Rabbi parallels Army life and martial arts

As part of his two-day visit to Belvoir, Rabbi Niles Goldstein led a martial arts demonstration and lecture at Wells Field House Wednesday.
Standing in front of a group of Soldiers who have gone through Combatives training, the visiting rabbi from New York asked what it is to be a spiritual warrior. He then told everyone the similarities between being a Soldier and practicing the martial arts are not that surprising.
"They both require integrity and honesty to fight. They also stress the importance of being calm no matter what the situation," Goldstein said. "I believe this is applicable to how we survive challenges in our own personal lives."
Calmness is vitally important, Goldstein added. It's a point he makes in his new book, "The Challenge of the Soul - A Guide to the Spiritual Warrior." He recalled a time in Salt Lake City several years ago when his own words turned out to be great advice.
While sitting inside a hotel lobby late one evening, Goldstein observed a man in dark clothing walk in and up to the customer service desk. He demanded money from the clerk behind the counter. He was handed a bag and soon began walking briskly to the door of the hotel. However, he was stopped by another employee.
Realizing this was a robbery, Goldstein said his natural instinct to help kicked in. While distracted by the hotel employee, he put his martial arts training to use by walking up behind the robber. He put his left leg in back of his and with his right arm came across the robber's neck, bringing him to floor all in one motion. He later demonstrated this technique to the group.
"When I knew something was wrong, I made it a point to stay calm. I got that from my time in the Army and from my time studying karate," Goldstein said. "I knew I had the training to help diffuse the situation and decided, if there was something I could do, I would do it. I would not run away from this challenge."
According to Goldstein, his new book is filled with themes of facing challenges and having the strength to persevere through the tough times. As he says, it's something we all encounter.
"Every individual in life goes through difficult periods. It could be the death of a loved one, losing a job, getting into a car accident. Whatever the case," Goldstein said. "No matter what the situation, it's important to face your emotions. Stay engaged and don't disconnect yourself from what's happening. You will become much stronger in mind. Believe me."