The Martialist: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly

“Stay ‘unreasonable.’  If you
don’t like the solutions [available to you], come up with your
own.” 
Dan Webre

The Martialist does not
constitute legal advice.  It is for ENTERTAINMENT
PURPOSES ONLY.

Copyright © 2003-2004 Phil Elmore, all rights
reserved.

Crouching Tiger: Taming the Warrior
Within

A Book Review by
Phil Elmore

Loren
W. Christensen, the man behind LWC
Books, is a well-known martial artist and writer who has worked
extensively as a police officer — both in and out of the military.  No
stranger to violence and to the emotions and concepts that fuel conflict,
therefore, Christensen speaks from experience in this book devoted to
understanding the warrior spirit.

Such a memoir could easily degenerate into a collection of
self-glorifying war stories — an exercise in macho posturing from one who’s
arguably “been there and done that.”  One gets the impression
from Christensen’s prose, however, that such an approach never would have
occurred to him.  This is a man who exemplifies the humility and honor
that is supposed to be developed through training the traditional
martial arts.

As you might expect, then, Loren does not gloss over his own
failings, misjudgments, and character flaws — past and present — in
exploring the emotional and psychological composition of the warrior.  He
is at his most critical when examining himself, staring unflinching into the
boy he was, the young man that boy became, and the seasoned martial artist who
now offers the benefit of his experiences to his readers.

The book has no “plot,” as such.  It is a
collection of stories from Loren’s life, each of which taught him some
valuable lesson about himself, about others, or both.  Loosely organized
according to theme, the anecdotes and Christensen’s commentary on them are
divided into seven sections:  Learning at the Expense of Others, Pieces
of Humble Pie, Moments in the Sun, Revenge and Venting, In the Presence of
Warriors, Fear, and Lessons Along the Way.  The stories jump forward and
back through Loren’s life — from his childhood, to his competition days, to
his time in Vietnam and his life in the present day.

I liked this book so much that I finished it in a single
sitting.  This is a rarity for me, as I am so busy that I don’t usually
allow myself to simply sit and read one thing for too long.  The book
charts the highs, lows, triumphs, and traumas of a man who has lived a full
and somewhat adventurous life.  The reader is carried along those waves
of emotion, cheering with Loren in his times of victory and groaning in
sympathy when he recounts a particularly foolish incident.

The anguish Loren must feel is obvious as he tells the story
of a childhood friend, killed in Vietnam before Loren could apologize for a
prideful insult made just before the friend left the United States. 
Christensen’s wry amusement at the recklessness of youth comes through as he
retells the story of facing a powerful storm while holding a horse stance,
attempting to emulate Gichin Funakoshi.  We scowl and then grin as Loren
tells of learning to cope with and conquer his hatred of a particularly
unpleasant Drill Sergeant.  We shudder as he describes a road-rage
incident in which he contemplates the difficulty of defending himself while
physically impaired by an injury.

These stories and more are all part of Crouching Tiger. 
The title obviously brings to mind the popular movie.  Mull it over for a
bit longer, however, and you’ll see the subtle reference.  One’s warrior
spirit can be as difficult to tame as a tiger.  It can also hide within
one’s soul, unnoticed until unleashed.

This is a thoughtful book that does not preach.  It is
almost meditative, in fact.  It is the exorcising of one man’s demons and
the acknowledgment of his angels, all in print for the world to see.  If
you have not taken a look at Loren Christensen’s other work, this is a great
place to start.

It will leave you similarly
contemplative — and it will leave you wanting more.