Contents
100 Essential Books for Self-Defense and Security
Personal safety is a priority for all of us, and knowing self-defense techniques and situational awareness can help you feel more prepared and protected in potentially risky situations.
For this reason, we have created a curated list of 100 fundamental books on self-defense, covering a wide range of topics related to security, self-defense and martial arts.
I must say that unfortunately there are not many books by martial artists highly rated in other self-defense systems.
So you have to consider that this list concerns the editorial availability in the sector to which, however, not everyone is dedicated, leaving in my opinion a great void but I also understand that the commitment to write a book and then not have a return on sales that justifies the effort discourages many people, I talked about this with several experts in the field so it is not a hypothetical thought but they are objective talks that I had with different Instructors.
From the wisdom of experts in the field of personal safety to classic martial arts texts, these books offer valuable knowledge to deal with difficult situations safely and effectively.
Discover the secrets of “Krav Maga”, learn Bruce Lee’s self-defense techniques, or gain situational awareness thanks to expert advice in the field.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics of self-defense or an expert looking to deepen your knowledge, this list is meant for you.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones with the knowledge and preparation provided by these 50 essential books for self-defense!
Here is a list of 100 fundamental books for self-defense that cover various aspects of personal safety, self-defense and situational awareness without forgetting sports for the development of some attributes:
- “The Gift of Fear” by Gavin de Becker
- “The Way of the Warrior of Peace” by Dan Millman
- “Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion” by George J. Thompson and Jerry B. Jenkins
- “Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault” by Imi Sde-Or and Eyal Yanilov
- “Essential Karate” by Mas Oyama
- “The Way of the Fighter” by Robert Paturel
- “Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere” by Adele Westbrook and Oscar Ratti
- “Krav Maga: Real World Solutions to Real World Violence” by Gershon Ben Keren
- “Fight Like a Physicist” by Jason Thalken
- “Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 250 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques” by Darren Levine and John Whitman
- “Krav Maga for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide” by Darren Levine and Ryan Hoover
- “Mediations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence” by Rory Miller
- “The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting” by Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder
- “Krav Maga Defense: How to Defend Yourself Against the 12 Most Common Unarmed Street Attacks” by David Kahn
- “Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence” by Rory Miller
- “The SAS Self-Defense Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques” by John Lofty Wiseman
- “Krav Maga: An Essential Guide to the Renowned Method” by David Kahn
- “Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected” by Rory Miller
- “Combat hapkido: The martial art for the modern warrior” by John Pellegrini
- “Krav Maga: Tactical Survival” by Gershon Ben Keren
- “The Complete Guide to Personal Safety: How to Stay Safe During Every Situation, Every Place” by Phil Roberson
- “Krav Maga for Women: Your Ultimate Program for Self-Defense” by Darren Levine, Ryan Hoover, and Kelly Campbell
- “Aikido Ground Fighting: Grappling and Submission Techniques” by Walther von Krenner and Ken Jeremiah
- “Complete Kickboxing: The Fighter’s Ultimate Guide to Techniques, Concepts, and Strategy for Sparring and Competition” di Martina Sprague
- “Pressure Point Fighting: A Guide to the Secret Heart of Asian Martial Arts” by Rick Clark
- “The Tao of Jeet Kune Do” by Bruce Lee
- “The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting” by Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder
- “Combat hapkido: The martial art for the modern warrior” by John Pellegrini
- “Krav Maga: An Essential Guide to the Renowned Method” by David Kahn
- “Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected” by Rory Miller
- “The SAS Self-Defense Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques” by John Lofty Wiseman
- “Krav Maga: Tactical Survival” by Gershon Ben Keren
- “The Complete Guide to Personal Safety: How to Stay Safe During Every Situation, Every Place” by Phil Roberson
- “Krav Maga for Women: Your Ultimate Program for Self-Defense” by Darren Levine, Ryan Hoover, and Kelly Campbell
- “Aikido Ground Fighting: Grappling and Submission Techniques” by Walther von Krenner and Ken Jeremiah
- “Complete Kickboxing: The Fighter’s Ultimate Guide to Techniques, Concepts, and Strategy for Sparring and Competition” by Martina Sprague
- “Pressure Point Fighting: A Guide to the Secret Heart of Asian Martial Arts” by Rick Clark
- “The Tao of Jeet Kune Do” by Bruce Lee
- “Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault” by Imi Sde-Or and Eyal Yanilov
- “Essential Karate” by Mas Oyama
- “The Way of the Fighter” by Robert Paturel
- “Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere” by Adele Westbrook and Oscar Ratti
- “Krav Maga: Real World Solutions to Real World Violence” by Gershon Ben Keren
- “Fight Like a Physicist” by Jason Thalken
- “Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 250 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques” by Darren Levine and John Whitman
- “Krav Maga for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide” by Darren Levine and Ryan Hoover
- “Krav Maga Defense: How to Defend Yourself Against the 12 Most Common Unarmed Street Attacks” by David Kahn
- “The Art of Peace” by Morihei Ueshiba
- “The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting” by Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder
- “Krav Maga: An Essential Guide to the Renowned Method” by David Kahn
- “On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace” by Dave Grossman
- “Kali Silat: The Filipino Martial Art” by Paul Vunak
