Street Smarts from Christian Martial Arts

In his book Street Smarts from Christian Martial Arts: 40 Life Lessons from a Karate Master, J. Brown positively and significantly contributes to a trend which finds much common ground between martial arts and Christianity. As a seminary student about to be ordained as a Lutheran pastor, Brown presents a wealth of Scriptural teaching for enrichment and guidance. As a martial arts master with much life experience, Brown's insights benefit the reader in the study of martial arts as well as wisdom for life in general. In the initial chapters, Brown introduces his holistic and balanced approach to humanity which resounds throughout the book. Since a person consists of body, mind, and spirit, each of these must receive nourishment and training. The body he defines as the physical portion of a human, the mind as the non-material side of humanity which "thinks, feels, wishes, and chooses," the spirit as the non-material side which relates to God and demonstrates a moral nature in relation to other people. While asserting balance among these three sides of humanity, Brown emphasizes the spirit as the most vital. Having been redeemed by Christ on the cross and baptized into His name, one's identity comes from the gift of new life in Christ. The body and mind complement the pursuit of this balance. The book then proceeds with forty brief chapters, each encapsulated by a one-sentence "life lesson" to introduce the chapter's theme. Each chapter elaborates upon its theme with this balance as a parameter. By thus integrating the physical and spiritual, Brown nicely avoids a Gnostic tendency apparent in so many books on spirituality today. Although the themes of his chapters vary greatly, a common thread is the thoughtful, winsome manner in which Brown shares wisdom from scripture, martial arts instruction, and his life experience. For example, chapter seven has the title "Submission and Authority" followed by the encapsulating life lesson: "Submission and authority go hand in hand, working together to sift the sand." Brown begins by explaining the ranking system in martial arts and its significance. He emphasizes submission to authority as a key for learning a martial art. Then he describes how many relationships (children, spouses, teachers, employees, etc.) rely upon acknowledgement of authority. Being aware of God's authority and His perfect will, Brown tells how one is led to confess one's sinfulness. Thereupon, one receives the gift of absolution or forgiveness by Christ's sacrifice on the cross. For an additional example, chapter eighteen is entitled: "Thank you." The life lesson immediately under the title reads: "There's nothing more beautiful in life than the presence and joy of a thankful optimist." Brown tells how he has had the honor of teaching martial arts to students with various handicaps. From working with such special students, he learned that one can overcome many challenges and that thankfulness helps focus upon the

Street Smarts from Christian Martial Arts: 40 Life Lessons from a Karate Master is a compilation of forty inspirational vignettes of wisdom and experience by author J. Brown, a sixth degree black belt and devout Christian. J. Brown exhorts that self-defense is far more than simply warding off physical attack; it is a life attitude of being mindful of one's own actions to keep oneself out of dangerous situations. Street Smarts from Christian Martial Arts addresses not only how the author dealt with bullying and other difficult situations - such as how he defused a potential fight in a seedy bar when he was confronted by a tough guy with seven friends - but also the spiritual dimension of faith in Jesus Christ as protection against the "fatal blow of the devil." "No matter what we do, how good we get, or how hard we try, we will always fall short of the perfection necessary to get into Heaven. Luckily, we have Jesus, the ultimate self-defense master. He came to win the battle over sin and death... By believing in Jesus and placing our faith in His power, we can be assured of spiritual victory." A profound blend martial arts and Christian insights into dealing with the harsh realities of life, highly recommended.

J Brown's new book "Street Smarts from Christian Martial Arts" is a wonderful blending of Martial Arts and principals for Christian living. Taking experiences from his many years of Martial arts training he combines them with Bible verses and philosophy to produce Christian lessons useful in everyday life. Furthermore he does it in everyday language so you don't have to be a Theologian or an expert in philosophy to understand and use these lessons in your own life. Master Brown proves that the Martial arts and the Christian life style not only go together, but also complement each other. This book is an excellent addition to anyone's library whether they are a marital arts student or instructor, or Christian student or instructor. Everyone will get something helpful out of it. I will be using his book as an aid to my personal devotions, teaching my Karate class and teaching Royal Rangers. Paul Woodman, Second Degree Black belt Goshin-Do Karate, Assembly of God Royal Ranger Commander and Author of Warrior for the Lord [...]

I really enjoyed reading J Brown's: Street Smarts from Christian Martial Arts. The life lessons are sincere and thought provoking, and the insights Master Brown provides are refreshing. I was most happy to read that Brown discloses childhood stories, and laces his thoughts with humor and wisdom. A great read for anyone seeking pearls of wisdom in the form of life lessons.

Master Brown does a great job of emphasizing the need for a balance between mind, body, and soul. To do this, he uses concrete illustrations from martial arts to make his points. I found the book to be educational as well as something I could use as a devotional thought for the day. I recommend Street Smarts from Christian Martial Arts to anyone seeking a unique perspective on the Christian life.