Recommendations

Here are links to items related to the blog I have bought and recommend or have had recommended to me (all are links to products on which I earn commission):

The Essential Karate Book is a work I bought when I first started, and found both informative and useful as a starting point for any questions that I had relating to Karate.  A well written, no fuss introduction to Karate history and its forms.

The Essential Karate Book (amazon link)

Principle-Driven Skill Development: For Traditional Martial Arts (Russ Smith) <Amazon>

This is closest there is to the Bo Staff I got for myself.  The pattern is the same, but its red not black oak and the price has gone up.  The one I bought is out of stock.

Martial Arts Wooden Bo Staff Red Oak Carved Dragon Straight 72" 6ft Sticks Bong | eBay

Other basic Bo Staffs from the same seller:

Bo Staff Black Oak 60" 5 foot (ebay)

Bo Staff Black Oak 72" 6 foot (ebay)

Protective Gear including equipment I have bought and used:

Shin Guard and Foot Protectors (ebay)

Hand protectors / Mitts (ebay)

Gum shields (ebay)

Chest protectors (female - ebay)

Blitz Female Chest Protectors (Ebay)

Groin protectors (female - ebay)

Blitz female groin protectors (ebay)

Groin guards (male - ebay)

Blitz male groin protectors (ebay)

Head Guards (Detachable grille - ebay)

Blitz Head Guards (Ebay)

Other essentials for karate

Senshin White Gis (ebay)

Blitz Gis (ebay)