I don’t know about the demon but I certainly am no masochist — not even close. Maybe I’m a doormat pacifist. When the demon stepped up to that big burly man it wasn’t in hopes of being injured. It was to prevent further violence against the woman. He put her safety above his own (mine) — something any mother would do for her child. Perhaps the demon has no knowledge of martial arts or by using martial arts he would be going against his promise that he would not fight back. That promise is a big part of the pacifist act and what helped to ‘disarm’ the burly man.

Do you remember Gandhi’s salt movement? When the British took control of all the salt and wouldn’t let the Indians have any the Indians proceeded in a single line to get their salt and as each person got to the front of the line they would be caned by the British soldiers. They would then be taken away by the nurses and the next person would come to the front of the line and receive a caning. One after another after another. They were not masochists but rather humans employing true pacifist protest. And it worked for the British finally relented. They were being a mirror for the British to look into and see their own inhumanity. I think that’s what the demon was doing. Without that demon I would be running away in fear. Fear is usually the most powerful demon.