Just Arrived - Bargain Basement Books

We've just received a shipment of slightly damaged bargain basement books. If you don't mind a little scuffing, wear, or creasing on the cover of your book, you can pick up some great books at half price or less. But remember, bargain basement books are very limited in number and they go fast. If you see something you want, grab it and head for the checkout. See what's in stock in the Bargain Basement

SAVE 10% ON EVERYTHING WE SELL - NOW THROUGH SUNDAY

It's time for our once a year, end of summer sale - save 10% off all purchases now through midnight Sunday. Just fill up your shopping cart and enter coupon code SAVE06 in the coupon code box below the cart. No limitations! Save on already discounted sets, clearance items, everything on our site! This is a once year sale, so don't miss out. > Start Shopping

New Martial Arts Book and DVD Sets

Jujitsu DVD Set: Instructor James Kodzis teaches the complete art of jujitsu, combining no-nonsense striking skills with highly effective grappling techniques. Nearly 3 hours of systematic instruction in this 2-disc set.

Martial Arts Instructors Book and DVD Set: Hundreds of teaching and school management tips, ideas, strategies and variations you can start using immediately in this 2 book and 1 DVD set.

Martial Science Book Set: Discover the scientific theories that make the martial arts so effective and learn how to apply them in your daily training.

Armlock Encyclopedia book now available

The Armlock Encyclopedia by Steve Scott is now in stock and shipping to those customers who have preordered. If you placed a preorder, your book will be shipping from our CT warehouse tomorrow morning.

Cane for Self-defense DVD Shipping today

If you preordered a Cane for Self-defense DVD, you should be receiving your order in the next 5-10 days. All of the preorders shipped from our warehouse today.

We've moved!

Turtle Press is now located in sunny Santa Fe, NM. New contact information:

Turtle Press
PO Box 34010
Santa Fe NM 87594-4010

phone: 800-778-8785
fax: 815-572-9533

Our website and email contact information remain the same.

Preorder and Save: Cane for Self-defense DVD

Save $5.00 of the regular retail price when your order the Cane for Self-defense DVD before it's release in August. The cane is the only weapon you can legally carry with you everywhere you go and on this comprehensive DVD, Gordon Oster shows you exactly why the common walking cane is one of the most effective self-defense weapons you can learn.

Making Armlocks work in Sport Grappling

Two core skills for every successful armlock are (1) Position and (2) Set-ups. Following is an explanation of these two core skills and why they are so important.

We all have heard the old saying in real estate; if you want to sell property, the three most important things are location, location and location. It’s the same thing in judo, jujitsu, sambo, and any form of grappling. It could also be easily said for any form of personal combat. If you’re not in the right place at the right time, and don’t put your opponent in the wrong place at the wrong time (for him), your throw or hold won’t work...period.

Read the complete Armlock Fundamentals article by Steve Scott, author of the Armlock Encyclopedia.

Preorder and Save: Armlock Encyclopedia

Save $5.00 when you order Steve Scott's new book Armlock Encyclopedia: 85 Armlocks for Jujitsu, Judo, Sambo and Mixed Martial Arts. In a follow-up to his popular Championship Sambo: Submission Holds and Groundfighting, Steve Scott teaches you 85 essential armlocks for jujitsu, judo, sambo and mixed martial arts. The armlocks taught in the Armlock Encyclopedia apply to gi and no-gi combat sports, allowing you to use them in a wide variety of situations, including self-defense and street applications.

Coming soon: Cane for Self-defense

The much awaited Cane for Self-defense DVD is being edited for an August release. Check out a sneak preview here.

What is the difference between pushing kick and front kick?

We recently recieved this question through our author forum:

Master Kim,

I purchased your Complete Kicking DVD. One quick question: The Pushing Kick is not on the DVD, but it is used in the Top 100 DVD that I also have. Is the Pushing Kick really like a front kick but you push the opponent with the entire bottom of the foot? I can't tell from the Top 100 DVD. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

Matt

Sang H. Kim answers:

Pushing kick is different from front kick in two ways: Front kick's trajectory is simultaneously circular and upward to the target; pushing kick has two segments - you chamber the leg by bending your knee then push the target with either the ball of the foot or entire bottom of the foot. The targets are the lower stomach, pelvis, or chest.

The variations are: side pushing kick and diagonal pushing kick. The diagonal pushing kick is done from fighting stance by pushing the opponent's thigh with your toes facing out/upward and heel facing down/inward. It is often dangerous to use for your own safety, thus rarely used, but effective. Caution: it can hurt your knee joints and your opponents' too.

