John King
- Gender: Male
- Industry: Arts
- Occupation: Martial Arts Master
- Location: Plymouth Meeting : PA
About Me
I enjoy so many things that on the surface I seem to be a walking paradox, but there is a method to the gladness, and here it is: I try to keep things simple, so I live by two commandments, not ten. Number one is “Know Thyself” and number two is “Always Live by the Golden Rule.” Most people know about that second one and can apply the “treat others how you would like to be treated” concept, but that first one should keep you busy for a lifetime! It guides me in all that I do and for me personally, it includes Jesus’ edict, “Love one another as I have loved you.” I think the best thing about “The Two Commandments” is that they’re attainable for everyone because they’re adaptable to anyone! I wish you peace and love on your journey because life’s too short…
Interests
- In (sort of) alphabetical order
- these things get me going: Aikido Kokikai
- animals
- nature
- art
- architecture
- design and clothing from 1940 – 1969
- ballet
- bongos
- cymbals
- dogs
- drums and drumming
- classic cars and motorcycles
- good music
- food and red wine
- hanging with my friends
- Malibu California
- the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team
- physical culture
- Reiki
- spiritual enlightenment
- squids
- sushi
- wrestling
- self mastery
- and of course
- the love of my life Jaye
- and our three four legged kids
- Maggie
- Elvis and Lucy.
Favorite Movies
- I am a fan of the great films found on Turner Classic Movies and prefer them to nearly anything contemporary
- but some of my all time favorites are: Rocky 1
- Star Wars 1976
- Animal House
- Stealing Home
- Batman (Michael Keaton version)
- Braveheart
- G.I. Jane
- The Last Samurai
- anything by Alfred Hitchcock and Akira Kurosawa
- and most of the work by Marlon Brando
- James Stewart
- Cary Grant
- Robert DeNiro
- Johnny Depp and Elvis Presley
- with honorable mention to Grace Kelly
- Katherine Hepburn and Kim Novak; hubba - hubba!
Favorite Music
- I believe there are only two kinds of music - good and bad - so stylistically
- my preferences are all over the place and include everything from A to Z. But for me four artists tower high above all others and shine brightly like the four points on the cross of the holy trinity of music
- and they are: Elvis Presley
- Frank Sinatra (especially with Count Basie)
- James Brown
- and Louis Prima. Next
- there is a band that somehow magically connects those four to all the rest and is therefore in a class all by themselves - Led Zeppelin. These next four acts have touched me so deeply I cannot explain it all to you: Ute Lemper
- Marillion
- Queen
- and Rush. Now here are some classic favorites: The Band
- Jim Croce
- John Denver
- Duke Ellington
- Aretha Franklin
- Genesis
- Alan Holdsworth
- Judas Priest
- Little Richard
- Little Walter
- Joni Mitchell
- Gary Moore
- Prince
- Queensryche
- Renaissance
- The Rolling Stones
- anything by Stax/Volt studios
- Thin Lizzy
- Van Halen
- Gino Vannelli
- ZZ Top and much indigenous music from around the world. And finally
- since I am a drummer
- I must include my heroes who are not members of the bands listed above
- and they are: Papa Jo Jones
- Shelly Manne
- Jake Hanna
- Jeff Hamilton
- Louie Bellson
- Bill Bruford
- Steve Jordan
- Andy Newmark
- my old friends and instructors Carl Mottola and Jack LeCompte
- and the greatest bongosero ever - and a new friend - the legendary “Mr. Bongo” himself
- Jack Costanzo.
Favorite Books
- Nearly everything by Richard Bach
- but particularly Jonathan Livingston Seagull
- Running From Safety
- Illusions
- and Out of My Mind. The Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East by Baird T. Spalding
- The Masked Rider
- and Ghost Rider by Neil Peart
- anything by Philip K. Dick
- Jack Kerouac
- The Art of Peace
- the Urantia Book
- and the Bible.
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| ................... Uncommon Sensei |
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