have the print magazine
available to order, buy at the shops, and be delivered to their desired place if they are subscribed
and what the printed issue when it comes out. Because the magazine is a combat sports
magazine, we have some options for where the magazine can be sold, the magazine can be sold
at sports shops like Sportsman Warehouse because a lot of martial artists and spectators get
sports clothes and things from these shops. Another shop is Mr Price because they also sell Gi’s
which is the sports uniform for some martial arts like karate so they will find the magazine there.
The magazine can also be sold at completions and different fight nights for different martial arts,
this is because these completions will be filled with avid martial arts fans who will buy the
magazine because it is content, they will enjoy and want. Some of these magazines can also be
sold at the bigger martial arts gyms where there are more people because they are more likely to
buy the magazine.

Competitor profile
Title: Black Belt TaeKwonDo Times The World of Martial Arts.tv
Publisher: Black Belt Magazine WooJin Jung World of Martial Arts
1000 LLC television
Frequency: 6 issues per year Bimonthly Bimonthly
Price: $7.99= R159.66 for Digital-$9.00=R174.21 Print $14,99=R288.76
print, shipping not Print $15.00=R290.35 Digital=R79.99
included. Digital shipping is not included.
issue R75.57
Format: Digital and print Digital and print Digital and print
Number of 100 84 60
pages:
Colour Full Colour Full Colour Full Colour with a full bleed on
Use: HP Indigo presses
Niche: Sport: covering Sports: main focus on Sport: martial arts.
martial arts taekwondo but also covers
magazines, for martial arts
 consumers
Special The longest-running Rich history over decades A lot of information about
features: and leading martial and authentic information Bruce Lee and other world-
arts magazine in the about taekwondo. renowned martial artists. They
world. They cover a also give fun and correct
wide variety of information on movies that are
martial arts and have about martial arts
interviews from
world-famous
championship and
martial arts owners.

These magazines are our competitors because they are giving the same content, we will also be
giving by covering a lot of popular martial arts rather than one. Even though magazines like
TaeKwonDo Times focus on taekwondo content they also cover other martial arts that are like
the sport. Having both print and digital will is the competitor's strength as well because then they
reach a global audience because martial arts is global. This is why we will also have a digital and
print format. There are different prices for the digital and the print copy because you can easily
access it on your devices people will want it for a cheaper price. This is why we will also have
two different prices for the digital and print magazine just like our competitors. TaekwonDo
Times is about giving back to their community and their “mission of uniting martial artists,
regardless of style or geographic location.” (Pagan, n.d.). this is also what our magazine strives
for in South Africa and TaeKwonDo times has that advantage because they are older and have
been in business for decades.

One of our unique selling points is that we will be the only martial arts-focused magazine in
South Africa because these magazines are based overseas. It takes time to get the print copy and
it costs a lot of money to ship it to South Africa. Our magazine will be based here in South Africa
and our audience will be able to receive the magazine within a week when ordering the printed
copy online. Unlike some of the South African magazine that covers martial arts but does not
focus on it, we will. Another unique selling point of our magazine will be that we will mainly
cover South African martial arts content and African martial arts content, but we will also cover
martial arts globally. Our magazines will also have QR codes to interviews and matches or other
content that is better viewed/watched the read. This will be helpful because then our audience
can also listen to the interviews while driving. On our website, we will also have more recent
results for competitions.
Section D: Editorial formula
Editorial content
There will be different types of content in the magazine because there is so much going on in the
industry. There will be articles about the benefits of different martial arts but each issue will
focus on one or two types of martial arts. These articles would be under service/advice when it
comes to editorial content because these types of articles are there to help people live a better life
by doing some type of sport and also remind the people that are doing martial arts why is it good
and why they should continue. There will also be competitions in the article because most
martial artists compete even though they are not professionals there are amateur competitions
that happen in South Africa and abroad. These types of articles will be there because not only are
they the brand of the magazine but also because the topics are part of the industry. Some issues
will focus on certain people in the South African martial arts industry that have the highest levels
in their martial arts e.g., we will have a South African kung fu master and the main theme will be
kung fu for that issue.

Feature pages- would be interview articles with coaches and/or big names in the industry from
new to past championships, these would be around 6 pages.

Pure editorial- there would be 1 page for the index, 3 pages for competitions locally and
internationally, 1 page for master head and cover, 1 page for subscriptions that the magazine
offers, and 3 pages for big fights results = 9 pages

Continuing departments- a bit more detail on match results from small to big results, treading
martial arts for those two or one months. Information on how local events and competitions went
as well as internationally, any changes in the martial arts industry regarding rules or anything to
do with specific martial arts. These will be 15 pages.

Advertising
The adverts for the online magazine and print will not be the same but have the same concept and properly
be from the same company that is advertising. This is because when people are online active advertisements
are more effective than a picture also “[d]igital advertising helps cast a wider geographic net toward
a specific kind of customer, whereas traditional print advertising is often more effective at

driving business at a local level” (Mueller, n.d.). this is why adverts are important because they
can help grow the local martial arts industry and even create a bigger market. In this case,
adverts can grow the martial arts industry because martial arts gyms can also advertise their
gyms in the magazine for exposure which can help grow the martial arts industry in South
Africa. Martial arts gyms advertising their gyms can help people find a martial arts gym near
them and give their gym more exposure both online and in print.
Types of advertorials are where people can get martial arts suits because the website has a
sophisticated and neat feel because the sport is seen as clean and held in high regard. This is
why some websites that sell suits for martial arts are well-designed and simple. This website
would be perfect for an advertorial because it would go perfectly with the style of the magazine
and people who like the advertorial because a lot of martial arts gym stand for something just
like this website that sell martial arts supplies.

Screenshot from Bushido Martial Arts supplies

There would also be adverts for other shops like Sportsman Warehouse where you can get
equipment and other martial arts things. Upcoming competitions for local and international
adverts would also be in the magazine because the magazine is published bimonthly it would be
better to advertise upcoming competitions so that our magazine does not fall behind and is able
to keep up to date about what is going on so we last longer and for our audience as well. Adverts
for tickets for upcoming fights especially for EFC would be in the magazine because EFC is the
biggest MMA platform in South Africa. We would have about 5 pages of adverts because most of
our money would also come from adverts. Meet and greet with martial arts celebrates ads would
also be in the magazine because these are things that our audience would also like to know about.
Other advertisements would be sports clothes brands from Under Amour to Nike this is because
not all people who practise martial arts wear a Gi or uniform, it is also applicable to our audience
because most of them will be doing some type of sport. There will also be some advertisements
on where you can get sports massages as well as places that deal with sports injuries.

Flatplan
Flatplan in file in pdf format titled flatplan.

Section E: Sample design

Sample of cover
A photoshoot would be held for the Kung Fu master to put on the magazine and in the magazine as well.
The sample cover is an idea of the type of picture we would take with the coffee master as there are not any
good pictures of Marco Kavalieratos who is a South African Kung Fu master and would be the main feature
of the Kung Fu issue.
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