Taekwondo & Martial Arts Books

Below are our favorite Taekwondo & martial arts books. We have also tried to add a quick review of each book in order to summarize their value to martial arts students. In addition, we have added some of our visitors' favorite martial arts books in order to provide you with even more reading ideas. You can also find many of these martial arts books on our used martial arts equipment page (lightly used & much cheaper than new books) or buy them new at Barnes & Noble. If you are looking for Taekwondo & martial arts books for kids, click here for our "children's section".

Favorite Taekwondo Books

• Taekwondo: The State of the Art (by Master Sung Chul Whang and Master Jun Chul Whang) - This Taekwondo book is well written and covers many topics (i.e. kicks, sparring and stances). The best section focuses on Taekwondo forms (WTF forms 1-8) because the book gives you detailed written instructions and visual aids. Two thumbs up!
• Competitive Taekwondo (by Master Yong Sup Kil) - This Taekwondo book provides a good overview of the training needed to become proficient at Taekwondo sparring. It covers areas such as training regimes, sparring exercises and strategy. My favorite part focused on counterattacks (i.e. How do I counter an opponent's roundhouse kick?). It gives you numerous counters for each attack.

Favorite Martial Art Books

• Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts - This martial arts book provides Taekwondo students with a huge variety of stretching exercises that will improve their flexibility. Hundreds of stretching exercises. This book is a must for any martial arts student who wants a higher spinning hook kick or who just wants to prevent/treat a nagging injury. Each stretch comes with pictures and instructions. Two thumbs up! This is one of our all-time favorite martial arts books. Everyone with aches & pains and/or prior injuries should own this book & use these stretches!
• Martial Arts After 40 - This martial arts book is geared towards "older" martial arts athletes (like myself). It looks at how to take a martial arts course when you are past 40, the best stretches/exercises for older athletes, how to prevent age-related sports injuries, etc.
• Complete Krav Maga - An excellent martial arts book with numerous pictures that show a wide range of self-defense techniques. This book teaches useful skills that you can use to enhance the knowledge that you have already learned at your Taekwondo school. Krav Maga is an Israeli self-defense program focused on practical techniques (anything that works). Two thumbs up!
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu - If you want to learn ground fighting in order to complement your Taekwondo skills, you should read this martial arts book. There are tons of detailed pictures and excellent instruction on how to deal with an opponent if the fight has turned into a wrestling match (and you can't use your awesome roundhouse kick).
• Hapkido: Traditions, Philosophy, Technique - A HUGE book on Hapkido. A great resource book! Teaches you chokes, arm locks, pressure points & much more.

Taekwondo Favorite Books from our Visitors - Our visitors have also purchased the following Taekwondo books:

• Taekwondo Form Books

  • Taekwondo Black Belt Poomsae

  • Complete Taekwondo Poomsae - Learn your Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt forms. Many photos are included to help you with each form.

  • The Complete Book Of Taekwon Do Forms - A highly rated Taekwondo form book.

  • Tae Kwon Do Classic Forms: 21 Hyung--Novice White Belt through Advanced Black Belt - This Taekwondo book teaches you the forms needed for the Chung Do Kwan style of Taekwondo.

  • Taekwondo Taegeuk Poomsae

• Taekwondo Self-Defense - This book focuses on the self-defense aspects of Taekwondo (versus the sports aspects). Learn arm locks, takedowns & more.

• Taekwondo: A Path to Excellence - A highly rated book that reviews Taekwondo history, different Taekwondo styles, martial arts philosophy & much more.

• Tae Kwon Do Basics, Techniques and Forms: The Indomitable Martial Art of Korea - This Taekwondo book gets some very positive reviews. Excellent book for beginners & advanced students of Taekwondo.

• Tae Kwon Do: Secrets of Korean Karate - This Taekwondo book has over 1,000 illustrations. However, it is geared towards traditional Taekwondo versus Olympic style Taekwondo.

• Advancing in Taekwondo

• The Official Taekwondo Training Manual - Over a thousand photos!

• Taekwondo: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior - Learn the history and philosophy of Taekwondo.

• A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do - This book is a little more controversial. Focuses on Taekwondo as a "deadly" martial art versus a sport.

• Tae Kwon Do: The Korean Martial Art - This Taekwondo book covers a huge variety of subjects such as sparring, poomsae and self-defense. It supposedly has over 1,400 illustrations and is 544 pages long. Wow!

Martial Arts Favorite Books from our Visitors - Visitors to this website have also purchased the following self-defense & martial arts books:

• Vital Point Strikes - This book explores how to target pressure points and other vulnerable spots on the body.
• Bruce Lee's Fighting Method - This a highly rated book focused on Bruce Lee's techniques.
• Speed Training for Martial Arts - This martial arts book helps to improve the quickness of your kicks & punches.
• Street Stoppers: The Martial Arts Most Devastating Trips, Sweeps, and Throws for Real Fighting - Another five star martial arts book.
• Best Karate, Vol.1: Comprehensive (Best Karate Series) - This book regarding Karate that gets some very good reviews.
• The Fighter's Body: An Owner's Manual: Your Guide to Diet, Nutrition, Exercise and Excellence in the Martial Arts
• Treat Your Own Knees: Simple Exercises to Build Strength, Flexibility, Responsiveness and Endurance
• Jean Frenette's Complete Guide to Stretching - Book covering martial arts stretching.
• The Warrior Diet - This author looks at the diet of ancient warriors (i.e. Spartans and Romans) in order to design a perfect "warrior's" diet.
• The Fighter's Body - This book explores the perfect program of diet and exercise for the students of martial arts.
• Martial Arts Injuries - These books look at how to prevent and recovery from martial arts injuries.

Martial Art Book Recommendations from our Facebook Friends

• Living the Martial Way - This book explores things such as martial arts history, spirituality/philosophy of martial arts, martial arts strategy, etc. Recommended by Kenny.

Other Useful Books

• The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises - It has HUNDREDS of great exercise routines covering your back, chest muscles, quads and any other muscle that you can think of! It has thousands of photos and very precise instructions. An awesome book if you are looking to improve your overall martial arts strength & power.