Thursday, July 17, 2025

Book Review- Honor of Blood

Just finished Honor of Blood by Kenneth Fjeld.  Definitely a great Martial Arts book. It does have a 1970s martial arts film feel to it.

Kenneth is a sixth-degree UFAF Black Belt and UFAF Region president for Europe, so his experience in martial arts was a definite plus in illustrating the characters' martial arts actions. 

It was a hard book to put down, so I finished it quite quickly. It was suspenseful right to the end as you did not know if the main characters were going to survive against the odds they faced.

I highly recommend this book. I know the author also, and he is a very down-to-earth person.

Book Review - Acts of Kindness My Story

I just finished this book after it had sat on my desk for almost a year.  This is a biography by Wilma Norris Knight, the mother of Chuck, Aaron, and Weiland Norris. I found this book when we were cleaning out the UFAF Storage locker here in Las Vegas, and I had it on my 'to-read' stack of paper books.

She put this together with Chaplain Todd Dubord when she was 90. She passed away at the age of 103 in December 2024.

Her story is amazing and very spiritual. You can definitely feel that God was first in her life. She outlines her early life, her marriages, her Children, and how God/Angels have guided and helped her throughout her life.

I would highly recommend reading this book to get to know her and understand what drove her to be the kind-hearted woman she was. It also outlines where Chuck and Aaron Norris get their value and why they are also so kind-hearted.

I was fortunate to have met her at our UFAF ITC several times here in Las Vegas. What you read in the book is the way she was in real life. 

Book Review - To Kill a Mockingbird

Earlier in the month, I finished this classic, which I also read a long time ago in High School.  It's an amazing story published in 1960 about racial inequality. I find it amazing that the author Harper Lee had the courage to write this, and she is from Alabama. She won a Pulitzer Prize for this in 1961. It does warm my heart to know there were people who did not feel that black people should be demonized and treated inhumanely.

 I am glad I was not raised in this part of the country or during this time. Reminds me of a comment made by one of my Air Force buddies sometime during 1979-1982 while I was stationed in Ellsworth AFB, SD. He told me that He and I could not walk down a street in his hometown in Mississippi without me getting beaten up and him being lynched. He was black, and I was white as snow.

Do I believe we still have Racism in the US?  Yes, I have seen it. I'm not sure we'll ever be able to completely eliminate it.

I am glad the Jim Crow laws are no longer in effect, so people of all colors can at least make something of their lives.  We should judge people on their character, rather than their appearance or spiritual beliefs.

Friday, July 04, 2025

Book Review - Be Water My Friend

Several months ago, a fellow martial artist recommended a book, which I bought and had on my desk to read, titled "Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee" by the Author and his Daughter, Shannon Lee. You don't have to be a Martial Artist to appreciate and get value from this book.

This was a very insightful reading. I love how she wove his teachings into various stories and real-life examples. I also appreciated how she incorporated his philosophy into self-care, extending beyond just martial arts. I was so impressed that I went out and bought the box set of Bruce's Movies to see what she was referring to. I have seen these movies a lot over the years, but it was good to see them from a different perspective.  

Many people only think of Bruce Lee as an action star, but he was also a deep thinker and quick to embrace people as friends, regardless of Race, color, or other differences. He truly lived his life to the fullest.  

In her book, I felt the most fantastic example of Bruce's impact on human existence was the statue they erected in Bosnia after their civil war. He had no cultural ties to Bosnia, but the leaders said, "One thing we all have in common is Bruce Lee."  Shannon indicated that "He was seen as a symbol of someone who bridged cultures and brought people together and made them feel uplifted."

After reading this book, I came away with the impression that Shannon has learned a lot more about her dad than most people generally know about their parents. Granted, her dad was very special and documented a lot, along with her mother maintaining his legacy, but that doesn't mean that we can't also be special. What legacy will you leave your kids, family, and Friends?

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Book Review - Training Camp

This week, I read a great book by Jon Gordon titled Training camp. It’s a fable about achieving excellence and what it takes to be the best. The story follows an undrafted player attempting to make a NFL team and the mentoring he receives along the way.  It had an emotional ending so be prepared to get a little misty or experience an allergic reaction to something in the air.

I loved the eleven traits on being the best of the best.

1. The Best know what they truly want.
2. The Best want it more.
3. The Best are always striving to get better.
4. The Best do ordinary things better than everyone else.
5. The Best zoom-focus.
6. The Best are mentally stronger
7. The Best overcome their fear.
8. The Best seize the moment.
9. The Best tap into a greater power than themselves
10. The Best leave a legacy.
11. The Best make everyone around them better.

All the rules had meaning. For me traits 4 and 11 had the most impact on my understanding of the book.  By doing ordinary better than everyone else you are raising the bar and being more consistent in your performance. There is no cruising when you want to be the best. You have to keep pushing to improve.  Trait 11 is something we tend to overlook. As an American, I have been brought up that it’s your individual accomplishment that gets your rewards.  When in fact by helping others get better you achieve more rewards because now you can tap into the group synergy.

I would highly recommend any reading of John Gordon. I have read three of his books the last few months and every one of them have been captivating.  I am glad one of my employees (Jordyn Denham) recommended my first book “The No Complaining Rule” by him. That book was so good we rolled that program out in the PSL department.