We use, recommend, and sell (wholesale+plus) the products and services listed below. We view them to be the best available for the applicability, quality, and price.

Like-Minded Authors / Instructors: I personally endorse these individuals for their relevance to our training objectives of Realistic, Effective Self Protection. Many of my peers (and myself included) incorporate their teachings into the class curriculum.

RealFighting.Com    Unquestionably the most relevant website for those in pursuit of functional, realistic training. Every few weeks they post great articles from a wide range of authorities in the topics below:

Reality Based Training        Combatives        Weapons Defense    Psychology        Law Enforcement        Legal    First Aid / Medical     Conditioning        Nutrition        *If its practical they cover it!

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Bob Orlando      One of my favorite martial arts authors, he wrote the must-read book 'Martial Arts America: a western approach to the eastern arts'. He also has some nice videos on Pentjak Silat.

Gavin DeBecker    Author of the must-read book 'The Gift of Fear', he is a leading world authority in threat management. I like this book because he addresses the seldom discussed role of FEAR in conflicts and his methods mesh nicely with our magnetic zone theory! Every woman you know should be required to read and consider the lessons in this book!

Peyton Quinn / Bill Kipp      Pioneers in Adrenal Stress Conditioning through Scenario Based Training. This is where the rubber meets the road (so to speak) for realistic training. Fully padded assailants ('bulletmen') get in your face and woof, shove, provoke, ambush, and overwhelm you to safely test your responses and limits. Santa Claus knows who's been naughty, and these guys know who hasn't been training realistically! Their courses have made black belts cry and worse, but is tremendously enlightening and empowering.

Marc 'Animal' MacYoung   Author of some very useful books, and most recently a great resource website on crime statistics and preventative measures. The name of his website says it all: No Nonsense Self Defense.

Geoff Thompson      He is best known for his books about his rough past as a bouncer ('Watch My Back'), but also has great books and videos on how to identify and end fights quickly. Techniques aside, the real value he adds are his insights from the 300+ real fights he's had. He wrote a nice foreword to  'On Single Combat' (below).

Tony Blauer   Author of some good videos and articles on fight psychology and fear management. Not-so coincidentally he recommends a 'Spear' method of engagement that looks remarkably similar to our 300+ yr old Wedge method. Hey, whatever works!

'The Gates of Fire' by Steven Pressfield might be the best book ever written on the general topic of fighting for survival. Its receiving quite alot of attention lately because it is a well-written, highly-readable book of historical fiction on the battle at Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans stood with only a few thousand Greeks to slow the advance of Xerxes' Persian army of several hundred thousand. I read this book probably 3-4 years ago and it is the one book I wish the Army had 'required' me to read. Fully a 1/3 to half the book addresses the training and strategy of the Spartan Army, perhaps one of the most disciplined and best trained armies of all time (and their concept of state citizenship and politics warms my heart too). It has more quotable lines of inspiration than just about anything I've read.

I heartily recommend it at the top of this list because self defense oriented martial artists can take to heart nearly every page in the book, regardless of style or experience. *I could be wrong but i believe this book was optioned for a movie before Frank Miller's '300', but the success of Sin City fast-tracked the development. The movie kicks ass by the way.

'On Single Combat'   by Keith Kernspecht is a terrific look at the science and logic behind Wing Tsun's effectiveness. In my humble opinion, this is the best book of any Wing Chun system ever written. Its not a 'how to' book, but a 'why' book. Last time I checked this book was only available through martial arts supply stores (and possibly EBay). Even if Wing Tsun / Chun is not your thing READ THIS BOOK!

'On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society' by Dave Grossman.      This book has some great insight into what it takes for average, well-adjusted people (like us) to learn to kill or maim other humans in the roles of soldier, police, or citizen. Sounds harsh, but to stop violence you must often match and exceed it, which can only be accomplished (reliably) through training realistically for the desired outcome. The author's research shows examples spanning hundreds of years where armies and law enforcement units modified their training methods to be more realistic, and ultimately more effective.

'Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty' by Roy Baumeister.   It's always wise to know your enemy and this book gives psychological insight into all the groups I think should be summarily executed (or at least euthanized): child molesters, wife beaters, rapists, murderers, gang violence, and much more.

Remember: no one wakes up and decides out of the blue to abduct, rape, torture, and kill a 10 year old girl or boy. These oxygen thieves grow into enjoying cruelty over many years of practice, experimentation, and escalation.

Functional Conditioning: You want the most Effective & Practical Self Defense. Shouldn't your conditioning and strength training be as practical to reinforce your self defense training? These 'physical culture' instructors will sharpen any saw! Say Goodbye to 'bodybuilding' and 'show' muscle. Say Hello to functional, fight-oriented, realistic training!

Pavel Tsatsouline     Author of first rate books and videos on Strength, Strength Endurance, Explosiveness, Flexibility, and Joint Health.  His practical low-tech, high-concept approach is owed partly to his previous career as a Russian Army Spetznaz Trainer and Master of Sports. I had the pleasure of meeting and training with Pavel in 2004 and he is everything his books and videos suggest! It may sound like hype, but I recommend all of his products because all of them work and I continue to use them for ongoing results!

Brooks Kubik      Author of the must-read 'Dinosaur Training', he follows the 'hard work' training protocol. In other words, it must be good for you if its awkward, difficult, and challenging. If not, you're wasting your training time. "Isn't all exercise challenging?" Not if your idea of exercise involves adjusting your matching belt and gloves to sit in a machine and lift just enough weight to get a nice pump but not sweat! Instead, think: Only free weights, compound movements (no isolation), strength lifts, olympic lifts, thick bars, heavy low reps (1-3), odd objects (barrels, sandbags, wheelbarrows), chopping wood, pushing cars, and much more. If you give his methods a chance you'll never be satisfied with your old methods again!

Ross Enamait      From a boxer / trainer's perspective, his books combine and prescribe the perfect balance of Pavel, Kubik, Davies, Furey, and others, as well as adding his own valuable drills and variations. Dollar for dollar his strength & conditioning books are some of the best buys you can make. All that AND he's a heckuva nice guy!

Coach John Davies   Author of 'Renegade Training for Football' (among other titles) and RenegadeTraining.com. He does a great job of laying out a balanced regimen for any athletic pursuit: Flexibility (mobility), Agility, Absolute Linear Speed (Explosiveness), General and Specialized Physical Preparedness (GPP & SPP), and Strength / Resistance Training. He makes a compelling case for all things in proportion and balance: grass drills, sprints, endurance, coordination drills, olympic lifts, strength lifts, kettlebells, and more.

Consider: Squatting a refrigerator isn't very useful if you get winded from climbing a flight of stairs! Transpose the football references with the sport of your choice and you have an even more useful resource! He also designs personalized 8 week programs that are out of this world!

Matt Fury   Author of some great books and videos on bodyweight-only calisthenics and strength exercises. I recommend his Royal Court (Combat Conditioning) and Combat Abs.

Scott Sonnon      Author of some great books and videos on Clubbells, performance breathing and range of motion. Like Pavel, he is a Master of Sports and provides unique insight on his topics. I recommend 'Circular Strength' and 'Be Breathed'. 

CrossFit and CrossFit Plano
CrossFit forges Elite Athletes. (I love that phrase!) It is comprised of most everything listed above but is dished out in bite sized portions. (which makes it easier to vomit back up after each session! Ok, not EVERY session will make you vomit. But its no coincidence that the crossfit mascot is Pukie the Clown!)

In fact, the beauty of CrossFit is that you can modify the intensity and even the pre-determined routine. But the results are always impressive, no matter how relative. Most sessions are 30 minutes or less, and usually comprise 3 exercises or less. The homepage has a Work Out of the Day (WOD) that you can follow, but its recommended you seek out a local CrossFit affiliate for proper instruction. Our local CF gym is CrossFit Plano. You owe it to yourself to check out this kick-ass facility!

