Live Now!: Imagine the Possibilities

By Mark Edward Cody

He was told that his physical limitations would make the study of the martial arts an impossibility... He became a world renowned martial arts master...

He was told that he would not be able to walk past his fortieth year... And still HE STANDS...

Being a warrior is not just about being able to fight well. Being a warrior is all about being willing to fight for the people and the causes you care about. Being a warrior is all about Loving people.

This is a story of the power of Will and the power of LOVE. This is Stoneys message, We save ourselves by saving the world. We save the world by one kind word, one kind deed, one selfless act... The power of Love holds back the gates of Hell. What is Hell, if not the place where there is no LOVE?
I remember the first thing I ever said about Larry Stone... That guy doesnt know he is handicapped does he? That was three decades ago, and I still have not come up with a better summary of this mans life.
~ Mark Edward Cody
The spirit that Stoney presents is encouraging and uplifting. His message will inspire individuals to new levels of success and to live life to its fullest.
~ Robert A. Rohm, Ph D
I am amazed and deeply impacted by Stoneys remarkable life story. He has risen above his challenging circumstances with honor and with a level of determination that inspires me to do more, be more and live life for the moment. Bravo Stoney!
~ Casey Comden, Author and Motivational Speaker

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468545869

Mark Edward Cody

Mark Edward Cody is a philosopher, a theologian and an expert on comparative religion and mythology. He began training in the Martial Arts in 1981. In 2005 Cody was inducted into the World Union of Sokes, Masters and Grand Masters as a Master Martial Arts Instructor and was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Martial Arts Philosophy. He is the author of four previous books. He is the founder of The Bushido Institute for the Advancement of Martial Arts and Sciences. L. D. “Stoney” Stone is a Philanthropist, a martial arts Master and an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker. He has been a movie stunt coordinator, lead vocalist in a classic rock band, and a Life and Success Coach. As a child, he was told that his physical limitations would make it unlikely that he would be able to walk past his fortieth year. He was told that it would be impossible for someone with his handicaps to study the martial arts. Despite his physical limitations, he has lived a life of achievement and service to others.

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© 2012 L. D. Stoney Stone and Mark Edward Cody. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 1/30/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4685-4588-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-4587-6 (hc) I

SBN: 978-1-4685-4586-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012901180

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

Part One: The Crucible of Life

Family Never Leaves You Behind

Finding Strength in Weakness

Labors of Love and Labors of Necessity

If Music be the Food of Love ~ Play On!

Love’s Labor Lost

The Way of The Warrior

Love In Idleness

Masters of Fate

Part Two: One Life... One Moment

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dedication

Mom-Your unconditional love, strength and compassion has stayed with me throughout my life. This book is for you, because you didn’t get to write your own book.

Donna-Your love and support was a big reason that I was able to become the martial artist I became. You were always by my side, No questions asked. You are a huge part of who I am today. That will never change.I love ya!

My Family-A family that cares is all it really takes to make a difference. Thank you for never leaving me behind. I will never let you down...

My Friends-How do I thank all of you for believing in me? My friends are too many to mention. I am truly blessed.

Ray Dionaldo-From student, to teacher, to one of the world’s greatest martial artists; you are the man; without your trust, this new journey would be just another dream.

My Martial Arts Family-Your many gifts have defined who I am; for that I will be forever grateful. I am so proud of all of you.

On Track Seminars-Education is everything. Your many gifts will be used to the best of my ability. Thank you all so much.

Casey Combden of InterBiz-Thank you so much for believing in me and for investing in my life, so that I might have the opportunity to invest in the world.

Catherine-Your guidance, patience and understanding has made this book a reality. You are one of the many gifts God has given me. Thank you for being you.

Wendy-It is difficult to understand the true meaning of the word family until you have children of your own. I could not Love Chase, Hunter, and Walker more if they were my own flesh and blood. I am proud to call them my sons. I thank you all for being my family. Words cannot describe how proud I am of you. I Love you Wendy.

...I love all of you!

~L.D. Stoney Stone

For Stoney... I am honored to be a part of the LIVE NOW project... Your life, your friendship, and your strength are an inspiration. The world is a better place because you are in it.

~ Mark Edward Cody

A special thanks to Timothy Fugate for your assistance in underwriting the Live Now! Project. We would also like to thank Janel Norton for the cover photography.

~L.D. Stoney Stone and Mark Edward Cody

Introduction

By Mark Edward Cody

A journey began on 6 December 1949. And like many stories that are worth telling, this is the story of a journey of adversity and triumph, of insurmountable odds and of soul-lifting triumph. The unlikely hero of this tale is reminiscent of the improbable heroes of myth and legend. We are reminded of the young King Arthur, who in defiance to the scorn of others drew Excalibur from the stone. Daring to do that which could not be done, Arthur embraced the Hero’s Journey and lead a band of warriors into the heart of popular imagination. Like the story of King Arthur and his Knights of The Round Table, this story begins with a Stone.

In order to fully understand the message of L.D. Stoney Stone, I think it is important to understand the life experiences that formed his philosophy of life. It will also be beneficial for the reader to understand who I am and how my path has intersected with that of Stoney.

I was probably about fifteen-years-old when I first met Stoney. I had just begun training in the martial arts. It was to become a path that I would follow throughout my life. The first time I saw the television series KUNG FU in the early nineteen-seventies, I knew I was going to study the martial arts.

I was eleven-years-old in 1977 when the movie STAR WARS hit the silver screen. I immediately realized that "I must become a Jedi Knight, like my father before me" (if I may borrow the line from the film). My father had taught me to live by A Code of Honor. My parents had taught me that you should live your life with Purpose. This film intensified that belief.

My father had worked for the National Security Agency under Air Force Intelligence. As a child, this whet my interest in spycraft.

