Junsado Officially Recognized by the Korean Government

Korea.net, the official English language website has officially recognized Junsado as a Korean martial art. Founded by Sang H. Kim, Junsado is "the way of the combat expert", a straightforward martial art that emphasizes practical empty hand and stick fighting techniques. Turtle Press is the exclusive producer of Junsado DVDs.

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MASuccess Spotlights Power Breathing DVD

MASuccess Magazine features the Power Breathing DVD by Sang H. Kim in it's March 2008 product spotlight. According to the article, "The exercises taught on this DVD would make an excellent addition to adult classes of all skill levels or to your own personal training."

Coming soon: Adaptive Kenpo DVD by Jerry Meyers

On the forthcoming Adaptive Kenpo DVD, Jerry Meyers takes a series of Ed Parker Kenpo techniques and shows you how to adapt them if your opponent disrupts the flow of the technique. For each technique, Jerry demonstrates the original Ed Parker execution and then he shows several possible counters that may interrupt the continuity of your techniques and how to deal with these counters.

Defensive Tactics Books have Shipped

If you preordered Defensive Tactics by Loren Christensen, your book is on the way to you. Due to production delays and the large number of preorders, the books arrived our warehouse later than expected and it took three days for our warehouse staff to work through all of the shipments. But the books turned out terrific and will be landing in mailboxes around the world this coming week!

Martial Arts Drills E-book

By popular request, Turtle Press has released a Martial Arts Drills e-book. Taken from the Martial Arts Instructors Desk Reference, the 30 page e-book has over 300 martial arts drills and games divided into 6 categories:

1. Conditioning: Fun ways to strengthen, stretch and condition the body
2. Basic Movements: New ideas to take the repetition out of practice including drills for individuals, partners and groups
3. Self-Defense: Exciting drills to make self-defense practice more realistic
4. Forms: Unique ways to reduce boredom on the road to perfection
5. Sparring: Exciting tips to pump up sparring practice
6. Mental Training: Unique suggestions for training the mind with the body

At only $4.95 for the downloadable PDF based e-book, this is a great bargain for martial arts instructors.

New Shaolin Kung Fu DVD

As a result of many customer requests, we have added a new Shaolin Kung Fu Three Section Staff DVD to our offerings. The DVD features a 3-section staff form taught by Shi Deci.

Principles of Gun Defenses

Dr. Bob Laronga, author of Secrets of Gun Defense, shares some of the most important Principles of Gun Defenses, including the difference between a revolver and an ACP and the best way to psychologically disarm an a gun wielding attacker.

Just Released: How to be Safe From Crime book

Scott Flint's self-defense book Waking the Tiger Within: How to be Safe From Crime covers all aspects of personal self-defense for the non-martial artist, including ways to crime-proof your daily life and how to defend yourself with confidence. No experience necessary. The self-defense techniques and safety strategies in this book can be used by anyone, regardless of age or gender.

Coming Soon: Secrets of Gun Defenses Book and DVD

Secrets of Unarmed Gun Defenses teaches you how to defend against one of the most common types of gun threat, the gun to the forehead. From one of the most advanced styles of martial arts and self-defense techniques, these unarmed gun defenses are the “secret stash” that most instructors share only with their highest ranking black belt students.

This new book includes a free Demonstration DVD so you can follow along with the included demonstration DVD as Dr. Bob Laronga demonstrates all of the Gun Defenses taught in this book.

Scheduled for release in early February

New Kid's Martial Arts DVD

Harry's First Martial Arts Lesson is an animated DVD for kids who are interested taking up martial arts or just starting out with lessons. Harry is an energetic 6 year old who gets to take his first martial arts lesson. He quickly learns that martial arts is not just about punching and kicking but about treating people with respect and learning self control. His new mentor, Instructor Dan, helps him understand that the keys to learning anything, whether it be martial arts or mathematics, are concentration and self discipline.

This short animated DVD is a great introduction to the principles and values of martial arts for young students and for youngsters who will be starting martial arts lessons.

