Here is our selection of the best martial arts books ever published. These are our favorite martial arts books and cover a wide range of martial arts techniques, styles and kata. They will help you to learn more about your existing martial arts style and discover new martial arts systems & techniques.
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases (i.e. martial arts books). At no extra cost to you, we make a small commission if you buy products via the links below. Thank you for your support!
Best Martial Arts Books – Our favorite martial arts books. These are amazing classics.
- Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method – This highly rated martial arts book “explains how to survive attacks on the street, increase training awareness, and develop body movements”.
- Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 250 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques – An book with detailed instructions and pictures for a huge range of Krav Maga techniques.
- Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo – This popular Taekwondo book helps students learn WTF Taekwondo forms and older Plagwe forms.
- The Fighter’s Body: An Owner’s Manual – 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 – Extremely popular book focused on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) techniques. This BJJ book is extremely popular with our visitors. Great for people interested in any type of grappling martial arts.
- Karate: The Complete Kata – This highly rated book helps you to learn kata for Shotokan Karate. This book provides details for each kata movement including timing, rhythm, stances, foot placement, etc.
- 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.”
- Muay Thai Basics: Introductory Thai Boxing Techniques – Given the power & success of Muay Thai strikes, many MMA champions heavily utilize Muay Thai techniques. This popular book helps students learn basic Muay Thai attack techniques.
- Tao of Jeet Kune Do – This book focuses on Jeet Kune Do, the martial arts style created by Bruce Lee. It is very popular and is the top Bruce Lee book purchased by our visitors. The book focuses on the “science and philosophy” behind Jeet Kune Do. It is also full of illustrations drawn by Bruce Lee in order to help explain these martial arts techniques.
- Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts – Ultimate Flexibility is a very useful martial arts book because it tries to help martial artists improve their overall flexibility and reduce the potential for some training injuries (i.e. pulled muscles). When training, we often look at this book for improved pre and post-training stretching & flexibility techniques.
Visitor Favorites – The martial arts books listed below are frequently purchased by our visitors.
Aikido Books
- Aikido: The Complete Basic Techniques – This Aikido book is great for beginners because it focuses on all of the most important basic Aikido techniques.
- The Aikido Student Handbook: A Guide to the Philosophy, Spirit, Etiquette and Training Methods of Aikido
- Total Aikido: The Master Course – This excellent instructional book on Aikido is very highly rated.
BJJ Books
- BJJ Techniques to Defeat Bigger and Stronger Opponents
- Jiu-Jitsu University – The highly-rated book is frequently purchased by Black Belt Wiki’s visitors.
- Jiu-Jitsu Unleashed
- Mastering Jujitsu (Mastering Martial Arts Series) – A BJJ book from one of the legendary Gracie family.
Boxing Books
- Boxing Basics: The Techniques and Knowledge Needed to Excel in the Sport of Boxing
- Boxing Mastery: Advanced Technique, Tactics, and Strategies from the Sweet Science – Highly rated book on advanced boxing techniques.
- Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense – This book is focused on the techniques used by the legendary boxing champion, Jack Dempsey.
Bruce Lee Books
- Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method – This book illustrates “the techniques of a legendary innovator, this definitive examination explains how to survive attacks on the street, increase training awareness, and develop body movements.
- The Tao of Jeet Kune Do – Very popular. This book focuses on Bruce Lee’s martial arts style known as Jeet Kune Do.
Diet & Nutrition Books for Martial Artists
- The Fighter’s Body: An Owner’s Manual: Your Guide to Diet, Nutrition, Exercise and Excellence in the Martial Arts – This book looks at topics such as “Why some diets are harmful for martial artists” and “How to calculate your protein needs for training”.
- Martial Arts Nutrition: A Precision Guide to Fueling Your Fighting Edge
- Superfit: Royce Gracie’s Ultimate Martial Arts Fitness and Nutrition Guide (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series) – Diet & nutritional advice from a well-known BJJ martial artist.
- The Warrior Diet – This book “looks not forward but backward for a solution–to the primal habits of early cultures such as nomads and hunter-gatherers, the Greeks, and the Romans. Based on survival science, this book proposes not ordinary dietary changes but rather a radical yet surprisingly simple lifestyle overhaul”.
Eskrima Books, Arnis Books, etc. – Martial arts from the Philippines
- Arnis Self-Defense: Stick, Blade, and Empty-Hand Combat Techniques of the Philippines
- Eskrima: Filipino Martial Art
- Mastering Eskrima Disarms
- The Secret Art of Derobio Escrima: A Martial Art of the Philippines
Judo Books
- American Combat Judo: 186 Photographs Illustrating Jiu Jitsu Wrestling, Foot-Fighting and Police Tactics
- Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano
- Winning on the Ground: Training and Techniques for Judo and MMA Fighters
- Training for Competition: Judo: Coaching, Strategy and the Science for Success
Karate Books
- The Art of Hojo Undo: Power Training for Traditional Karate – Learn how traditional Karate experts increased their punching and kicking power. Highly rated for martial artists looking to improve their punching and kicking power!
- Bunkai of the Shotokan Kata – Up to Black Belt
- Best Karate, Vol.3: Kumite 1 – Learn Karate sparring techniques.
- Black Belt Karate: The Intensive Course
- Karate-Do: My Way of Life – This highly rated book is focused on Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate.
