A Martial Artist's Prayer
Bryan and Elizabeth Baldwin
"Dear Lord we pray thee. Keep us from doing wrong throughout the day. Be beside us as we undertake these exercises. Our sole purpose is to develop our bodies, to keep mentally strong, to be morally straight. It is God who arms me with strength and in Him I give thanks. I dedicate myself before God to be honest in thought and deed and develop personal discipline to protect ourselves and our loved ones from dangers that are forced upon us. I will keep the ways of the Lord and use my art only to defend myself, my family, or those too weak to defend themselves.

"Help us to do the things that we should, to be kind and good to others at all times. O'mighty God we thank thee for thy care, health, and strength. In the name of thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen."

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Victory

This is the place where we explore and share ways to achieve VICTORY. It might be an inspirational story; it might be a photo of an event; it might be a great article. If you have something to share that would help others find victory, submit it to me, and I'll post it here so that others may share in your offering.

A True Champion

Submitted by Vishal Shukla
August 2, 2004

What would you rather hear?

"I'm sorry, but you will never walk again."

Or...

"Congratulations, you just took first place in a black belt division of the International Karate Championships."

Well, imagine hearing both in your lifetime. That is the amazing story of Dr. John Restaino, Attorney at Law (Wait a second, is he a doctor or a lawyer? I'll get to that in a second. Like I said, it's an amazing story.)

John was a doctor in Orange County. He was a fine athlete who was injured playing softball. He broke his neck and was paralyzed from the neck down. When the doctor told him, "You will never walk again", John's response was simple:

"You're wrong."

He fought hard and through sheer will power, he regained the use of his limbs. While going through rehab, he went to law school and became a partner at one of the top law firms in Orange County. He is sought out the world over for his expertise. He has recently been accepted to a prestigious program at John Hopkins University.

John started training in Kenpo Karate a few years back to help with his coordination and rehabilitation. He earned his black belt in January 2003. Despite all his other accomplishments, John will tell you that his proudest achievement was when he earned his black belt.

This past weekend John competed in the over 50 division at the IKC and took first place in the continuous sparring competition. Not bad for a guy who was told he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Regards,
Vishal Shukla

And a subsequent follow-up from Al "Hot Dog" Harvey, who had his own share of titles at the International Karate Championships in the late 1960's:

The Good Doctor

Submitted by Al Harvey
August 2, 2004

The new definition for the word inspiration is Dr. John Restaino. At the International Karate Championships (IKC), this past weekend I heard for the first time the story of part of his life and what a remarkable journey he has travelled.

I was amazed to see what was not suppose to happen, happening right in front of my eyes and still could not believe what I was witnessing, after hearing the story of Dr. Restaino.

When all was lost he refused to give up, when hope had left the building, the courage and determination of this man grabbed "I will not accept this for an answer by the tail" and with that, rebuilt his mind, body and spirit better than the six million dollar man.

To Dr. Restaino, I say this: If you ever decide to bottle and sell the true account of your motivation, I will be the first one in line to buy the whole supply and at the same time, throw in some talent and skill, because I can sure use all three. After seeing you fight this weekend, retirement for me feels that much better.

To me it's apparent that the good doctor has a coaching team that is second to none. There is no doubt that his coach here is his karate instructor and the other is the true Head Coach, who watches over all of us.

Submit your story, photo, or article to me and I'll post it here. Be a blessing to others and share your story.

VICTORY KARATE
info@victorykarate.com
(310) 448-7542