Resources

I thought it would be a good idea to list a bunch of useful resources instead of having them scattered all over my blog in different posts. Some of these are services/products I use, others are companies I know and like, still others are just cool. I’ll also link to specific blog posts because they expand into detail on the specific resource I mention.

As I will add to this list whenever I find something useful, feel free to bookmark this page and check it out from time to time. I hope you enjoy this resource page and find it helpful.

Disclosure: Some of these links offer free products and services but others are affiliate or sponsored links, which means I earn a little bit from them (at no additional cost to you). I add these because I like those companies and think you might find them useful, not because of the money I may earn from them. Before you buy anything from them, think about whether you actually need this product or service and if it will help you out.

 

 

Martial Arts Publishers

Paladin Press The publisher of the Action Library since 1970. Paladin Press produced my very first instructional video series and we’ve made several more since then. A professional crew, good people and a huge catalog of books and videos covering self-defense, martial arts, combatives and much, much more.

Turtle Press Turtle Press published the very first book I wrote together with Loren W. Christensen. They’ve been at it since 1989 and also have an impressive catalog. Check them out for some good books and videos.

Amazon Kindle Publishing I published my first solo book with Amazon a little while ago and it was a great experience. If you’re new to publishing, give them a try. It doesn’t cost you a thing and you have total control over your book.

 

 

Martial Arts Equipment

Martial Arts Supplies The people at MAS sell all sorts of martial arts gear and equipment. They cover all the big arts like, MMA, muay Thai, Karate, Judo and more. So head on over and give them a try when you’re looking to buy some gear at great prices and with good service.

Karate Depot Here you’ll find a one-stop shop for all your Martial Arts equipment needs. Loads of choice and good prices too.

Zengu Zengu offers wholesale Martial Arts supplies for a wide variety of arts. You can make an account for free and check out everything they offer; there’s a lot.

Samurai Sword Shop Dave is a fellow Belgian who’s been running this samurai sword shop since 2006. He’s also a passionate practitioner with decades of experience in the arts. You’ll find that he’s very accessible to his customers and will help you make the right choice when buying a sword.

 

 

Self-defense

Use of Force Brandon made a great website that covers the legal use of lethal force. This should be required reading for anybody who teaches self-defense or practices martial arts or combatives for that purpose.

I’m Fine app (IOS) This app was developed after the disaster at Pukkelpop 2011 in Belgium where several people got killed in a freak thunderstorm. The app allows you to instantly contact your family and friends to let them know you’re fine.  Or, that you need help right now. A perfect app for self defense and emergency situations.

 

 

Blogging

BlueHost My webhost. If you are new to building a website or blog, they’re awesome to work with.  Lots of tools and 1-click installation of WordPress.  And they’re cheap too.

MailChimp.The company I use for my newsletter. They offer full service at cheap rates and prices stay reasonable, even when you reach lots of subscribers. There’s even a free plan for when you have less than 2000 subscribers. Most excellent.

iThemes I’ve used one of their themes (Flexx) on my blog and websites for several years. Very flexible, lots of customization options and great support.

WordPress This is the blogging platform I use. It’s free and offers a truckload of options to create an awesome blog. I’ve been making websites since 1999 and this is the best piece of software I ever used.

WordPress for Android A cool plugin to work on your blog with your Android phone. Probably the best one out there.

Pat Fynn’s site Pat is one of the few people I follow to keep up to date with what’s going on in the blogging world. He covers everything from content, SEO, monetizing, etc. Down to earth and practical advise.

 

 

Books

Ender’s Game This sci-fi book describes the military training of a young boy in a future where aliens are threatening earth with annihilation. Sounds cheesy but the book is actually pretty good and is outstanding in how it describes the tactical and strategic thinking of Ender. For that reason alone, it’s well worth the read. I go into more detail on this book here.

 

 

Technology

Galaxy Tab2 7-inch I got this tablet in November 2012 and have nothing but good things to say about it. I got it at a great price, it has an amazing screen and the hardware is plenty powerful for my needs. I now not only use it to handle my schedule and client files but also for my training and teaching. Here’s a post I did about using a tablet for martial arts training. Lots of ideas there.

Samsung X54CRB31 laptop I recently got a new laptop to replace my old Toshiba. This one is has a good 15 inch screen and specs more than good enough for all my writing, surfing the web and writing blog posts. And it’s lightweight too, definitely a plus.

Galaxy S Plus I bought this phone in January 2012 and absolutely love it. It’s not expensive, works great and does everything I need it to do. Check out the apps I use here below.

Best Free Martial Arts Apps For Android These are some of the apps I enjoy on my phone. Some (like the timer) I use every day in my own training or when I teach students. Others are just for fun. But give them a try and see if you find them useful. They’re all free so no harm done if you don’t like them.

Gymboss Timer If you don’t have an Android phone or don’t like to use it for that purpose, try the Gymboss Timer instead. It offers lots of functions and works great.

Heartrate Monitor I’ve uses this one to fine-tune my own training for a while now and love it. It’s one of the cheapest ones Polar offers but it does the job just fine; I don’t need all those fancy options anyway.

Samsung HMX-R10 This is the camcorder I use to make my Youtube videos. It’s a no-frills camera but it shoots in full HD and works well enough for me. What I like most about it is how changing settings is quick and easy.