Yuki Nakai ~ "The Father of BJJ in Japan"

Here is a great and insightful interview by Budo Jake with Sensei Yuki Nakai-san.  An amazing and thoughtful man.

"In Flanders Fields . . ."

Lest We Forget

Who or what supplies your work?

Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, once said “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.”

"6489 ~ We remember"

Dub Nation!

Jocko Willink's Thoughts on Fighting

Jocko Willink is a retired Navy SEAL Commander.  The infamous SEAL Team 3's Commander of Task Unit Bruiser (most decorated unit ala Battle of Ramadi).  Good solid thoughts and advice.  IF you (the average Joe) really wanted the "most bang for your buck" (no pun intended), nothing beats a concealed carry weapon ~ "a gun trumps everything else."  Other than that in order of priority, BJJ is the best one to learn, after that "Western Boxing" then Muay Thai . . . wrestling . . . from there you can branch off to different forms of weapons training (e.g. sticks & knives).  Though he mentions Krav Maga, it is understood as "augmenting" one's foundational knowledge of fighting (no mention of Systema or Joe Son Do here).

"Justice or Christ?"

John Piper insightfully reminds us that simply "doing good" or "doing more good" is not enough, justice - in and of itself - cannot be the answer for only Christ provides a complete and sufficient response to injustice and evil.

"Treating people as they deserve is not a Christian life . . . we don't get justice in the gospel, God got justice in the gospel . . . We don't get justice in the gospel, we get grace . . . Christ will be known in the culture when we treat people better than they deserve not as they deserve."

Despite Injuries - Good Season

What a great team - solid season.  Looking forward to August.  "SEA-HAWKS!"

BJJ O.G. Dirty Dozen Black Belt Chris Haueter's JKD/BJJ Rant

Chris Haueter's JKD-fueled mindset driving this great discussion captured on video.  Who would've ever thought that all the secretive, Rio-nized, money-grabbing ideology would get booted by good old fashioned, American, free-market individualism?

We Will Always Remember

"Splash" by Ron Lennon & J.Wells

DUB city . . . 'Nuff Said

Perspectives on Preaching from the Giants

I have scoured countless books and resources for better helps and tips on preaching.  Some have argued that preaching could be best summed up as the explanation and application of Scripture.  This view would have differing camps rooted in differing degrees regarding the percentage that one might commit to explanation or application (e.g. 75% explanation & 25% application, 25% explanation & 75% application, or whatever).

The following are two different approaches suggested by two of my heroes . . . "giants" I call them.  Dr. John Piper and Dr. Timothy Keller offer their thoughts on how they approach the task of declaring the Word of God.  Both are good, both offer ideas that maintain their God-given giftedness and abilities, Piper strikes me as being dynamically dependent upon the Holy Spirit while Keller is thoughtfully careful in doing all the scholarly preparation required for a skillful delivery.  Both are faithful and devoted to Jesus the "craft of preaching" and also men of deep spiritual integrity and wisdom.

Piper offers his concise and weighty idea of "expository exultation" that echoes influences from the likes of Jonathan Edwards in a great snippet found over at Desiring God's site entitled "What I Mean by Preaching."

Keller, in his typical thought-out gospel-centric culturally engaging style suggests several points to how he approaches preaching.  In his TGC workshop "Preaching to the Heart [Affections]," Keller notes that effective preaching (to the affections) is cultural, affectionate, imaginative, specific, wonderous, and Christocentric.  Keller also draws much from his reading and understanding of Edwards in how he approaches the declaration of God's Word to God's people.

My Town Bringing It!

Axe Grinding like the Master . . . Dann Huff

Incredible playing by two fellow Huff aficionados . . .

UK's own Pete Sklaroff killing it with the perfect 80's track with his Huff-inspired leads.



The Italian tunes of Davide Guiso playing the unmistakable clean tone rhythm along with the tasteful lead.

A Helpful Video on Hermeneutics

In this day and age of relativistic, pluralistic consumerism, one may be tempted to interpret Scripture according to whatever and however they may see fit.  Do I read the Scripture allegorically, morally, literally, historically-theologically or even historical-redemptively?  I would argue for the last as this seems to be what the Lord also implies at the end of Luke's gospel (though both the last two seem to fit well within what might be considered "historical-redemptive").

Dr. Bryan Chapell gives a great explanation for the implications of the hermeneutic of Biblical theology in one's own study of Scripture and homiletics.  This is the Desiring God link with a short blurb on the subject.


The Preacher’s Game-Changer from Desiring God on Vimeo.

Insightful Introductory Words from Rev. A.R. Bernard for Dr. Ben Carson

In his introductory remarks before Dr. Ben Carson took the stage at the Rev. Al Sharpton-led National Action Network's annual convention in New York City, Rev. A.R. Bernard shared the following words:

"After 36 years of pastoring in New York City, I discovered there are four things God wants from a man: maturity, decisiveness, consistency and strength. After 43 years of marriage, I've discovered there are four things women want from a man: maturity, decisiveness, consistency and strength. I also discovered that the four things that men struggle with in life are: maturity, decisiveness, consistency and strength . . . But what I really discovered is that these are the qualities that people look for in a leader. Dr. Carson is one of those leaders."

(A.R. Bernard, pastor and founder of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, NY ~ incidentally an M.Div. graduate of Alliance Theological Seminary and also recipient of a Doctor of Divinity from ATS).

Eddie Bravo explains the Rubber Guard to Rickson Gracie

The Master is always learning, always growing and always absorbing whatever is useful. 

"Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless like water if you put water in the cup it becomes the cup and water can flow or it can crash" ( ~ Bruce Lee).

The Jewish Voices on Campus

". . . being against Israel is the cool thing to do . . ."

The liberal western worldview and its increasing reality of anti-Semitism that seems to parallel - to a lesser degree - its other growing hatred and animosity towards Christianity. 

". . . being against Christianity is also another cool thing to do . . ."