Cashier vs. Gun-Toting Punk

I'm not a big fan of gun disarm techniques for obvious reasons. A while back I posted about a murder trial that involved Chuck Norris testifying for the defense, demonstrating how to disrupt a gun wielder.

This past week, a cashier working at a convenience store in Georgia (US) thwarted a 17-year-old robber brandishing a gun. Bhumika Patel was ringing up the youth's purchase of soda when he flashes a gun in her face. Attempting to slap the weapon away, she hits him over the head with the cash drawer and then promptly chases him out of the store with a hammer. The suspect was caught later. Christian Thornton faces charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a crime. Check out the video here.

Everyone is hailing her as a hero. I think she's more crazy than heroic. I'm guessing this was not her first rodeo — who knows how many times this store has been robbed or shoplifted — but this could have ended tragically very easily.

The Knockout Game

In the past couple of weeks the media has been running stories about what appears to be a growing trend in the urban jungle. Young hoods are targeting solitary victims with the intent to render them unconscious courtesy of a well placed sock on the jaw. Here's a typical scenario: A pack of jerks are strutting down the street while an unaccompanied mild mannered citizen minding her own business walks out of a pub or a deli and gets brutally punched in the face just for kicks. There's really nothing new about this phenomenon; a few years back it was called "Happy Slapping" in the UK. In New York in the late 80s something similar was called "wilding."

Supposedly "The Knockout Game" is gaining popularity in big cities in the US. Gun rights advocates claim that if more people were packing heat the perps would think twice about trying to assault someone for sport.

The problem with this is that if the target can't pull his weapon out in time he gets KO'd and some crazy kid gets a free gun.

Reports from law enforcement on the "game" aspect of random violence invoke skepticism. Police say these types of attacks - whatever the motivation - have always been with us.

Somebody once asked me what karate has to offer in the event of an ambush. This person was looking for a block-and-strike technique or some other maneuver, but the truth is there isn't one. It's a surprise attack; if you're lucky enough to see it telegraphed then it's not really an ambush.

So what do you do? Your best weapons are common sense and preventive measures. When you're out and about (especially in the city)...

• Cultivate awareness. Keep your head up and pay attention to your surroundings.
• Avoid distractions such as texting or talking on your cell phone.
• If you must tread unfamiliar or uncomfortable territory such as a parking garage or dark alley bring a friend along or some other escort.

Be careful out there.

Learn To Fight Like George Zimmerman!

Kokopelli's Gym, a "fight training center" that offers MMA in Longwood, Florida is trying out a rather controversial marketing ploy on their website guaranteed to make you cringe: Training information on George Zimmerman that he received at their venue. The email form goes on to say that this info will only be provided after the trial involving the highly publicized shooting death of Trayvon Martin is over.

How decent of them. Still, this begs the question: If George Zimmerman was trained in MMA, why did he need a gun against Trayvon Martin? Remember that, acccording to Zimmerman, Martin had attacked him and that he had shot Martin in self-defense using a weapon Zimmerman had on him. Zimmerman was bleeding from the nose and from cuts on the back of his head he received while he was being struck about on the ground.


As it turns out, Zimmerman was not an exemplary disciple of MMA. According to testimony from Kokopelli's Gym owner Adam Pollock, he spent about a year training the defendant, beginning in October of 2010. Pollock described Zimmerman as being "nonathletic" and "just physically soft". On a scale of 1 to 10 he rated Zimmerman's ability between a 1 and 1.5. and that

Zimmerman was “a beginner” and not competent in grappling — a tactic used in mixed-martial arts.

Pollack said that Zimmerman was “very diligent” and “very coachable” but didn’t have the strength or skill to be successful in the sport.

Pollack also said that Zimmerman began boxing training but that he never progressed past shadow boxing. “He didn’t know how to really effectively punch.”

Back to the ad on the Kokopelli's Gym website. Why would anyone want to learn how they can spend a year preparing to get beat up? Indeed, when the prosecution re-called Pollock as a rebuttal witness, he was asked, "Are you now marketing the training you gave to George Zimmerman on your website?"

"Absolutely not" replied Pollock. The defense objected to this line of questioning and the judge told prosecutors they couldn't call a witness during their rebuttal case, just to impeach him.

I wonder if Kokopelli's Gym ever got Zimmerman's permission to use his name in this manner. If so, what sort of deal did they hammer out? Let's see what happens with this publicity stunt of theirs once the trial ends.

Self-Defense For The Road Warrior

The following is a story taken from a news report dated 2/15/13:

Jin Byung Kang, 21, is charged with pulling an unregistered gun on another man after an alleged road rage incident.

The victim has not been identified, but reportedly told police he was a martial arts expert, and says he talked Kang into putting the gun away, then this.

"There was a struggle and eventually the victim was able to gain control of the firearm, and at that point the defendant allegedly got into his car and fled the scene," said Watson.

Kang's attorney says everything Kang did was in self defense, saying the victim initiated the fight.

Kang claims he was hurt by the victim and wants to file charges himself.

"This man, this stranger whom he did not know, had used his self admitted martial arts skills to tackle him to the ground causing him several injuries," said Purple.

Nobody was seriously injured, but police say this is not an example of how to respond if you found yourself in a similar pickle.

"Any time that you are involved in a situation and there is a gun, don't do anything stupid, don't try to be a hero," said Lt. Bruce Apotheker of the Newton Police.

Sources indicate the "victim" was MMA trainer Keith Florian. In addition to BJJ, Florian is also schooled in Muay Thai and wrestling.

