The Element of Surprise

Perhaps this isn’t the best title given the perception most will have when they begin to read this article.  What gives us the element of surprise?  Since we are Martial Artists we should not be in the shadows lying in wait for our adversaries.  We are men and women of honor.  However being men and women of honor does not mean that we must play and fight by gentlemanly rules.  SO what do we mean by the element of surprise?  From my line of thinking it means we keep our skills hidden.  As an instructor I keep some of my skills hidden from my students, call it a reserve for when they decide to challenge or test me, we all know it happens.  But what about in our daily lives?  How can we maintain that element of surprise?  Here are some simple rules; Keep your mouth shut; Don’t wear telling clothing; and avoid piercings and tattoos.  Those last two usually shock people or get some of them a little mad.  Since we live in a personal morality world this doesn’t surprise me nor concern me, but what amuses me is rarely do they understand their own reaction.  Just ask why and keep asking it?  You might be interested with what you find.

How can telling clothing, piercings and tattoo’s give away the element of surprise?  My Father was a Secret Service agent so from a young age I was raised and taught to read what people tell us about themselves.  I learned these skills before my Martial Artist training began and neither training ever stopped. People tell us volumes about who they are and if they are passive or aggressive if you know what to look for. So what can our outward appearance tell others about us? The easy one is telling clothing. By that I mean clothes with logo’s or sayings on them. Even a company logo says a little bit about you when put together with other information it can speak volumes. Piercings and tattoos give people a little more trouble.

Piercings and tattoos are forms of body modification and self-expression that can convey a range of messages about a person. However, it is important to note that while these messages are not always accurate or representative of the current individual they speak to their past and possibly present life choices. Some tattoos tell a story of criminal activity, like merit badges for a boy scout. Others may be a form of self-expression, rebellion against societal norms, conformity to social pressures, represents a significant personal experience, a beloved person or pet, or an important message or value. They are clues that put together with other visible evidence, cloths, car, body movements, stance, speech patterns, etc, to give us insight into their person.

There you have it, the question is how much do you give away about yourself? How easy a read are you? Are you a known or an unknown? The element of surprise is one of our more powerful weapons, why give it up if you can avoid it? Let your opponent guess or better yet underestimate you. You never know it might just save your life one day.

For those not religiously minded you will probably be turned off by the following. For those more religious minded you also may be turned off depending on your beliefs. However I thought it would be interesting to see what ancient wisdom/culture has to say about piercings and tattoos…

In Leviticus 19:28, God gave the people of Israel a direct commandment not to get tattoos…..

Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

But wasn’t that just for Old Testament times?

Is it possible that God has changed His mind?

Unfortunately for those of you who wish to run out and get a tattoo, the truth is that God does not change as we read in Malachi 3:6…..

For I am the LORD, I do not change

In fact, Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same from the very beginning of time until the very end of time…..

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The truth is that God told us that getting a tattoo is a sin and He expects us to continue to follow that commandment today.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 we read that the body of a Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are to honor God with our bodies…..

As I like to say agree or disagree it is the same to me, it is your choice. But be warned you can no longer say you never thought of that before. Knowledge is power, use it wisely.

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