Heavy-Duty Survival Knife
If you’re looking for a self-defense weapon that can do double duty as a utility blade for hunting or camping, check out the Ontario TAK-1 D2 Steel Serrated Knife. The powder-coated blade is .1875 inches thick and has a cutting edge of 4.25 inches. The full tang protrudes from the butt of the Mikarta handle, where it can be used to impart blunt trauma to objects or attackers. With its Cordura sheath, it weighs a stout 14 ounces. The retail price is $94.43. (800) 222-5233, http://www.ontarioknife.com

Competition Jujutsu Uniform
Ouano International—the company that supplies gloves to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, King of the Cage and Shooto competitions—now makes a high-quality jujutsu uniform. The jacket features a thick lapel and understated embroidered logo. The entire front of each pant leg is reinforced for extra durability. The white version costs $80, and the blue costs $90.
(310) 815-8406, http://www.ouano.com

Japanese Characters on CD-ROM
Despite the popularity of the martial arts, finding royalty-free, high-resolution kanji characters is difficult. We had to scour the earth before discovering KanjiGraphy, a Japanese company that provides authentic characters from skilled calligraphers. It offers seven CD-ROMs bearing titles such as War and Revolution, Astrology, Spirituality and Martial Arts. Each one includes approximately 200 300-dpi JPEG images. The CDs cost about $30 each, depending on the
dollar-yen conversion rate. http://www.kanjigraphy.com

Stretchy Hand Wraps
Valley Martial Arts Supply has redesigned the traditional boxing wrap to create an elastic and cotton unit that stretches as your hand swells during a workout. Machine washable and reusable, it has an oversize Velcro-like fastener for a perfect fit while doing bag work or sparring. A pair retails for $6.95. (800) 508-0825, http://www.ValleyMartialArts.com

Martial Arts Clothing Line
High Kick Marketing now boasts a stylish line of men’s and women’s clothing with martial arts-related graphics and messages. Included are drawstring pants, T-shirts and tank tops bearing the Chinese characters (and English translation) for “strength,” “wisdom,” “journey” and “spirit,” among others. Prices start at $20. (866) 919-KICK, http://www.HighKickOnline.com

Combat Survival DVD Set
Israeli martial arts master Moni Aizik has released a new set of instructional DVDs for students of reality fighting. Titled Combat Survival: Commando-Krav-Maga, Volumes 3, 4, 5, its 4.5 hours of video include more than 200 striking, grappling, weapons-defense and pressure-point techniques. Also covered are falling drills, commando training tips and nighttime scenarios. The set sells for $99. (800) 408-9218, http://www.combatsurvival.com

Chinese Martial Arts Travelogue
Black Belt readers are familiar with Antonio Graceffo, the Brooklyn-born martial artist who often writes with tongue in cheek about his adventures in Asia. Well, he’s just completed a collection of essays, and GOM Press has assembled them as The Monk From Brooklyn: An American at the Shaolin Temple. The book’s 315 pages tell what happens when a Chinese-speaking Westerner takes up residence at the birthplace of kung fu. It costs $16.99. http://www.gompublishing.com

Fighting Tai Chi on DVD
Ramcity Productions and Glenn Hairston just finished a DVD titled Internal Damage: Advanced Tai Chi Chuan for Combat. Teaching only street-proven techniques and tactics, ex-cop Hairston drew from his 40-plus years of working with police officers and U.S. Marines to come up with the contents. The DVD costs $59.95. http://www.InternalDamageTaiChi.com

Zen Primer for the Blind
Stefan H. Verstappen penned Blind Zen: A Case Study of Sensory Enhancement for the Visually Impaired to serve as a guide for the blind and for martial arts instructors who teach them. Its 164 pages cover a multitude of topics, including grounding, balance, breathing, fear, self-defense and the “seventh sense.” Available from Red Mansion Publishing, it sells for $24.95. http://www.chinastrategies.com/blind.htm

Aikido Instruction Goes High-Tech
If you always wanted to learn aikido but never had access to a dojo, your luck may have just changed. Aikido3D, an interactive application for Windows and Macintosh computers, used motion-capture technology to digitize the movements of sixth-degree black belt Donovan Waite. The result is real-time 3-D animation of 100 of the art’s best techniques. The CD-ROM retails for $49.95. http://www.aikido3d.com