A couple of notices, and..... Kevin.

• My own sifu, Kevin Earle, was in town for one day on Thursday the 14th. I spent a bit of time with Kevin on Thursday morning, then he attended Thursday evening's class. Present were: Brent, Ange, Mike, Hadrian, David (Kevin's travelling companion and an old training partner of mine from way back), Rachel, Pete, Sean, Ben, newcomer Shane on his first night in class, and me. We so enjoyed having Kevin and David there. 
• Thursday, 21st of November will be the last time we train on a Thursday at our present hall. We will train on Wednesdays instead, the first Wednesday training night being 27th of November. So, from then on, our classes will be Monday evenings, Wednesday evenings, and Saturday afternoons. 
• As a one-off, there will be no training on Saturday, 30th of November. The landlord wants the use of the hall on that day.

Self-defence in the News - No. 50

100 Years Ago

The more things change.....



Reprinted in Otago Daily Times, 1 November 2013.
Original article 1 November 1913.

Self-defence in the News - No. 49

"My instinct was limbs, kick, scream, punch, everything."

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/278699/help-get-person-street-victim

Help get this person off the street: victim

 By Hamish McNeilly on Sat, 26 Oct 2013

 

A police sketch of the man who allegedly attacked a 25-year-old woman in Dunedin on Saturday night.

The victim of an attempted abduction in Dunedin hopes the public will recognise a police sketch of the man ''to help get this person get off the street''.

Yesterday police released a sketch of the man based on a description supplied by the 25-year-old Dunedin woman. Last Saturday night, the woman was walking home from the Octagon after being unable to get a taxi due to the long lines of people waiting for them after the All Blacks v Australia test.

In Princes St, she began talking to a ''normal, young, friendly sober dude'' near the Oval and opposite the bus depot.

''There was nothing bizarre about the conversation; we spoke for 10 to 15 minutes ... just about the rugby and weather, basically.''

The pair parted ways when they got to Hillside Rd and she continued walking down the street.

''I didn't think he was there. I thought I was walking on my own.''

The man then yelled an offensive comment and as she made her way to the road to text someone, he rushed at her, grabbed her and lifted her some 10m into some bushes at Bathgate Park.

''My instinct was limbs, kick, scream, punch, everything.

''I made enough commotion for him to give up, drop me and run away.''

The man was last seen running across Bathgate Park in the direction of Helena St and Macandrew Rd.

Stunned, the woman made her way back to the road and flagged down a taxi, which took her home, where she contacted the police.

She said it was hard helping police to make the sketch, as ''it was a difficult memory bank to tap into''.

''But I want to do everything I can do to help get this person get off the street ... I had a lucky escape so I want to help them out.''

She said police involved in the case had been ''amazing''.

''They have real sympathy and compassion.''

When she looked at the sketch of her offender, she felt sadness for society, as ''you just can't be free and walk around and do what you want because, unfortunately, there are people out there like this''.

However, she felt Dunedin was a safe city and ''this was just an unfortunate event''.

Detective Sergeant Rob Hanna, of Dunedin, said anyone with information about the offender should contact Dunedin police on 471-4800 or the anonymous tip-off line Crimestoppers, 0800 555 111.

Police did not believe the attack was linked to an attempted abduction hours earlier in Vogel St. Sightings of the ''home-sprayed'' silver van by members of the public had been confirmed in South Dunedin and the inner city, Detective Regan Boucher said. He urged anyone who had spotted that vehicle on Saturday night or Sunday night to contact police.

Two men jointly charged with abducting a woman with the intention of raping her were remanded in custody by consent. One was later granted bail.

- hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz


Wanted

• Caucasian, early to mid-20s
• Between 167cm-175cm in height
• Medium build with broad shoulders
• Short light brown or fair hair, and wispy facial hair
• He was wearing a white cap and possibly a dark hoodie

SUPPLIED: NEW ZEALAND POLICE

Saturday training, 26th of October...

Just this once, Saturday training starts at 2:00pm.

Mike will open up.

Self-defence in the News - No. 48

Attacker clawed in the face

 http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9313048/Attacker-clawed-in-the-face 

22/10/2013

 

A Christchurch woman was pushed to the ground, headbutted and punched in the face by a man who then tried to sexually assault her.

She managed to get away though, fending off the attacker by clawing at his face.
The attack, in Nunweek Park in the Christchurch suburb of Harewood, happened at about 2.30am yesterday.

Police this afternoon appealed for anyone with information about the attack to come forward.