Prior to my exposure to Star Wars, the James Bond films had been one of my myths to live by (as philosopher Joseph Campbell labeled such metaphorical stories). I would attempt to pursue a career with The Central Intelligence Agency until after my college days. I wanted to be a synthesis of Obi Wan Kenobi and James Bond. Upon reflection, I have lived the better part of my life pursuing that goal.

Obi Wan was the personification of the warrior sage. Bond was a Renaissance Man with a gun. He seemed to know a lot about everything. From knowing how to diffuse a bomb to knowing that Dom Perignon ‘53 is a better vintage than the ‘55, Bond was the man. (Incidentally, Dom Perignon ‘53 was Marilyn Monroe’s favorite champagne also.)

Part of my youthful quest to be a Jedi Master with 007-skills was a fascination with weapons. One of the vocations that I would eventually pursue was that of tactical firearms instructor and Arms Dealer (of the legal, government sanctioned variety). This brings me to how I met Larry Stone.

My father had trained me in the use of various weapons since before the time I could ride a bicycle. On the day I met Stoney, my father had taken me to a combat pistol competition.

In those days, Stoney could walk without crutches, but he had a bad limp. It was obvious that he had a serious physical handicap. I remember seeing him run through the course as best he could, engaging targets with his .45 cal pistol blazing.

I remember the first thing I ever said about Larry Stone. I remember tugging on my dad’s sleeve and whispering in his ear, "That guy doesn’t know he is handicapped does he?" That was three decades ago, and I still have not come up with a better summary of this man’s life.

I remember that on the day I met Stoney, he was disqualified from the round he was shooting for killing a hostage target. In this type of pistol competition, shooters had to run through various scenarios in which you had to fire on the bad guys while avoiding hitting the hostages.

I remember Stoney playfully arguing with the judges that the hostage that he shot was a damned collaborator. Stoney has been taking shots at collaborators ever since. In the years that have passed since that day so long ago, I have come to know Stoney a man who is never afraid to take a metaphorical shot at anyone who collaborates with the forces that hold people hostage. Those forces may be self-doubt, or self-pity. We may be held hostage by apathy, by indifference or by ignorance. Stoney always has a fully loaded magazine on hand to empty into those who are in league with such forces. His philosophy is like that of Thomas Jefferson,

I have sworn upon the alter of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man...

After our first meeting, I would cross paths with Stoney on numerous occasions throughout the years. I remember being told that he taught martial arts. I later discovered that he had a Shotokan Karate school not far from the dojo in which I studied Wado Ryu Karate/Jujutsu and Kali.

Ray Dionaldo (who is now recognized as one of the best martial artists in the world) was my childhood friend. He and I studied together as kids. Ray started training with Stoney about three years after he and I began studying together.

I attended some seminars at Stoney’s school and he in turn came to some events that I hosted after I became the owner of my school. Ray’s interest in martial arts competitions was one of the things that led him to train with Stoney. Stoney had a reputation for training competitive fighters. Ray was winning every competition he entered. I personally had no interest in sport karate. I was interested only in the realistic, combative application of martial technique. I had the misconception that competitive fighting was all that Stoney taught.

Shotokan is very similar to the Wado system that I was studying. It is generally not a good idea to train in systems that are very similar due to the confusion caused by the minor differences. The kata or forms are very similar, but not exactly the same. Few people can learn both variations and keep both straight in their heads. For these reasons, I never trained with Stoney.

As Ray Dionaldo’s Filipino Combat Systems Kali started to become an internationally acclaimed art, Stoney and I began to interact more frequently at FCS events. In time, we began to work together in educational and motivational speaking events.

Ours’ is a yin/yang relationship. Stoney is everything I am not. He is a man of small stature. I am almost six-and-a half-feet-tall. I am serious, quiet and reserved. Stoney is light-hearted, loud and (I often joke with him) extraverted just below the threshold of being obnoxious. I grasp things intellectually, whereas he perceives things intuitively. I analyze. Stoney feels. Perhaps the most noticeable difference between the two of us is the fact that I have been blessed with good health and physical strength. Stoney has lived a life filled with health issues and physical challenges. I see myself as a Realist. The universe being what it is, some would call me a Pessimist. Larry Stone is the consummate Optimist.

Because of our complementary differences, Stoney and I found that we worked well together. We began lecturing together, extolling the virtues of warrior philosophy and teaching the various aspects of winning strategy. We found that audiences responded well to the contrast as we presented the same philosophy from two different perspectives.

Returning to the Star Wars symbolism, he was the Yoda to my Obi Wan Kenobi. Because of my size and demeanor, I tend to meet people’s preconceived notion of what a warrior should look like. (Some would suggest that I look more like Darth Vader than Obi Wan.) Stoney has the archetypical appearance of the wise old man.

In time, Stoney started referring to us as The Warrior and The Wise Man. But he would explain that he was the warrior and I was the wise man. I would suggest that his categorization is half right. Given the constant battle that his life has been, few that know Stoney would doubt that he is indeed a warrior. Stoney fashions me the wise man because I have an affinity for remembering facts and figures. I would argue that if I possess any wisdom it is only in that I recognize that I lack wisdom and thus feverishly peruse attaining it.

In 2007, Stoney published the first edition of LIVE NOW! In October of 20l1 some of Stoney’s friends encouraged him to produce an expanded, edited, second edition of the text. Stoney approached me to assist him with the project. I had previously published four books of my own and was in the process of writing two novels and a book on Bible prophecy and Christian Apologetics. Apologetics means to present a rational basis for a belief system. As you might imagine, a great deal of research and very difficult subject matter is involved in such an undertaking. I was hesitant to take on yet another project, given my current workload.

I had read Storey’s first edition of the book and I did not think that the form or content of the book adequately