Christmas gifts for martial artists

​Finding the perfect gift for someone who is into martial arts can be difficult, there is an array of products but sometimes they are overpriced, not suitable or both. I have selected some of my favourite items that are tried and tested and some that are on my wish list. If you do purchase any of these items please use the links below, it helps this site if you do.
One of the first items I selected and have talked about before is a book called A Killing Art by Alex Gillis. This book talks about the history of Tae Kwon Do, General Choi and how Tae Kwon Do came about. If you want to further your knowledge of Tae Kwon Do I would recommend this book highly and there is a new revised edition out now.

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Next up is another book, this one written by Grandmaster C.K. Choi and its called, Traditional Martial Arts Philosophy. Drawing from their many decades of experience as traditional martial arts practitioners, competitors, teachers, demonstrators and advocates, Grand Master C.K. Choi and Master Tom Thurston succinctly and effectively present the essence of what it means to be a true and dedicated traditional martial artist. 
Through an eloquent balance of poetry, parables, insights, quotations and muses, Choi and Thurston clearly reveal that becoming and remaining a true and complete traditional martial artist requires more.
Moving on from great reads that further your knowledge of Tae Kwon Do we can start looking at training aids.

​A great training aid for many reasons is a skipping / speed rope. When I was training a 4 to 5 times a week I would often use my speed rope before or / and after a training session. Speed ropes have many benefits helping to improve cardio, co-ordination, muscle tone, stamina and much more. You don’t need much space to use and they are inexpensive, a perfect stocking filler.

I often get asked by students, how do I improve my stretch, whats the best stretch to do, whats the quickest way improve my flexibility? Firstly there is no quick way to improve your flexibility, it takes time and lots of practise. I love assisted stretching, for me it works the best and I can really push to the limit and relax (Which is important), but if you’re practising at home and don’t have any one to assist you or training alone a stretching aid might be worth looking at. I don’t have a leg stretcher but have often thought about getting one, so it’s on my wish list. They come in all shapes, sizes and prices with entry level ones costing around £15 and higher priced items costing £250. If you happen to get a stretching machine let me know your thoughts.

After a nice warm up and stretch you might want a work out practising your Tae Kwon Do on a punch bag. There are loads of punch bags to choose from and it can be overwhelming. I have used loads of punch bags, pads etc over the years and my favourite by far is the BOB XL. It’s a high end punch bag and some of you might be put off by the price but I can’t praise it enough, I’ve had mine many years now with no problems and the children at Tae Kwon Do love it.

After a hard day of training I like to use a foam roller or massage roller. They can take a little bit of getting used to especially the massage roller if it isn’t smooth (sometimes advertised as Trigger point Therapy) but they are very useful and inexpensive.

I hope you have found this information useful and if you have any questions or would like help choosing the correct product for you or present please feel free to contact me.
If you are thinking of purchasing any of the products featured on here please follow the link provided, it helps this site if you do.