These are our selections for the best Taekwondo books. We have also added a quick review of each book in order to summarize their value to Taekwondo students. They cover Taekwondo forms & patterns, kicks, strikes, etc. In addition, we have added some of our favorite martial arts books in order to provide you with even more reading ideas… so you can enhance your Taekwondo skills with different martial arts techniques and concepts.
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Our Favorite Taekwondo Books
- Black Belt Tae Kwon Do: The Ultimate Reference Guide to the World’s Most Popular Black Belt Martial Art – This Taekwondo book is designed for students who wish to achieve a black belt in Taekwondo. It has over seven hundred photographs to help students to learn forms, sparring techniques, self-defense, etc.
- Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo – This Taekwondo book helps you learn WTF Taekwondo forms.
- The Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do Patterns – This popular Taekwondo book focuses on ITF patterns.
- Taekwondo: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior – Learn how Taekwondo is a way of life focused on honor, discipline, etc.
- Taekwondo: A Path to Excellence
- Taekwondo: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Korean Art of Self-Defense – This book looks at Taekwondo basics, forms, sparring and even “breaking” techniques.
- Tae Kwon Do: The Indomitable Martial Art of Korea – This highly rated Taekwondo book provides photos & instructions for Taekwondo kicks, punches, blocks, etc.
- Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts – Written by a well-known Taekwondo black belt. Ultimate Flexibility “is a complete guide to stretching for martial arts, from the very basics of why you should stretch to detailed workout guidelines for every style and level of martial arts practice”.
Popular Martial Arts Books – Improve your Taekwondo skills by adding techniques & ideas from other martial arts styles.
- The Art of War – The famous book on strategy and tactics from Sun Tzu (China’s best known strategist).
- The Book of Five Rings – A legendary book on martial arts strategy and tactics by Japan’s most famous swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi.
- Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method – This books “explains how to survive attacks on the street, increase training awareness, and develop body movements”.
- Complete Krav Maga – An book with detailed instructions and pictures for Krav Maga techniques. This books can supplement your Taekwondo training as it explores techniques such as defenses against an attacker armed with a baseball bat. Also take a look at Krav Maga Weapon Defenses for unarmed defense techniques used in Krav Maga against attackers armed with a weapon.
- The Fighter’s Body: An Owner’s Manual: Your Guide to Diet, Nutrition, Exercise and Excellence in the Martial Arts – Author Loren Christensen and personal trainer Wim Demeere combine their knowledge of martial arts, weight training, nutrition, diet and exercise to answer your questions and put you on the road to becoming the best martial arts athlete you can be.
- Jiu-Jitsu University – A very highly rated book focused on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) techniques. This book will help you to add grappling skills to your Taekwondo training.
- Living the Martial Way: A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think – This book provides a “step-by-step approach to applying the Japanese warrior’s mind set to martial training and daily life.”
- The Tao of Jeet Kune Do – This book focuses on Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do. “The science and philosophy behind the fighting system Lee pioneered himself—jeet kune do—is explained in detail, depicted through hundreds of Lee’s own illustrations”.
- Zen in the Martial Arts – The author shows how the “daily application of Zen principles not only developed his physical expertise but gave him the mental discipline to control his personal problems-self-image, work pressure, competition”.