Northpinellas: These Christian soldiers also rely on martial arts

CLEARWATER -- William Herrera literally sat on the edge of his seat in the darkened sanctuary, his short legs dangling over the side of his chair and his dark eyes as wide as quarters.

His gaze trained on the stage at Calvary Baptist Church, the 5-year-old seemed hypnotized by what was taking place before him. The Dunedin Tae Kwon Do Academy's Martial Arts Demonstration Team was performing self-defense and breaking techniques.

Later as the young athletes kicked, jumped and broke boards and concrete blocks with their bare hands and feet, William fidgeted in his seat. He hopped into the aisle and karate-chopped invisible blocks. He kicked at non-existent attackers. And he said in a small voice to the woman seated next to him, "Mommy, I want to be a karate person just like that."

William was one of a crowd of hundreds of people who attended the Calvary Baptist Church Martial Arts Expo on March 25, a three-hour benefit for Kid's World Ministries that featured 11 martial arts acts.

But how does Tae Kwon Do fit in with Christianity?

Well, as Grandmaster Sergio Barriga, a ninth-degree black belt, said after he broke a board in half using his body: "Meek does not mean weak. Praise the Lord."

Event organizer Jim Lancaster, minister to senior adults at the church, said Tae Kwon Do "incorporates direct forceful punches and kicks, not exactly turning the other cheek. (But) this art of self-defense is compatible with Biblical teaching and its tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance and self-control."

John Chambers, a ninth-degree black belt from Inverness, was the master of ceremonies who introduced teams from as far away as the Orlando area that performed jujitsu, shoot fighting, hapkido, Bruce Lee-style karate and other self-defense moves.

After the Greg Toney Praise Band finished a set of music, Chambers and his top student, second-degree black belt Richard Torres, demonstrated a series of yudo and judo (throwing techniques) and jujitsu (self-defense tactics). He was winded.

"I'm 64 years old, and people say to my wife, "He should be home watching reruns of Lawrence Welk,' " Chambers told the audience. "I don't love anything more than the Lord, but I love doing this."

Then he introduced the rest of the acts consisting of 80 people ranging in age from 4 to 71, white belts to black belts, who went up on stage to perform, in most cases to music.

Although the event was a church function, and Chambers introduced Barriga as a "good Christian man who lives for the Lord," Lancaster said he didn't ask about the religious beliefs of any of the performers, and had invited the general public to attend.

But "the majority of those who participated were Christians," Lancaster said.

One of the highlights was when Calvary Baptist Church pastor Bill Anderson walked onto the stage wearing a black martial arts uniform.

Anderson, a former football player for Baylor University who once played in the Sugar Bowl, has been preaching at the church for 25 years. After being presented with an honorary martial arts degree, Anderson told the crowd, "Somebody asked me this afternoon, do I have a black belt? I said "No, I have a brown belt -- 36 inches.' "

He told them about watching a strong man contest on TV and being amazed at what those athletes can achieve.

"You've seen these great feats of strength. But let me tell you about the strongest man who ever lived," Anderson said. "He took all the weight of all the guilt of all the men who ever lived and walked up a hill named Calvary -- this place is named for it. He falls under the load, but he's carrying his own machine of execution. . . . He died for you.

"He said, if I'm strong enough to die for you, are you strong enough to live for me?"

Then Anderson asked whether anyone would like to come forward to accept Jesus Christ into their lives. After a few minutes, a woman and three young girls came forward and stood next to Anderson.

After that, a love offering was taken for a new roof for the Kid's World Ministry Outreach Center, an old YWCA building. Lancaster said thousands were raised for the $48,000 to $50,000 project.

"They (the ministry) teach inner-city kids," Lancaster said. "They teach them how to operate a computer. They feed them a partial meal on Saturday. Most of these children come hungry."

William, whose mother is thinking of enrolling him in a martial arts class because she thinks he is a little hyper at times, enjoyed the show.

"I learned to chop bricks," he said.

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