Police Detective Sergeant Richard Quested said the woman, aged in her 20s, parked her car in Wooldridge Rd before trying to use the toilets in the park.

However, they were locked and as she returned to the car she was attacked from behind.

"The woman was pushed to the ground, headbutted and hit in the face. While on the ground her attacker has attempted to sexually assault the woman, but was disturbed by a passing street sweeping machine," Quested said.

"The woman clawed at the man's face and pushed him off, and was able to run back to her car and drive away."

She suffered cuts and bruises and was fortunate not to be seriously injured.

The attacker was described as between 1.67 metres and 1.77m tall, of medium build with a "beer belly" and a moustache. He was believed to be wearing a black cap with a black hoodie pulled up over the cap, Quested said.

"If anyone has seen a man of this description, or any other suspicious people or activity around the park, we urge them to contact police as soon as possible."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Pamela Cox on 03 372 5710, Christchurch police on 03 363 7400 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Sunday at Ange's house

My photographs from Sunday.

Chris

Mike (left) and Steve

Hadrian

Brent

Anthony (left) and Brent
Photo by Hadrian

The lovely Moo

Steve

Self-defence in the News - No. 47

Gutsy woman who fought off attacker says court sentence is disappointing

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11121323

Penalty 'slap in the face'

By Kathryn Powley

Sep 8, 2013

Noreen Roudon at the place near the Sunnyvale station where she was assaulted.  

Photo / Doug Sherring 

A gutsy woman who fought off an attacker after he followed her from a train into a walkway is disappointed with his sentence - the equivalent of being grounded for three months.

Last November, Noreen Roudon suffered a black eye when she was attacked by Jonathan Ray Lole, 27, who followed her from the Sunnyvale rail station in West Auckland and grabbed her as she walked home.

It was early evening, still daylight, and Roudon fought back.

She told the Herald on Sunday shortly after the incident that she was not usually a confrontational person.

"But I turned around and saw him. I knew that I was fighting for my life. If he had a weapon, I didn't know. I just started punching, screaming, fighting and swearing."

On Friday, Roudon, 27, was in Auckland District Court for Lole's sentencing.

He will serve nine months' supervision and three months' community detention, during which time he must remain at his Henderson address from 7.30pm to 7.30am weeknights and 8.30pm to 7.30am on weekends.

Community detention is effectively a curfew, a sentence which restricts an offender's movements during specified times. It requires an offender to remain at an approved residence at times set down by the court.

This week, Roudon told the Herald on Sunday: "It was a bit of a slap in the face. I was disappointed."

She had reluctantly moved out of her parents' house and in with her partner because she no longer wanted to walk from the train - and partly because Lole lived nearby.

"I'm not scared, but I don't walk as much."

- Herald on Sunday

A September Saturday

Three photographs I made today...

Ange and Mike.

Kung Fu man, Pete. Quick learner, skills growing.

Hard-hitting heavyweights, Hadrian and Mike.

Brent

[Cartoon by George Booth in The New Yorker.]

Self-defence in the News - No. 46

Shopkeeper punched as she fights back during robbery

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892494 

By Morgan Tait

 Monday Jun 24, 2013

 

A middle-aged woman was punched in the face when she fought back against two armed females trying to steal money and cigarettes from her Auckland dairy yesterday.

The woman's husband, who was afraid to be identified, told the Herald it was the second time their business, Puhinui Superette, had been robbed since the pair bought it in late 2010.

He had briefly left the store on Puhinui Rd, Papatoetoe, to do some shopping when two women entered about 2.20pm yesterday, he said.

"It's very awful, they came into the shop and one of them produced a gun. One of them she [threatened] my wife and other one got into the counter and took some money and cigarettes." He said his wife tried to stop the women from getting away.

"My wife got punched in the face - her lip was bleeding from where it hit her teeth and she has got some cuts. She chased them out and tried to stop them escaping. My wife is really brave."

He said she was left shaken and afraid after the incident.

Neighbours, who are regular customers of the dairy, saw the shopkeeper chasing the women and helped to restrain one of them.

Police say they are now looking for the second woman, described as Polynesian, about 20, with dark brown hair, who ran away with more than $200 of cash and cigarettes.

The store was also robbed two years ago, and it left the couple - who are both aged over 50 and moved to New Zealand from China 10 years ago - feeling vulnerable.

"We never feel really safe in this isolated place, we have to rely on our luck not to get killed or injured and nothing can really be done about it.

"We have had one of these incidents before and this time she fought back really strongly."

St John Ambulance staff treated the shopkeeper for her facial injuries.