There is so much wrong with this story I don't know where to begin. Florian and his flock may be crediting his martial arts skills with saving the day. Under slightly different circumstances Mr. Florian would've been summarily blown away. Miraculously nobody was injured.

Road rage is a by-product of the culture of disrespect we currently live in. Some tips that should be a no-brainer:

Give yourself time to get to work or your destination. Don't speed, weave in and out of traffic or honk at motorists.

If you're on the road and someone wants to mix it up with you, ignore them. Avoid eye contact, keep you mouth shut, and whatever you do, do not exit your vehicle.

Avoid talking on hand-held cellphones. Never text and drive.

Use common courtesy. Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

In summation, I would like to reference my father's sage advice on how to avoid highway aggression: "Idiots have the right of way."

Never Bring A Gun To A Swordfight

Patterson's post on gun violence includes an image of a street sign proclaiming that "Real Men Use Fists" with a slash through a revolver that made me think of firearm use by samurai during feudal Japan. When relative peace finally emerged during the Tokugawa period (1603 - 1868) firearm use had come to be seen as ignoble. Maybe "real men" of this time didn't like to use guns, but the Way of The Sword was held in high regard. Budo culture now took root and swordfighting schools flourished. Kenjutsu skills were honed not primarily for combat, but as a means to develop character and inner self-control. Two major treatises were written during this period: The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, and The Life-Giving Sword by Yagyu Munenori, both of which delve into philosophy, psychology, and combat strategy (heiho) while giving little regard to any technical explanations.

Swords presumably cannot inflict the mass harm that a sidearm can, let alone an assault rifle. This didn't stop Sokaku Takeda from downing a group of Japanese laborers with his sword following a verbal altercation in the late nineteenth century. After he was acquitted, Takeda wised up and focused his efforts on the weaponless art of aikijujutsu.

In Western lore, the sword was the weapon of choice for the duel before pistols became fashionable. A pre-presidential Abraham Lincoln was challenged to a saber fight that he deftly wiggled out of*. A younger Lincoln, however, did manage to compete in a number of no-holds barred grappling matches^†, none of which ever resulted in a falality.

A while back I saw a review on a book describing actual swordfighting techniques called Street Sword: Practical Use of the Long Blade for Self-Defense. I haven't read it, nor do I plan to. For now, I'll just stick to hand-to-hand combat. Somehow I feel safer that way.



* Steven Pinker 2011. The Better Angels Of Our Nature: Why Violence has Declined. The Penguin Group.
^† Glenn J. Morris, Ph.D. 1998. Martial Arts Madness. North Atlantic Books.

Do I Feel Lucky?

Are you learning or know how to disarm an attacker with a weapon? The featured weapon of choice in most martial-art schools is the receiver-friendly rubber knife. Most novice trainees have been shown at least a couple of basic knife disarming techniques. To be honest, some of these moves are predicated on the notion that the knife wielder has no clue how to properly handle their weapon. The way of the knife is an art. Elite military personnel take their knife fighting skills to a level that would render most McDojo self-defense techniques utterly useless. The saying "never bring a knife to a gunfight" should be a reminder that everything is relative. How would an unarmed martial artist fare against a gunslinger? Would you actually consider trying to take out somebody brandishing a Glock 22 or a .357 Magnum? The following is in part an excerpt taken from The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story, by Chuck Norris with Joe Hyams:

David Glickman, a prominent defense attorney from years ago, asked Chuck Norris to help out with a murder trial he was involved with. The story is that the defendant arrived home from work early one day to find his wife in bed with another man. The husband immediately retrieved a gun from a dresser drawer. Jumping out of bed, the lover charged him. The dutiful husband, who knew that this man was a black belt in karate, shot and killed him. Glickman's plan of defense was to show that a karate expert's skill should be considered lethal. Therefore, the husband acted in self-defense. Norris was called to the stand as a professional witness on behalf of the defense. He was then cross-examined by the assistant district attorney.

DA: Do you expect the court to believe that a black belt in karate would have a chance against a man with a gun?

NORRIS: It's possible. It would depend on the distance.

DA: How about ten feet?

NORRIS: If the gun was not already cocked and aimed, I believe it is possible.

At this point, the DA asked Norris to step down from the stand and wait in front of the jury. The DA produced an unloaded gun and showed it to the jury. Standing next to Norris, he then paced off ten feet, as if reenacting a duel.

DA: I'd like you to stop me before I can cock and fire the gun.

Acting on instructions from the DA, the bailiff shouted "Now!" Like a flash of lightning, Norris sped across the courtroom and placed his foot on the DA's chest. Norris thoughtfully pulled the full power of the kick to avoid hurting the prosecutor.

DA: My thumb slipped. Let's do it again.

This is our tax dollars at work. Norris, standing relaxed with his hands at his side, waited for the command. When the bailiff gave the word, Norris once again closed the distance at light speed, gently planting his foot on the chest of the DA before the gun was cocked. As if that wasn't enough, Norris, with the help of an assistant, proceeded to break some boards to demonstrate the power of karate kicks. The defendant was acquitted.

What's interesting is that in certain cultures the husband's actions would have been seen as totally justified. Naturally it could be argued that had the husband not reached for a gun, the adulterous black belt would have had no reason to jump him. If anyone was acting in self-defense, it was the karate guy. If your martial arts instructor is showing you how to disarm an attacker with a gun, tell her/him about this story. Remember, only Superman is faster than a speeding bullet. And of course, Chuck Norris.