Just Released: Security Operations Book

Security Operations: Planning and Conducting Private Security Details for High Risk Areas is now available from Turtle Press. SECURITY OPERATIONS is an introduction to conducting private security operations in high risk areas and war zones. Veteran special forces soldier and private security consultant Robert H. Deatherage Jr. provides a broad overview of the many topics related to private security including threat assessment, risk management, client relations, surveillance detection, counter surveillance operations, foot and vehicle movements, building security, and the duties of the various personnel and teams necessary to conducting a successful private security operation. This is an excellent reference for professionals in the private security sector and those who want to get into private security as a career.

Teach your Child to Fight Back Against Bullies

What can you do to help your child if he or she is being bullied? Scott Flint, author of Waking the Tiger Within: How to be Safe from Crime says, "If you are going to choose to under-react or over-react, it's vital that you over-react. Remember, the problem must be stopped immediately."

Talk to your child to find out who the bully is and what he or she has been doing to your child. This may be difficult, because most kids are ashamed to let their parents know what awful things have been done to them. You must press on and find out all the details. Either the same day you find out, or early the next morning go to the school and talk to the highest-ranked person there (probably the principal) and scream bloody murder.

Read more about how to Teach your Child to Fight Back Against Bullies

Do Joint Locks work in Law Enforcement?

Officers who don’t like joint locks say:

• they are mostly ineffective.
• they only work on the training mat.
• they don’t work when the suspect resists intensely.
• they rely too much on fine motor control.
• you have to be too close to the suspect.

Loren Christensen, author of Defensive Tactics, answers: "While there are shades of truth to these under certain circumstances, there are solutions. Here are my quick responses." Read the full joint locks article

Preorder and Save: New Self-defense Book

Over 14,000 violent crimes occur every day in the United States. If you are attacked by a violent criminal, you’ll have only yourself to rely on. Waking the Tiger Within: How to be Safe from Crime teaches you how to defend yourself with confidence and how to "crime-proof" your daily life. Read this book and then share with those you love. Awareness is the most powerful self-defense tool and everyone can use it!

Order today and save $5.00 off the regular price of $14.95.

Balance for Martial Arts

Sang H. Kim, author of Ultimate Fitness Through Martial Arts, shares the following tips to improve your balance for kicking.

For static balance, pay attention to:

1. Correct head placement
2. Correct eye direction
3. Correct body alignment (this is the key to static balance)


For dynamic balance, pay attention to details of your movement.

1. Avoid crossing your legs.
2. Keep your knees slightly bent during movement and landing.
3. Take small, quick steps rather than long strides.



Bottom line:

1. Balance comes from good posture. By aligning your feet, hips, spine and head, you maintain a stable upright posture. Keep your eyes fixed on one spot.

2. The most important sensors are the presence or lack of visual cues. Vision provides your body with a ready means of finding your position relative to the ground. To test the importance of vision, try closing your eyes and standing on one foot. You will feel your body sway and your arms reach out to the side instinctively.

3. Tactile cues are also used to maintain balance. In the pads of your feet are detailed networks of sensors. By sensing the pressure of the ground beneath them, they relay important information to the brain, allowing it to shift your balance as necessary. To test these, try standing on one foot on a soft surface like a mattress or thick mat. As the surface shifts beneath your weight, your body moves in response to the sensations transmitted from your foot pads.

4. Finally, there is the vestibular apparatus, found in the inner ear. The vestibular apparatus controls the "righting reflex," which takes precedence over other sensory and motor systems during disorientation. The righting reflex controls upright posture. Based on input from the visual, tactile and vestibular senses, your body is constantly striving to maintain a specific orientation to gravity. When you lose your balance or become spatially disoriented, your righting reflex takes over to restore an upright posture by first positioning your head, followed by your neck and upper body and finally your lower body.

Conclusion: Chose one target kick (high side kick for instance). Repeat it over and over and eliminate anything that hinders your perfect performance. Keep strengthening the necessary muscles that will help you get better and better.

Preorder and Save: Defensive Tactics Book

preorder Loren Christensen's latest book, Defensive Tactics: Modern Arrest and Control Techniques for Today's Police Warrior, and save $5.00 off the regular cover price.