- “Jeet Kune Do: Bruce Lee’s Commentaries on the Martial Way” by Bruce Lee and John Little
- “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Master Text” by Renzo Gracie, Royler Gracie and John Danaher
- “Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault” by David Kahn
- “Muay Thai Basics: Introductory Thai Boxing Techniques” by Christoph Delp
- “Wing Chun Kung Fu: Traditional Chinese Kung Fu for Self-Defense and Health” by Yip Chun
- “Judo Formal Techniques: A Complete Guide to Kodokan Randori No Kata” by Tadao Otaki and Donn F. Draeger
- “Aikido: The Complete Basic Techniques” by Gozo Shioda
- “Sambo: Submission Fighting and Sport Grappling” by Steve Scott and Adam Martindale
- “Escrima Concepts: A Comprehensive Guide to Stick and Knife Fighting” by Steve Tappin
- “Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 230 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques” by Darren Levine and John Whitman
- “The Gracie Way: An Illustrated History of the World’s Greatest Martial Arts Family” by Kid Peligro
- “The Filipino Martial Arts as Taught by Dan Inosanto” by Dan Inosanto
- “Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgawe, and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo ” by Kyu Hyung Lee and Sang H. Kim
- “Sambo: The Ultimate Guide to Submission Grappling” by Reilly Bodycomb
- “Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting” by Yod Ruerngsa and Khun Kao Charuad
- “The Anatomy of Martial Arts: An Illustrated Guide to the Muscles Used for Each Strike, Kick, and Throw” di Norman Link e Lily Chou
- “Jeet Kune Do: Entering to Trapping to Grappling” di Larry Hartsell e Tim Tackett
- “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Essential Guide to Mastering the Art” by Rodrigo Gracie
- “The Official Krav Maga: The Original Israeli System of Self-Defense” by Imi Sde-Or, Eyal Yanilov, and Eli Avikzar
- “Kendo: The Definitive Guide” by Hiroshi Ozawa
- “Capoeira: The Jogo de Angola from Luanda to Cyberspace” by Gerard Taylor
- “Jiu-Jitsu University” by Saulo Ribeiro
- “Kung Fu Basics: Everything You Need to Get Started in Kung Fu – from Basic Kicks to Training and Tournaments” by Paul Eng
- “Judo Training Methods: A Sourcebook” by Takahiko Ishikawa and Donn F. Draeger
- “Wrestling for Fighting: The Natural Way” by Randy Couture and Erich Krauss
- “Kyokushin Karate: Theory and Practice” by Mas Oyama
- “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique” by Renzo Gracie, Royler Gracie, and John Danaher
- “The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee” by John Little
- “The Ultimate Guide to Kicking and Punching” by John R. Little
- “Fighting Judo” by Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki
- “Muay Thai Counter Techniques: Competitive Skills and Tactics for Success” by Christoph Delp
- “Jiu-Jitsu Unleashed” by Eddie Bravo
- “Complete Kendo” by John J. Donohue
- “The Art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” by Renzo Gracie and Royler Gracie
- “Capoeira Conditioning: How to Build Strength, Agility, and Cardiovascular Fitness Using Capoeira Movements” by Gerard Taylor
- “Grappling Masters: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, and Submission Wrestling Masters” by Jose M. Fraguas
- “Kung Fu Science: Martial Applications of Qi and Physics” by Jwing-Ming Yang
- “Krav Maga Defense: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault” by David Kahn
- “Kettlebell Training for BJJ” di Jason C. Brown
- “The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu (Judo)” by Kyuzo Mifune
- “Krav Maga for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide in the World’s Easiest-to-Learn, Most-Effective Fitness and Fighting Program” by Darren Levine and Ryan Hoover
- “Krav Maga: Use Your Body as a Weapon” by Boaz Aviram
- “Kali Sikaran: The Foundation of Filipino Martial Arts” by Diana Inosanto
- “The Official History of Karate in America: The Golden Age: 1968-1986” by Bruce A. Haines
- “The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei” by George Leonard
- “Wrestling for MMA” by Adrian Thysse
- “Mixed Martial Arts Unleashed: Mastering the Most Effective Moves for Victory” by Mickey Dimic
- “Masters of the Jujitsu Masters” by Jose M. Fraguas
These books will continue to enrich your understanding of martial arts and self-defense, offering valuable insight into various approaches and techniques to improve your personal confidence.
Happy reading and continue to cultivate your self-defense skills!
Conclusion
Personal safety is a crucial aspect of our lives, and investing in self-defense learning can make all the difference when faced with unforeseen situations.
We’ve reviewed over 100 foundational books on self-defense, covering a wide range of approaches, techniques, and strategies to help you feel more confident and prepared.
From self-defense techniques to situational awareness classes and martial arts teachings, each book on this list offers a valuable source of knowledge and expertise.
By learning from experts in the field of personal safety, we can develop greater confidence in our abilities to protect ourselves and others.
Remember, self-defense is not only about physical strength, but also about the ability to stay calm and act intelligently in dangerous situations.
Continue to cultivate your awareness and regularly practice the techniques learned to improve your personal safety.
With the knowledge gained from these essential books, you will be able to face life with greater confidence and peace of mind, knowing that you are better prepared to face the challenges that may arise. Investing in your personal safety is an investment in yourself, which can make all the difference in critical situations.
Always be aware of your environment and be ready to protect yourself.
Keep learning, growing, and developing your self-defense skills.
Security is a fundamental right for each of us, and with the right preparation, we can face the future with greater confidence and determination.
Together, we can make our world a safer place for everyone. Keep reading, learning, and sharing these valuable resources with others.
Remember, self-defense is a skill everyone should have, and these books can help you start your journey toward greater personal safety.
Stay Tuned
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