Christian Manhood

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be offensive.

I'm sorry to have offended you. I didn't mean this as an insult at all. And once when I asked you if you had practiced the martial arts, you said you hadn't except for a few "private" lessons (your quote marks) in jujutsu.

This depends on many factors. If someone has a gun up to my head, I can easily disarm them without getting hurt, as I've proven to my students over and over. If there is some distance between you and the person knows how to handle a gun, it becomes more difficult but not impossible. And if someone is about to shoot you, it does help to at least have an idea about how to disarm them.

 

Folks, I'd like to give a short personal testimony to show that the Asian martial arts aren't totally useless, as Luke apparently believes. The martial arts are an integral part of Asian society and culture, and I believe that martial arts that have stood the test of 100s or even 1000s of years can help Christian men defend their families. There are now Christian martial arts organizations and schools all over America that agree with me.

I became a wrestler in junior high hoping to strengthen myself, since I felt myself to be weak and wanted to be manly. As the Bible says, "The glory of young men is their strength" (Prov. 20:29). Wrestling was great for me. God used it in my life. I developed my body, and learned many character lessons. My high school coach was great: he taught me not to quit, most of all.

In college I started training in judo and then karate. I was asked to join the BJU "Karate for Christ" demonstration team, but had to transfer schools and couldn't. At Tennessee Temple I learned kung fu, and started an evangelistic demonstration team with four other men, "Kung Fu for Christ." I praise God for using us in those years to present the Gospel through the martial arts in nine different states, and using our demos to win many children to Christ. (This was all well before anyone thought of the modern mixed martial arts craze.)

Another way I have been blessed by the Christian martial arts is that it gave me an excellent way to relate to my son, our only child. The family that kicks together sticks together, I always say! Paul is now a third level instructor in our style of Christian kung fu, and when he was in college he too started a Gospel demonstration team, Kung Fu Influencing Kids for the Savior, or KIKS. They too did many demonstrations and saw many kids come to Christ.

As I close in on old age, I don't do as much as I used to. I teach the kids of our co-workers and that's it. On furlough next year I'll do a few seminars and demonstrations, and will enjoy that. We'll have the semi-annual meeting of my organization, which has 18 kung fu people at instructor level, and it will be a great time of fun and fellowship.

I don't regret a thing about doing the Christian martial arts, though I've had knee surgery, and been knocked out or choked out in wrestling, judo, karate and kung fu. I've had a wisdom tooth shattered in my mouth. Once I was KOed at the famous "Battle of Atlanta" tourney, and the guy who ran it, Joe Corley, told me he was glad he didn't have to call my mommy since I was over 20! And they X-rayed my head for that one--but didn't find anything. I've had stitches and bruises and other injuries galore. (There is a legend in one part of Australia about a crazy kung fu guy who put an arrow to his throat and got seven stitches--but I digress.)

In doing the Christian martial arts I've made life long friends (the guy who shattered my tooth is my best friend of 38 years), I've met some exciting people, I've performed and taught in the US, Japan, China and Australia. But most of all, I've seen God use my martial arts for His glory. What more could a man want?