Deus Misereatur

The Shotokan Karate Bible by Ashley P. Martin My rating: 5 of 5 stars As a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I'm always looking for ways to branch out. Therefore I was quite pleased to find and delve into the classy 222 page paperback "The Shotokan Karate Bible: Beginner to Black Belt 2nd Edition" by Ashley P. Martin, Chief Instructor and Grading Examiner at Just Karate of Cambridge, UK. The material is visually pleasing, glossy, colorful, and instructive. After mapping out a brief history and lineage of Shotokan Karate, the author then gives the novice karateka a run down on the basics of uniform, stances, punches, kime, Japanese commands, and grading examinations. Once the reader has completed those chapters, then the next sections work the practitioner through the necessary subjects for each belt level. Martin covers basic forms, appropriate katas with a few applications sprinkled in, one-steps, and kumite. The pictures are clear and crisp, with short explanatio...

Karate The Art of "Empty-Hand" Fighting by Hidetaka Nishiyama My rating: 5 of 5 stars Originally published in 1960 (republished in 1990) "Karate: The Art of "Empty-Hand" Fighting" is an early, straightforward "how-to" book of principles of Karate. It covers a short history of Karate; lays out a weekly work-out and training schedule; explains the various punches, strikes, blocks and kicks along with their applications; shows samples of techniques in combination; various defensive moves from the floor, in a chair, and other venues; and walks the karateka through the heian number 4 kata. It becomes quickly obvious that the material was pulled together long before Karate became commercialized in the West. All of the pictures are in clear, black and white photos. Sparring only takes up one short chapter and pictures the contestants without any protective gear. The main focus of the book is on learning the proper way to perform strikes, punches, blo...

Sunday morning: O Lord, who knows our path and our lying down and are acquainted with all our ways (Psalm 139.3), we pray for the besieged and beleaguered peoples in our world, suffering from hurricanes (Cuba, Haiti, the islands…), floods, droughts, tsunamis, unemployment, military threats, fears and pestilence. Please establish peace, justice, recovery and efficient economies in all lands, for the good of all, so that the Gospel of Jesus may spread unchecked, and that your Church may dwell securely in peace and quietness. Guide our own leaders to throw off selfish programs, cut-throat tactics, and dastardly devices and to put on what is truly legitimate and will promote evenhanded integrity. Have mercy on our country, and restrain the evil, self-seeking and immorality that often arises from the governed. For those regions in the U.S. that are stressed and straining from economic trouble, bring around beneficial change and recovery. Give ear to our concerns as we pray f...