Paying a visit to kung fu men in Southland...

On the weekend I visited my kung fu brother Ben, and trained with some of his dedicated students.

Left to right: Dylan, Anthony, Simon, and Jayden

Self-defence in the News - No. 113

Woman fights off street attacker

22 July 2018

A woman was pushed to the ground as she walked on a Hamilton street in the early hours of Saturday.

She fought off her attacker but police are still looking for him - and say he may now have cuts on his head.

The woman was walking south down Higgins Road between 4.30am and 5am, police said, and the man came up behind her.

He forced her down to the footpath near the intersection with Ramsay Street, police said.

"She fought him off and hit him in the head," a statement from Acting Detective Sergeant Michael Handley said.

The man ran off, and was seen heading north on Higgins Road towards Killarney Road.

The man was wearing all black and was described as being of medium build and height, Handley said.

"He may have lacerations or cuts on his head."

Anyone with information on who the man could be, or on the assault, is asked to contact Constable Richard Ely on 021 191 0208, or Hamilton Police on (07) 858 6200.

Self-defence in the News - No. 112

Man shot as he tries to break into girl's home

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/105009122/us-girls-mum-shoots-kiwi-her-daughter-met-online-as-he-tried-to-enter-their-home

Senior kung fu men ~ Saturday training

Brent and Pete

Self-defence in the News - No. 111

Shopkeeper scares off armed robber

18 June 2018

By Tom Kitchin

Old Town Store owner Utia Lafita holds the saucer she used to scare off a would-be robber. Photo: Tom Kitchin

Cromwell dairy owner Utia Lafita says she was not afraid during  an attempted armed robbery at her shop in Old Cromwell on Friday night, she was just "very, very angry".

"I don’t know what happened. The people here are very friendly, this was just out of the blue."

About 8pm on Friday,  Mrs Lafita, the owner of Old Town Store in Achil St, was minding her shop when a male dressed in dark clothing and wearing a balaclava walked in.

"He was covered from head to toe, it was only his eyes I could see. As a human being, I thought he was just very cold."

Mrs Lafita (64) assumed he was going to buy something, as he walked over to the chocolates at one side of the counter and began to stare at them.

"Less than a minute later, he turned around and said ‘Give me your money’."

She saw what looked like a gun in his hands.

"I leant over the counter and said ‘What?’. My heart was bubbling."

Mrs Lafita tried to find something to throw at him, but all she had at the counter was a small saucer.

"I held [the saucer] up and he ran out and around the corner."

Mrs Lafita was uninjured and did not give the man any money.

But she could not work out how to use her phone. Luckily, her daughter arrived about 10 minutes later and called the police.

Mrs Lafita said her family had been in Cromwell for three years and this was the first kind of robbery she had witnessed.

She thanked the Cromwell community for their support.

"The next morning,  I opened up the shop and the first person was so upset and unhappy and asked what happened."I feel so honoured. They feel what I’ve been through. They are caring people."

A police spokeswoman said the man could have been holding a small firearm or an imitation firearm.

• Cromwell police  (03) 445-1999; Crimestoppers  0800 555-111.

Shereen in action

Caffeine Highgate

Left to right: me, Red, and Kevin.

17 Dec 2017

Dunedin

Saturday training...

Southland kung fu instructor Lyndsay pays a visit to
Pete, Brendan, Shereen, Fin, and me.

Lyndsay, Brendan, and Fin

27-01-2018

Photographer: Anthony

Lyndsay and Anthony

27-01-2018

Photographer: Brendan

Self-defence in the News - No. 110

Nelson man fights off home intruder

CHERIE SIVIGNON

December 22, 2017

A Nelson man who woke up to find an intruder in his house wrestled with the man who was threatening to stab him.

"I'm very grateful my partner and the kids weren't there and they never had to see anything," said the resident, who declined to be named. "I'm a big boy; I can handle myself but ... the kids."

The resident said he was woken about 2.30am on Tuesday to a noise in his home at the Wood. He got up to investigate and saw a glow like torchlight coming from his spare room. The resident went in to find a man in the room.

"I told him to get the f... out of my house."

The pair started to exchange blows, the resident said.

"He said: 'I'll stab you, I'll stab you."

The resident said he saw no knife at the time and the fight continued.

During the tussle, the man fell back and smashed his arm through a window.

Cut and bleeding, the man continued to fight, the resident said.

"I said: 'We can keep doing this or you can get out of my house'."

The man chose the latter option and left via the front door "squirting blood down the hallway", the resident said.

Police were called and arrived quickly, blocking off the area. A dog unit followed a trail.

The resident said police officers went back into the spare room with him and together and they found a knife that the resident believed belonged to the man.

"They were exceptionally good," the resident said of police officers involved.

The resident said he believed the man had also been in two of three vehicles on his property but he did not think anything had been taken from the vehicles or the house.

"It was brazen," the resident said of the incident. "He had to know someone was in there."

About 1½ hours after police were called, the resident was told a man had been arrested.

The resident said he understood the alleged offender had been granted bail.

"I'm frustrated with this," the resident said. "At the end of the day, these guys shouldn't be at large. He had a knife in my house. I should be able to sleep in my own bed without harm."

Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming confirmed a 19-year-old man had been arrested and charged with aggravated burglary.

She said he had been remanded on bail to an address outside of the Nelson area, and would be back in court in late January.

Police also confirmed the man arrested was treated for cuts at Nelson Hospital.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/100100086/nelson-man-fights-off-home-intruder-armed-with-knife

Kung fu training day and club dinner

Shereen and Kevin

(That's Rodney, Pete, and Brent in the background.)

16 Dec 2017

Photographer: Anthony

Rodney and Red

16 Dec 2017

Photographer: Anthony

Anthony and Kevin

16 Dec 2017

Photographer: Rachel

More photographs to come as I get hold of them...