TAMING THE TIGER
These videos are from the programme called Taming the Tiger, about how God changed the life of Tony Anthony (he visited my school to speak to us).
_____________________________________________________________________________________
'FROM the depths of hell to the heights of glory,' reads the subtitle of Tony Anthony's biography - and it is no exaggeration.
Taming the Tiger tells the extraordinary story of a martial arts champion, bodyguard and criminal - who now dedicates his life to Christian ministry.
Anthony was recently in Ontario where he appeared on 100 Huntley Street, and conducted outreach at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener.
Anthony was declared World Kung Fu Champion three years running, 1987 - 89. He then began a downward spiral, becoming a mercenary thug. His resultant imprisonment led to an unexpected liberation.
Born to a Chinese mother and Italian father, Anthony was sent to China at age four. He was raised as a Buddhist by his grandfather, who was a grandmaster in Kung Fu - and passed these skills on to his grandson.
"I did what my grandfather wanted me to do," Anthony told BCCN. "The training was rigorous. I very much felt like a wild animal being broken in."
He competed in illegal bouts, and then went on to work for the International Kung Fu Federation - grading teachers and training soldiers in anti-terrorist tactics. He moved on, specializing in 'close protection' bodyguarding for wealthy clients.
His motives were "money, freedom to travel, fast cars, women, what have you."
The 1988 death of his fiancee in an accident derailed Anthony's life. "I flipped. I took out my anger on people. I was a spiteful, terrible person." By this point, he was also involved in high-stakes debt collection - which enabled him to act out.
"If somebody looked at me the wrong way, I'd smash their face. Instead of shooting people in the arm, I'd shoot them in the head. A few were killed." By Christmas Eve, 1989, he was in Nicosia Central Prison in Cyprus. "Midnight Express - that's not too far off from where I was."
At first, he felt he could endure the harsh conditions. "Two things gave me strength: my religion and my martial arts." But soon, he found these things wanting. "My Buddhism didn't do much for me. I needed to find strength within me - and I couldn't."
Soon after, he said, Irish missionary Michael Wright "was bold enough to write me a letter." In the visits which followed, Wright "never preached at me. I respected him for putting his money where his mouth was."
One day, Anthony's temper once again got the better of him. "I was going to hit Michael one day, over something horrific that had happened in the prison - and he shared the gospel with me." Anthony realized that "the one thing I hadn't tried was Jesus Christ."
Later, "on my hands and knees in my cell - pouring my heart out, in tears - I asked Jesus to help me to be willing to turn away from my old way of life. My life changed, as quick as night to day, in 24 hours."
Soon, he said, "I was being convicted to forgive and serve my fellow inmates - murderers, thieves, drug smugglers and violent people like me. We became trophies of grace."
Anthony was released in 1992. Since that time, he said, he has had some spiritual setbacks. "I made the mistake of assuming that God's work in one's life ends when you accept Christ."
God, however, "is a God of second chances. As a Christian, I'm just like a building site - I'm under construction."
Anthony is now evangelism director for Avanti Ministries, based in England.
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/bc.cgi?bc/bccn/1005/06tiger
These videos are from the programme called Taming the Tiger, about how God changed the life of Tony Anthony (he visited my school to speak to us).
_____________________________________________________________________________________
'FROM the depths of hell to the heights of glory,' reads the subtitle of Tony Anthony's biography - and it is no exaggeration.
Taming the Tiger tells the extraordinary story of a martial arts champion, bodyguard and criminal - who now dedicates his life to Christian ministry.
Anthony was recently in Ontario where he appeared on 100 Huntley Street, and conducted outreach at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener.
Anthony was declared World Kung Fu Champion three years running, 1987 - 89. He then began a downward spiral, becoming a mercenary thug. His resultant imprisonment led to an unexpected liberation.
Born to a Chinese mother and Italian father, Anthony was sent to China at age four. He was raised as a Buddhist by his grandfather, who was a grandmaster in Kung Fu - and passed these skills on to his grandson.
"I did what my grandfather wanted me to do," Anthony told BCCN. "The training was rigorous. I very much felt like a wild animal being broken in."
He competed in illegal bouts, and then went on to work for the International Kung Fu Federation - grading teachers and training soldiers in anti-terrorist tactics. He moved on, specializing in 'close protection' bodyguarding for wealthy clients.
His motives were "money, freedom to travel, fast cars, women, what have you."
The 1988 death of his fiancee in an accident derailed Anthony's life. "I flipped. I took out my anger on people. I was a spiteful, terrible person." By this point, he was also involved in high-stakes debt collection - which enabled him to act out.
"If somebody looked at me the wrong way, I'd smash their face. Instead of shooting people in the arm, I'd shoot them in the head. A few were killed." By Christmas Eve, 1989, he was in Nicosia Central Prison in Cyprus. "Midnight Express - that's not too far off from where I was."
At first, he felt he could endure the harsh conditions. "Two things gave me strength: my religion and my martial arts." But soon, he found these things wanting. "My Buddhism didn't do much for me. I needed to find strength within me - and I couldn't."
Soon after, he said, Irish missionary Michael Wright "was bold enough to write me a letter." In the visits which followed, Wright "never preached at me. I respected him for putting his money where his mouth was."
One day, Anthony's temper once again got the better of him. "I was going to hit Michael one day, over something horrific that had happened in the prison - and he shared the gospel with me." Anthony realized that "the one thing I hadn't tried was Jesus Christ."
Later, "on my hands and knees in my cell - pouring my heart out, in tears - I asked Jesus to help me to be willing to turn away from my old way of life. My life changed, as quick as night to day, in 24 hours."
Soon, he said, "I was being convicted to forgive and serve my fellow inmates - murderers, thieves, drug smugglers and violent people like me. We became trophies of grace."
Anthony was released in 1992. Since that time, he said, he has had some spiritual setbacks. "I made the mistake of assuming that God's work in one's life ends when you accept Christ."
God, however, "is a God of second chances. As a Christian, I'm just like a building site - I'm under construction."
Anthony is now evangelism director for Avanti Ministries, based in England.
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/bc.cgi?bc/bccn/1005/06tiger
posted by The Phantom Novelist at
11:53 pm
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