Chinto

Being the Tiger

Steve was a chubby college prep student, busy with plays, band, and chorus. He had just achieved one of the highest PSAT scores in the state. However, his life took a dark turn when a thug, suspended for smoking pot at school, wrongfully assumed Steve was responsible and beat him up. The thug ominously warned, “This is not over.” Once anxious in the hallways of his inner-city school, Steve now walked them in fear.

In contrast, his uncle had walked these same halls in the mid-60s without fear, bolstered by his training at the state’s first karate school and his status as a national-level fighter. Now a Vietnam veteran living as a hermit on a small farm, Uncle Bob struggled with PTSD. Despite his reclusive life, he agreed to teach Steve karate the old way, focusing on mastering one kata.

As Steve learns to fight back, he discovers more than just self-defense; he is taught the science behind combat and how to control his mind during adversity. He learns to be the tiger. The life of his sensei, Uncle Bob, undergoes changes as well.

possibly best karate fiction I have ever read

very well written and well paced. the level of knowledge and specific details would only be known to someone who has practiced Okinawan karate for a long time and was absolutely appreciated