Combat sports and self-defence Books

NINE LEVELS, EASY TO EXPERTThis book stands apart from other staff training manuals. While most titles focus on forms and twirling, The Art and Science of Staff Fighting emphasizes the dynamics of combat. The author draws on thirty years of martial...

CATCH YOUR OPPONENT OFF GUARD WITH WINNING CLINCHES, TAKEDOWNS, AND TACTICSThis innovative book demonstrates how the study of sumo wrestling techniques can benefit practitioners of modern mixed martial arts (MMA), as well as other grappling arts. Sumo,...

The speed and brutality of a predatory attack can shock even an experienced martial artist. The sudden chaos, the cascade of stress hormones-you feel as though time slows down. In reality, the assault is over in an instant. How does anyone prepare for...

For security-conscious civilians, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and security professionals alike who want to improve their chances of not just surviving an armed attack, but increase the odds of prevailing without...

We all have a built-in weapon system we rarely use. It's called anxiety. We are taught that anxiety is something to avoid. That emotional experiences such as fear, trepidation, or stress, are contrary to living a happy life. We are also told...

Fight Like a Physicist provides an in-depth, sometimes whimsical look into the physics behind martial arts for sport and self-defence. Whether you are an experienced martial artist or a curious enthusiast, this book can give you an "unfair advantage" by...

This book has three goals:To motivate you choose tai chi as a way of improving your health and increasing your happiness for an entire lifetime. To enliven your practice with or without a formal teacher. To provide guidance to advance your tai chi...

This book presents a functional taxonomy to see, understand and manipulate the roots of life's conflicts. You will have the background, the principles, and a collection of tricks to manage and ideally avoid dangerous conflicts. You may not realize that...

This 3rd edition includes a new and easy-to-follow layoutBecome proficient in a variety of high-level skills, including sensing, neutralizing, yielding, striking, chin na, and even throwing. Each technique is presented in four to six large...

This revised edition of our best selling beginner Tai Chi Chuan book includes a new and modern easy-to-follow layout. Every tai chi movement is presented in 2-4 large photographs with clear instructions, followed by key points to help you learn properly...

Use too much force and you are going to jail. Use too little force and you're in for a world of hurt.Conflict and violence cover a broad range of behaviors, from intimidation to murder, and they require an equally broad range of responses. A kind word...

Tai chi ball qigong training is an important component of proper tai chi chuan practiceOnce kept secret in martial arts societies, Tai Chi Ball training has the potential to help develop internal strength, whole body connections, yielding and...

Herbs for bruises, sprains, strains, dislocations, breathing, adrenaline, and more!Healing with herbs has long been a tradition in the martial arts. As ever more martial artists train in the West, interest in Western herbs grows. This book investigates...

Tai Chi Dynamics is intended for intermediate and advanced Taiji players. The author Robert Chuckrow Ph.D. experimental physics, has been a Taiji practitioner for over forty years. He applies logic and basic scientific principles of anatomy, physiology,...

Cut to the very core of what it means to be successful in the martial arts.Earning a black belt can be the most rewarding experience of a lifetime, but getting there takes considerable planning. Whether your interests are in the classical styles of Asia...

Awaken, Heal, and Strengthen Your Mind, Body and SpiritEach day, millions of people worldwide practice Tai Chi Chuan, which has been known for centuries to promote deep relaxation and excellent health, to prevent injuries and illnesses, and to improve...

Tai Chi offers you the prospects of better health and vitality, peace of mind, and increased stores of personal energy. To realize this potential you must delve into the world of Tai Chi minutia, which is exactly where the essence of Tai Chi lays in wait...

All too frequently, martial arts practitioners study their art without truly understanding where it comes from, how it was developed, and why it was created in the first place. Indeed, many don't care - and if you feel this way, you should put this book...

While the old adage, "those who can't do, teach" is not entirely true, all too often "those who can do" cannot teach effectively. This book is unique in that it offers a holistic approach to teaching martial arts; incorporating elements of educational...

The old Kendo teachers loved to ask their new students "What is Kendo?" Then they would sit back and listen to them philosophize about the way of the sword.The question is like a Zen question. If you find an answer, it will always be wrong for there is...

This book explores Shaolin Chin Na by presenting 150 techniques with detailed instructions for teaching yourself. Chin Na (Qin Na) is one of the four major fighting categories in all Chinese martial styles. The four categories are:kicking (Ti) Striking...

Dismay over how unequally women's sports are treated have been widespread. Boxing and other martial arts haven't really entered the conversation, but this book shows why they should. Despite all the other strides feminism has made, we've not really been...

More and more people all over the world are studying Tai Chi. No matter what style they study, what direction they take, or what level they are at, all agree on one thing: Tai Chi is a limitless journey and there is always more to be learned.There are so...

Xingyiquan (Hsing I Chuan) is one of the best known Chinese internal martial arts.Xingyi means "Shape Mind", and Quan means "Fist" or "Style". The name derives from the style's imitation of the movements and inner characteristics of twelve animals. The...

