Self Defense (from my college experience)

[JudoMinja]

With the dangers and perils of the world growing, there are many who wish to learn to defend themselves. When I was living on my own in an unfamiliar, big city, I was one of those people. I did not feel safe, and I sought the security of knowledge- knowledge of how to protect myself should I be caught in a dangerous situation.

I did not realize that the majority of my lessons would not be on how to get out of dangerous situations, but how to avoid them. While it was not what I had expected, given some thought, this made perfect sense. Prevention is, after all, the best protection. One of the greatest skills I learned was how to recognize locations, people, and situations that could potentially become dangerous so that proper action could be taken to avoid them. For example, you will not have to worry about being jumped in a dark ally if you never walk down any dark alleys.

Another useful skill learned was how to avoid giving off the appearance of a target. Most crimes are committed by those with predatory minds, and predators are opportunistic hunters. They will not attack if they are not very certain of having the upper hand. They will seek out sickly and wounded individuals as targets for their assault. Walking with confidence, a steady stride, strongly placed shoulders, being aware of your surroundings, and traveling with groups are all tactics that will minimize your chances of becoming prey.

Finally, when all else fails and a confrontation is unavoidable, to maintain your safety it is unwise to remain any longer than is needful. It does little good to push against your enemy’s strong points. This will result in a struggle which time will allow your enemy to undoubtedly win. Attack where your enemy is weak, and when he is wounded and his ability to follow hindered, flee the scene. If there is no safe escape, compliance will see you through until an opportunity presents itself.

If we follow these steps in defending ourselves, we will be more than physically protected. These skills can provide spiritual protection as well. Those who set up a good, strong defense will be unlikely to fall into temptation, and if they do will have the ability to quickly escape.

First- recognizing and avoiding dangerous people, places, and situations. The prophets have provided standards that, when followed, will help us avoid danger. We are counseled to choose our friends wisely, associating only with those who will uplift us and encourage us to live righteously. We are counseled to likewise carefully choose our entertainment, listening to good uplifting music, reading good wholesome books, watching good clean movies, and playing good productive games. How we choose to spend our recreational time will determine the hold we allow Satan to obtain over us.

Avoiding places filled with temptation will help us maintain our strength. This is why we are counseled not to go in bars even if we will not be drinking. This is why we are told not to spend time alone with members of the opposite sex, especially late into the night. This is why we are counseled to do nothing that arouses sexual feelings with anyone but our partner in marriage.

We all have within us the Spirit of Christ to help us discern truth from lies and right from wrong. With this, those who have been baptized have the gift of the companionship of the Holy Ghost which will give further guidance in recognizing danger spots so that they may be avoided. When we listen to and follow this direction, we will be protected.

Second- do not let yourself become a target. Satan knows where we are weak, and he will exploit those weaknesses if we do not work with the Lord in turning those weaknesses into strengths. Saying our prayers, reading our scriptures, putting on the armor of God, and attending our church meetings are all ways we can build up our strength. When it comes to our spiritual defense, we must do more than appear strong, we must BE strong. We must have our head in the game and be full participants in our prayer, scripture study, and church meetings.

Finally- escaping temptation quickly. Joseph of Egypt provided a wonderful example of this skill. When Potiphar’s wife sought to lie with him, he did not try to reason with her, did not linger for a kiss that would weaken his resolve, did not take time to assess the situation and make sure his innocence would be understood, did not stay to try to convince her of the wrongness of her course. He fled, and when his garment was left behind he did not go back to retrieve it.

The longer we remain in temptation and sin, the more Satan seeks to convince us we cannot escape. He would have us believe that taking a course of correction is futile, that we will never be worthy of forgiveness, that repentance it too hard. He keeps hitting us where we are weak, bringing us further and further down, wrapping us tighter and tighter in his chains until escape seems impossible.

To escape his grasp, we do not need to fight Satan in his element. If we are caught in sin, he will easily be able to fool us with his lies. We must look for our avenue out and seize it with all our might. When we understand that we are trapped in our sins and desire the repentance made possible by Jesus Christ, we must take hold on that thought as Alma the Younger did when in the gall of bitterness and woe brought on by his own sins. The Lord will help us work our way free and recover from the damage done to our spirits.

This final skill of escaping temptation and sin is most important. Preventing damage by avoiding bad spots and building our spiritual strength are wonderful tools that will protect us from the fiery darts of the devil. The Holy Ghost and the Armor of God, when properly used together, create a perfect defense. However, there will be holes in our defense due to our own imperfections. There will be times when danger comes upon us while we are unawares, and so it is all important that an escape be provided and the very moment we recognize our precarious position we must take that escape.

In physical self defense, it is very possible that you will never in your life be required to use the skills in escaping. Aversion and confidence will keep you safe enough. However, one must still be wary. Many going into a self defense course go because they are afraid of the unknown. They believe that the greatest danger to their safety lies out on the streets; they seek protection from the “strangers”. Fear and uncertainty leaves them imagining horrors around every bend.

Most violent acts, however, are not random, just as most sins are not random. In fact, usually a victim of a crime finds it was committed by someone they know, someone close to them, someone they trusted. These criminals work their way into your circle of trust through lies, deception and manipulation. With your protective barriers down, you turn them a blind eye, and they strike. Date rape, family violence, assault, kidnapping, and so many other crimes, committed by those we love.

In hindsight, the victim recognizes signs they had missed, areas in which they had failed to maintain their vigilance, because they believed the person could be trusted. This is why we must be so careful in how we choose our friends. As we hold ourselves up to a high standard, so we must hold our friends up to the same high standard.

Satan works in this same way. He will creep upon you, appearing friendly, innocent and benign. Then, when you have let down your barriers, he will strike. He will tell ten truths just so that he may sneak in one lie. In the media, our music and movies, on the internet…

NEVER let your barriers down for even the smallest thing. Trust in the judgment of your companion the Holy Ghost. If it does not uplift and invite the spirit, do NOT allow it to take hold upon your life. The slightest weakness in your armor will cause it to crack. Stay strong and vigilant in all things.

The Lord has given us the guidance and direction to defend ourselves, but it will do us little good if we do not follow it. We have the Holy Ghost and the prophets to help us in avoiding those areas that could be dangerous to us. We have the commandments, the standards, and the armor of God to help us build our own personal strength. And most importantly, we have the wonderful gift of repentance and forgiveness provided by the mercy of Jesus Christ to help us in escaping those areas in which we fall.

We can walk forward with confidence, faith, and hope when we walk upon the straight and narrow path, clinging to the iron rod. Our defense in place, we will have no need to fear. Even when we falter, when the imperfections of our mortality cause us to slip in our vigilance, we can still return to the path when we accept the great gift of the atonement. Our spiritual defense is most important, for even when our physical defense is penetrated we can rest assured that a solid spiritual defense will see us through all things. No matter what physical hardships we must endure, those strong in spirit need not fear, for the welfare of their souls is secure.