My personal strength and conditioning journey reads as follows:
    I was chubby but tall growing up. Soccer then Tae Kwon Do helped contain the chubbiness, but it always nagged at me. The only weight lifting I was familiar with (through college and the Army) was bodybuilding style as found in Muscle & Fitness and Flex magazines.
    WingTsun and Latosa Escrima began to reveal the burden of 'show' muscle, but it was reconstructive surgery (for a torn ACL) which exacerbated a weak lower back (injured in the Army) that brought ALL training to a halt.
    A student of mine whom I respect, Curtis Martin, turned me onto Pavel Tsatsouline and Matt Furey during my rehabilitation. Curtis is about 15 yrs older than me and I've always been impressed with his level of strength, conditioning, and versatility.
    This may read like a spider web, but its to show the relationships of these different training methods and how they each continue to make me a more prepared martial artist.

Pavel's 'Power to the People' taught me the value of hyper-irradiation, which helped to properly tighten and brace my whole body for physical effort. That skill allowed me to properly train the weak back and knee through deadlifts. Hyper-irradiation directly improved my Wing Chun forward spring pressure and Escrima explosiveness. 
    It helped me to properly brace the midsection, and ultimately tap into the value of Matt Furey's bodyweight calisthenics: Wrestler's Bridge, Hindu Pushups, and Hindu Squats, and his Combat Abs exercises. All these helped my flexibility and muscular endurance.
    Enter the KettleBell: a cannonball with a thick forged handle! Next thing you know I'm learning to Snatch and Clean and Jerk them (but that's not in Flex Magazine!) which in turn points me back to the bar for real Olympic Lifting.
    Pavel's site turned me onto Coach Davies' 'Renegade Training for Football' which filled many holes in my conditioning.      
    All this non-bodybuilding stuff had me yearning for more. Matt Furey's site had a link for Bill Hinbern's site on old school training methods, which led me to Brooks Kubik's book 'Dinosaur Training'. That book was more of a 'why' than 'how to' book but it spoke to the Functionally-hungry side of me. Sandbags? Wheelbarrows? SledgeHammers? Barrels? Heavy Singles? Thick Bars? Every bit of it seems to improve my Wing Chun and Escrima performance, if for no other reason than it makes you Sturdier in both the mind and the body.
    Somewhere in that web I've dabbled with Scott Sonnon's work with Clubbells and performance breathing which helped my Escrima and Wing Chun (respectively). Another student whom I respect, Travis Keath, turned me onto Ross Enamait's training manuals. They're a goldmine and worth every penny. Pavel affiliates Steve Maxwell, Jeff Martone, and Mike Mahler are also great investments. Maxwell is a 50+ yr old BJJ champion and will make you redefine STUD. Jeff Martone has some eye-popping videos on Kettlebell juggling, but my favorite work of his relates to Chin Up / Pull Up routines (Tactical Pull Up System: TAPS). I met and trained with Mike Mahler in 2004 and he is a terrific resource and example of clean living and hardwork (strict vegan who can double press 106lb kettlebells!).

What I've learned:
Explosive Kicks and Punches are built with deadlifts, snatches, and clean and jerks. Tire work and sledgehammers help too!
Strong Grip and Pulling is built with kettlebells, pullups, and heavy sandbags.
Strong stance and nimble footwork is built with real squats, kettlebell swings, grass drills and agile joints.
Transition work between ranges is improved through hyperirradiation, performance breathing, sprints, and balance work.

What does all this mean to you the reader / student / web surfer? There are countless ways to improve your physical preparedness for real fighting. I have a long way to go, and I understand its more than an ongoing effort; its a lifelong endeavor. Try these authors and their methods. I'm confident you'll make gains like i continue to do. Just keep it fun, fresh, and productive!

I read recently that Dan Inosanto has been quoted more than once for saying: "I'm not as good as i'd like to be, but I'm better than you think I am."  That's a goal we could all strive for.