Author Spotlight: Glyn Norman

 

Author Spotlight: Glyn Norman

 

It was really a pleasure getting to communicate with Pastor Glyn. He's a gentleman, very polite, and was happy to accommodate me for this blog project on his book. His main impression on me was his life principle and advice to "Let your faith show through your character." I couldn't agree more. Thanks again Pastor Glyn!

 

Author and Pastor Glyn Norman

Glyn Norman was born in Canterbury, Kent, England in 1965 and at the age of 20 became a Christian. Four years later, he started to study theology at London Bible College (now known as the London School Theology) earning a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree. Following Bible College he did missions work in East Berlin, Germany and Altanta, Georgia. After returning to the U.K. and working for one year for the British government, he moved to the U.S. in 1997 and began serving as a pastor in California.

It was when he was 20 years old that his martial arts training began, first studying Jiu-Jitsu and then several years later he took up Tae Kwon Do. In the beginning of his studies is when he began to see the parallels between the martial arts and Christianity.

I had the great opportunity to correspond with Pastor Glyn and ask him some questions and gain some insight into his interest in the martial arts. He is a courteous and helpful person, and I am very glad to have been able to get to know more about him. Enjoy!

LB: Where did you get the idea for the book?

GN: I got the idea when I was asked to prepare a talk for a men’s group. I thought it would be ideal to demonstrate the parallels between martial arts and Christianity. The first one that occurred to me was the parallel between tapping out (surrendering) and what it means to surrender to Christ, to acknowledge that I can’t win in this world on my own.

 

LB: Can you please share with us about your martial arts training with your son from your instructors Mr. Rich Scott and Master James White?

 

GN: Mr. Rich Scott was a police sergeant, and dedicated his spare time to teach jiu-jitsu. I was always impressed by his perseverance. Master James White was a former U.S. Olympian I think, and was impressive because he was about 50 years old when he was teaching us, and still hyper-fit.

LB: After all of these years, what has your book meant to you personally?

GN: I am always pleased when I see someone has bought it, because I don’t think there are that many Christian groups that minister to martial artists. Also, Christianity can be seen by many as weak (God as a crutch, etc.) but I hoped to show that even strong martial artists can find much to appreciate in Christianity.

LB: In Chapter 4 (Be Aware - Evil Is Out There), you write about how you used your martial arts training once to help someone else. You wrote, “This was a situation I decided to get involved in. I could have ignored it and walked away, but that would have been wrong. I think we have a moral responsibility, as men, as Christians, and even simply as humans, to defend those who are being bullied, and are unable to defend themselves.” I totally and completely agree with you. Can you please share how you would answer someone who said that you were wrong, that it was “un-Christian” or “un-Biblical” for you to intervene and help with your martial arts skills, that whatever would have happened to the victim must have been “God’s will”?

GN: I think there are many examples in the Bible where God acts on behalf of the vulnerable (Hagar, Daniel, Peter in jail, etc.) and he calls us to be a voice for those who have no voice. I can’t see how permitting violence against someone, which is a sin, could be God’s will. In the early centuries of Christianity, the theologians developed the “just war” theory, which specified when it was permitted to go to war as a Christian. You might want to look into that. It specifies the conditions under which you can engage in a war, and conduct during a war (proportionate, for example, avoiding damage to non-combatants, etc.).

LB: You share in your book how as a young man (age 20), a new jiu-jitsu student, and newly born again that you were able to see parallels between martial arts and Christianity. You write in Chapter 5 (With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility) the following: “The challenge for us as Christians, as well as martial artists, is to lead self-controlled lives.” Can you please tell us how the martial arts helped you experience more self-control as a Christian, and how following Jesus affected your physical self-control as a practitioner of the martial arts?

GN: I think for every Christian, you hit the wall sometimes in terms of discipleship. When it’s easier to take the path of temptation rather than stand strong. In those moments, remembering the stamina and discipline that is within me, which I have seen in my exercise of martial arts, encourages me that I have the strength to resist temptation and live strong for Jesus. “If I can do ten more push-ups when I’m exhausted, I can discipline myself to eat right, etc.”

LB: Can you please offer some words of encouragement to martial artists today?

GN: God has given you strength and talent and ability. Use it to defend the weak and powerless. Never abuse the power that you have. To quote Spiderman, “With great power, comes great responsibility!”

 

Well, I sure hope you enjoyed this little interview, I know I did. God bless you, have a great day, and remember - whenever you train, train with all your heart!