7 Scoring Tips for Taekwondo Sparring

Olympic Gold Medalist Kuk Hyun Chung and co-author Kyung Myung Lee share these scoring tips in Taekwondo Kyorugi: Olympic Style Sparring:

1. Counterattacking has a better chance of scoring than attacking for advanced competitors.
   
2. Beginning and intermediate competitors are most likely to score with single direct attacks.
   
3. In a close match, an attacking fighter is more likely to win that a counterattacking fighter unless the counterattacker can score a knockout.
   
4. The most frequently used attacks are roundhouse kick, back kick and axe kick.
5. Successful competitors can effectively counter these kicks.
   
6. The side kick and front kick are rarely used in competition any more and are highly unlikely to score points.
   
7. The roundhouse kick is the preferred kick for scoring, followed by the back kick and axe kick.

New ITF Taekwon-do Patterns DVD Set

Save $10 off the regular price of $49.95 when you order the new ITF Taekwon-do Patterns DVD Set by June 30th. Imported direct from Korea, this 2-disc DVD set teaches the first 18 patterns of the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) Changhon pattern set. Learn all of the patterns up to 4th degree black belt from expert Korean instructors. Multiple views and detailed instruction are excellent for at home practice and review.

Preorder and Save on Tonfa DVD

Save $5 when you order Young Kil Song's new Tonfa DVD. The tonfa (side-handle baton) is traditional weapon that was originally developed in Okinawa. On this DVD, Master Young Kil Song teaches a unique Korean style of Tonfa training with an emphasis on traditional style techniques using a single tonfa.

Zen Man Soundtrack Released

Released by popular demand, the moving and inspirational music of Zen Man is now on CD. Composed by Jason Solowsky, the music of Zen Man is a blend of East and West, action and instrospection. Own the Zen Man Soundtrack today!

Official Limited Edition Zen Man T-shirts

Just released: Official Limited Edition Zen Man movie T-shirts. These cool black T-shirts with a martial arts themed Zen Man logo on the back will only be available for a short time. Get your's now before they're gone!

Forearm Strikes: Drills for the Heavy Bag

"Striking with the inside of the forearm is similar to throwing a roundhouse punch and striking with the outside of the forearm is a similar motion to the backfist," says Loren W. Christensen, author of Solo Training and Fighter's Fact Book. "When striking with either side, it’s imperative that you keep your arm bent to prevent injury to your elbow joint."

Here are two simple forearm strike drills that Loren suggests adding to your heavy bag workout:

Forearm from behind

Face your imaginary opponent in your fighting stance. Step forward and drive a right reverse punch into his chest, followed by a left elbow to his ear. Whip your right arm around behind his head and snap the inside of your forearm into the back of his skull. He can’t defend against the elbow because he can’t see it. Work to make the combination flow smoothly.
Air: 3 sets, 10 reps – both sides
Bag: 3 sets, 10 reps – both sides

Forearm to nose

Face your imaginary opponent in your fighting stance, left leg forward. He throws a reverse punch that you slap to the right with your lead hand, but he continues to move forward, and before you can retract your blocking hand so as to backfist him, he is too close. No problem, you still have the outside of your forearm, which you ram into the point of his nose.
Air: 3 sets, 10 reps – both sides
Bag: 3 sets, 10 reps – both sides

Knee pain after training? Be sure to warm up

One of the source of joint pain in older martial arts students is the lack of a good warm up, says Sang H. Kim, author of Martial Arts After 40. To reduce the incidence of knee pain, he suggests the following simple addition to your warm-up.

1. Sit down on the floor, put your hands behind you on the floor comfortably, and stretch your legs forward.
2. Breathe deeply in and out a few times and shake you legs off by lifting your legs up and down gently. You may begin with the left leg then right leg repeatedly 10 to 15 times.
3. Rotate your legs inward and outward 10 to 15 times.
4. Lie back with your arms wide open on the floor, raise your legs vertically. Wait 10 to 15 seconds and feel the leg muscles starting relaxing.
5. Do bike riding in the air 30 to 60 times according to your inclination of the day.
6. Put down the legs and relax for 60 seconds and breathe deeply.

Sambo Book Released

Championship Sambo, by Steve Scott, has been released. Preorder sales have been brisk and this is proving to be one of our more popular titles. With so little available on the increasingly popular sport of sambo, this book is a much welcome addition to libraries of serious grapplers.

Sparring Combinations: 4 to Get You Started

If you're new to sparring or not sure where to start when it comes to combinations, Sang H. Kim suggests the following four to get started:

1) lead hand jab + rear hand punch + rear leg roundhouse kick
2) front leg roundhouse kick + lead hand punch + rear hand punch
3) front leg roundhouse kick + rear leg roundhouse kick + lead/rear punch combo
4) switch stance + front leg hopping side kick as you progress with your coordination

Practice 3 sets of 10 for each combination 3 times a week. Within 12 weeks you should be able to apply all 4 combinations in sparring with speed and power. Once you have these down, check out Top 100 Scoring Techinques DVD for more advanced combinations.