- Karate-Do Kyohan: The Master Text
- Karate Fighting Techniques: The Complete Kumite
- Karate: The Complete Kata – Shotokan kata
- The Shotokan Karate Bible: Beginner to Black Belt
Kendo Books – Highly rated books on Kendo, a sword-based Japanese martial arts
- Kendo: A Comprehensive Guide to Japanese Swordsmanship
- Kendo Guide for Beginners
- Kendo: The Definitive Guide
Krav Maga Books
- Complete Krav Maga – An book with detailed instructions and pictures for Krav Maga techniques.
- Krav Maga: An Essential Guide to the Renowned Method–for Fitness and Self-Defense
- Krav Maga for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to the World’s Easiest-to-Learn, Most-Effective Fitness and Fighting Program
- Krav Maga Weapon Defenses: The Contact Combat System of the Israel Defense Forces – This Krav Maga book focuses on self-defense techniques versus an opponent armed with a knife, club, gun, etc.
Kung Fu Books (i.e. Shaolin Books)
- The Complete Book of Shaolin: Comprehensive Programme for Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Development – This is a very highly-rated book on Shaolin Kung Fu.
- Ip Man – Portrait of a Kung Fu Master
- The Shaolin Workout: 28 Days to Transforming Your Body and Soul the Warrior’s Way
- Other Great Chinese Martial Arts Books – Our favorite Chinese martial arts books.
Military Martial Arts Books
- 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative’s Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation
- Get Tough! How to Win in Hand-to-Hand Fighting, as Taught to the British Commandos, and the U.S. Armed Forces
- U.S. Marine Close Combat Fighting Handbook
- The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program: The Complete Combat System
- SAS and Elite Forces Guide Extreme Unarmed Combat: Hand-To-Hand Fighting Skills From The World’s Elite Military Units – Martial arts techniques used by the British special forces and other elite military units.
Mixed Martial Arts Books
- Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge
- Training for Warriors: The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Workout
- The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Training Guide: Techniques for Fitness, Self Defense, and Competition
Muay Thai Books
- Muay Thai Basics: Introductory Thai Boxing Techniques
- Muay Thai Counter Techniques: Competitive Skills and Tactics for Success
- Muay Thai Training Exercises: The Ultimate Guide to Fitness, Strength, and Fight Preparation
- Muay Thai Unleashed: Learn Technique and Strategy from Thailand’s Warrior Elite
Martial Arts Strength Training & Conditioning Books
- The Art of Hojo Undo: Power Training for Traditional Karate – This Karate book looks at traditional Asian Hojo Undo strength training techniques & tools such as Ishi Sashi (stone hand weights), Makiwara (striking posts), etc.
- K.O. Power: Complete Strength Training for Devastating Punches, Kicks & Throws – This book focuses on topics such as personalized training routines, training for peak performance, increased punching power, etc.
- The Navy SEAL Weight Training Workout
- Special Forces Fitness Training: Gym-Free Workouts to Build Muscle and Get in Elite Shape – This book focuses on a fitness program that the author “developed as a strength and conditioning specialist for the U.S. military special forces”.
- Training for Warriors – This book focuses on strength & conditioning training exercises used in martial arts such as MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and Judo.
- Ultimate MMA Conditioning
- Ultimate Warrior Workouts: Fitness Secrets of the Martial Arts
- Warrior Cardio
- Weight Training for Martial Arts: The Ultimate Guide – This book contains descriptions and photographs of a wide variety of weight training, flexibility and abdominal exercises used by martial artists.
Martial Arts Stretching & Flexibility Books
- Beyond Kicking: A Complete Guide to Stretching and Kicking – This book states “Along with super stretching secrets, you’ll learn how to use your flexibility to improve kicking techniques”.
- Full-Body Flexibility – This book “blends the best of yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and sport training”.
- The Martial Artist’s Book of Yoga: Improve Flexibility, Balance and Strength for Higher Kicks, Faster Strikes, Smoother Throws, Safer Falls, and Stronger Stances – This books focuses on how yoga can improve martial arts flexibility.
- Plyo-Flex: Plyometrics and Flexibility Training for Explosive Martial Arts Kicks and Performance Sports
- Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts – This stretching book is specifically targeted to martial artists. It is one of the most purchased books by our wiki visitors!
Taekwondo Books
- A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do
- Competitive Taekwondo – Taekwondo sparring techniques.
- Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo
- The Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do Patterns
- Taekwondo: A Path to Excellence
- Tae Kwon Do: The Indomitable Martial Art of Korea
Tai Chi Books
- Tai Chi Chuan Classical Yang Style: the Complete Form and Qigong
- The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi
Books on the Bo, Staffs & Canes
- Cane Fighting: The Authoritative Guide to Using the Cane or Walking Stick for Self-Defense
- The Fighting Staff – If you want to learn how to use a Bo, Jo or any other staff in a self-defense situation, you should buy this book.
- Raising Cane – This book is focused on using a cane as a self-defense tool.
- Stick Fighting: Techniques of Self-Defense
Zen & Martial Arts Philosophy
- The Art of Peace: Teachings of the Founder of Aikido
- 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.”
- Questions to a Zen Master: Practical and Spiritual Answers from the Great Japanese Master
- 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”.
- The Zen Way to Martial Arts: A Japanese Master Reveals the Secrets of the Samurai
Martial Arts Books