Defend Yourself!

My LDS mission companion and I walked the deserted streets of Cuenca, Ecuador one Sunday afternoon. We were whining about our rotten day, and I said "What else could go wrong?"

Not thirty seconds later, I felt an arm wrap around my neck. My first thought showed my naivete: "Who in Cuenca knows me well enough to hug me from behind?"

Then a hand started grabbing for my pocket. "Money, money," he said, in heavily accented English. His buddy was searching my companion as well.

I was paralyzed. She was not--she yelled "HELP! HELP" People emerged from their homes, and our attackers fled. And we were shaken.

I'm still shaken, thinking about it. That incident is one reason I take tae kwon do. I'll be honest with you: right now I can only defend myself from an attacker who grabs my arm just the right way. If someone came at me from behind, like the mugger on my mission, I would not know exactly how to get rid of them.

But I am learning. And I am learning in the safe environment of the Womens' Self-defense class, where I can practice through the awkward state until my blocks and punches feel more natural. I have learned how to twist and lock an attacker's hand, how to escape an attacker's grip, how to do a knife hand strike to an attacker's groin. After a year of this class, I feel much more confident. I feel like I have the right and the responsibility to defend myself.

Even here in Utah, where I think I'm safe, there are creepy weird people to watch out for. I hope I never have to use the things I've learned. But I am going to keep learning them anyway. It makes me feel strong to know that I am gaining the tools to handle attackers well.

Next time (not that I wish for a next time), I'll be the one yelling.

--Emily M.