Whether you’re a law enforcement officer wanting to improve your edge or a martial artist wanting to expand your knowledge of street proven techniques, you will find Defensive Tactics: Modern Arrest and Control Techniques for Today's Police Warrior is filled with invaluable information including:

• Joint manipulation that works
• Leverage control vs. pain control
• Hitting with the hands, feet, forearms and elbows
• Safely and quickly crossing the gap
• Blocking an assailant's strikes
• Using vulnerable points to gain compliance
• Head disorientation
• Safe application of sleeper holds
• Controlling a suspect on the ground
• Arresting big guys
• Fighting concepts to take on patrol
• Weapon retention in close quarters and on the ground

Building Leg Strength for Kicking

"People often ask me how they can hold their leg in a high side kick or roundhouse kick, while maintaining balance and control." says Sang H. Kim. While this isn't a particularly useful skill in terms of fighting, it is something that helps build control and structure for kicking. Below, Sang H. Kim shares some of his personal favorite exercises for building the kind of leg strength necessary for holding a high kick in place:

To maintain your leg in the air, there are a few fundamentals that are required: strong abdominal and thigh muscles as well as the strength of your shin/calf and your toes. Do the following exercises 5 to 8 sets (each set of 15 repetitions) with 30 seconds rest between sets, 3 to 4 times a week, for 12 weeks.

*** Equipment you need: a set of 3 to 5 Lb ankle weights and 2 foot long piece of 2 x 4 wood

1) Stomach Muscle Exercises

There are three types of muscles that you need to improve: low/middle stomach, side stomach (oblique muscles) and back muscles. They need to be strong enough to hold your leg in the air which is quite heavy proportionately speaking.

Exercise #1: Straight sit up (Bend your knee, put your hands on your chest and sit up)

Exercise #2: Diagonal sit up (Turn your body to the side when you come up)

Exercise #3: Back sit up (Lie on your stomach and raise your torso off the floor)

2)Thigh Muscle Exercises

There are three major muscles that you need to work out: Quadriceps, Adductor muscles (inner thigh), Abductor muscles (outer thigh), and Hamstrings. Hamstrings and Quadriceps work hand in hand to stabilize your legs. You need to work them for both strength and flexibility if you want to kick high.

Quadriceps (the front thigh muscle)

Exercise #4: Leg extensions

1. Put on the ankle weights
2. Hold a bar (or wall, chair) and slowly raise your leg for the target kick (front, round, side).
3. Do a set of 15 and repeat it with the other leg. (3-5 sets)


Adductor muscles (inner thigh)

Exercise #5: Scissors

1. Lie on your back with the ankle weights on.
2. Raise your legs two feet and your upper body 6 inches above the floor.
3. Keep your arms in front of you with your elbows bent.
4. Cross your legs in and out slowly


Abductor (outer thigh)

Exercise #6: Leg swing

1. Put on the ankle weights and stand holding a bar or a chair.
2. Stand on one leg and slowly swing the other leg between the chair and the other leg like a pendulum. Do it slowly feeling the effect on your muscles. Go upward very slowly and as high as you can.

Hamstrings

Exercise #7: Rear leg lifting

1. Put on the ankle weights and stand in front of a chair holding it with both hands.
2. Bend one knee slightly and raise the other leg backward slowly 15 times.
3. Repeat it with the other leg.


3) Shin/calf/toe exercises

You can work the three muscles groups at one time.

Exercise #8: Heel drop & raise

1. Put the 2 x 4 one foot away from a wall and stand on your toes on the edge of the 2 x 4.
2. Lower your heels back downward toward the floor stretching the Achilles tendons.

Exercise #9: Single heel drop and raise

1. Repeat Exercise #8 with one leg at a time

Exercise #10: Horse riding stance squat

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Keep your arms in fighting position.
3. Squat as low as you can as slowly as possible. Breathe slowly. Hold at the bottom for 5 seconds.
4. Come up slowly. Repeat 15 times.

Article: Roles of Protection Specialist

The close protection provider, static security provider, or personal security detail personnel can have many roles when working with the client that are not directly security but all are security related. In this excerpt from his forthcoming book Security Operations: Planning and Conducting Private Security Details for High Risk Areas, author Bob Deatherage discusses the many roles of a private security provider. Read the article.

Boxing Fundamentals DVD Released

The Boxing Fundamentals DVD has been released. This new DVD is an excellent introduction to the basic skills, drills and training methods for amateur and pro boxing.