Vividly illustrating the techniques of a legendary innovator, this definitive examination explains how to survive attacks on the street, increase training awareness, and develop body movements. Originally compiled as a four-volume series, this revised...

Ninja master and survival expert Hakim Isler presents modern day survival strategies based on the techniques of Japan's ancient ninja.If you find yourself in an unexpected extreme situation-while wilderness camping, hiking or adventuring off the...

Preserved in music, dance, and art - as well as in ritual, tribal law, and mythology - the fighting arts of the Indonesian archipelago play a central role in Indonesian culture. The Martial Arts of Indonesia is a heavily illustrated and...

With a new foreword by historian and martial artist Alexander Bennett, Shaolin Kung Fu details the oldest form of this ancient Chinese martial art. Shaolin Kung Fu is prized for its elegant style, effectiveness as a fighting system and as an exercise...

The Korean martial art of Taekwondo (TKD) is practiced by nearly seventy million people, making it one of the most popular martial arts in the world. With step-by-step self defence techniques, Taekwondo Grappling...

Celebrating 80 Years of Bruce LeeIn 1970, Bruce Lee suffered a back injury that confined him to bed. Rather than allowing this to slow his growth as a martial artist, he read feverishly on Eastern philosophy and Western psychology and self help books,...

Karate: The Art of "Empty-Hand" Fighting is the definitive guide to Shotokan Karate - the most widely practiced style of Karate - and has inspired millions of Karate practitioners worldwide. Authored by one of the great masters of the art, Hidetaka...

Named one of TIME magazine's 100 Greatest Men of the Century, Bruce Lee's impact and influence has only grown since his untimely death in 1973. Part of the seven-volume Bruce Lee Library, this installment of the famed martial artist's private notebooks...

The result of extensive research including an analysis of over 140 active shooter/killer incidents, Krav Maga Extreme Survival provides an apolitical view of personal safety concentrating on practical methods to survive violent...

Learn how to target the weaknesses of an attacker and effectively exploit them in order to defend yourself. The 36 Deadly Bubishi Points gives detailed explanations on how the pressure points of traditional Chinese medicine found in the Bubishi, the...

Words of the Dragon is an anthology of newspaper and magazine interviews from 1958 to 1973 revealing Bruce Lee's own fascinating words and explanations about Bruce himself, his art and philosophy. Interesting and insightful, Words of the Dragon provides...

Hapkido, "The Way of Coordination and Internal Power," is one of the three major Korean martial arts. Founded in 1963 by Master Choi Young-Sul, it is a complete system of self-defense, encompassing striking, kicking, and grappling techniques...

This samurai strategy books is the first widely available English translation of Yamamoto Kansuke's classic treatise on strategy and tactics. Secrets of the Japanese Art of Warfare is Thomas Cleary's translation of the seminal writings attributed to...

Krav Maga Tactical Survival presents proven solutions to dangerous, real life situations. Krav Maga is the official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces, and has been battle-tested by police, armed forces, private security...

Are you planning to learn Taekwondo, but don't know where to begin? Are you looking for a teacher? Are you taking a class but confused by the technical terms used for the kicks and moves?  Taekwondo Basics teaches you all the fundamentals of...

Are you ready to learn aikido, but don't know where to begin? With Aikido Basics you'll become an expert in this Japanese martial art in no time! Whether you are considering taking up aikido for the first time, or you've already started, this aikido book...

Krav Maga: Real World Solutions to Real World Violence presents a no-nonsense approach to neutralising attackers in close quarters. Author Gershon Ben Keren explains the philosophy behind the Krav Maga method, which is...

In the months leading up to his death, Bruce Lee was working on this definitive study of the Chinese martial arts collectively known as Kung Fu or Gung Fu. This book has now been edited and is published here for the first time in its entirety. Bruce Lee...

T'ai-chi (Tai Chi) is an effortless and rhythmical art that stresses slow breathing, balanced and relaxed postures, and absolute calmness of mind. It requires no special equipment or place to practice and takes no more than ten minutes a day...

The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do presents the teachings of legendary martial arts master Shoshin Nagamine, founder of the Matsubayashi school of Shorin-ryu karate-do. Used for generations as a practical and pictorial guide, it contains over 1,000...

Hojo undo means 'supplemental training equipment' for traditional martial artists. This book comprehensively details how to construct and use the most popular martial arts training tools of Okinawa. The value of hojo undo is that the strength building...

The U.S. Army Intelligence and Interrogation Handbook provides doctrinal guidance, techniques, and procedures governing the use of interrogators as human intelligence collection agents in support of a commander's intelligence needs. It outlines the...

According to the World Taekwondo Federation, there are over 90,000,000 taekwondo practitioners worldwide. Every level 1 black belt student is required to learn Poomsae Koryo. Yet few are familiar with the ancestral form known as the 'Original Koryo'...

Since ancient times Tai Chi Chuan has been practiced as a holistic mind/body fitness system, bringing immense benefits for practitioners in health, longevity, relaxation, and concentration. But Tai Chi Chuan was also practiced as an effective and deadly...