Self-defence in the News - No. 73

Woman and dog fight off alleged attacker

 

Published: 5:20PM Thursday December 04, 2014 Source: ONE News 

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/dog-bite-and-kick-groin-woman-fight-off-alleged-attacker-6191211 

A dog bite and a kick to the groin - Woman and dog fight 

off alleged attacker

 

 

A woman and her dog fought off a man who grabbed her in a Hamilton carpark in an attack police say had sexual overtones.

The 20-year-old was grabbed from behind as she opened her car door in the Countdown supermarket carpark on Bridge St around 8pm yesterday.

The victim's dog jumped from the car and bit the man on his right forearm, while the woman kicked him in the groin.

The man, described as being Indian in appearance, short and aged between his mid 30s and early 40s, fled the scene.

Police want to speak to any witnesses or anyone who may know of a man matching the offender's description.

"This was an attack with sexual overtones and is of concern to us," Detective Sergeant Matt Cranshaw of the Hamilton CIB says.

"We commend the complainant for her swift action and are providing support for her".

Kung-fu brothers

Saturday training today with (left to right): Chris, Pete, Hadrian, Brendan.

Self-defence in the News - No. 72

International student fights off attacker 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/63161206/International-student-fights-off-attacker 

13/11/2014

 

An 18-year-old international student fought off her attacker as he attempted to kidnap her on Thursday night.

Detective Sergeant Will Loughrin said the student was studying in the library of the Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies in Gordonton, north-east of Hamilton, when she was grabbed.

"...as she was working at a computer, she was grabbed around the neck and dragged by an attacker who we believe was trying to get her to a car parked on the grass outside an adjoining room," he said.

"Unable to scream very loudly due to being held round the throat, the woman has kicked and lashed out, scratching the man with her fingernails before breaking free."

The young girl ran for help and the attacker fled in the car.

"This victim has obviously been quite traumatised by what has happened and we are ensuring she gets the support she needs from Victim Support and from translation services," said Loughrin.

Police are looking for a description of the vehicle which they describe as a white, older model station-wagon.

"The only description we have of the man is he was Maori or Polynesian and aged in his early twenties," said Loughrin.

Police were also interested in hearing from anyone in the Gordonton area who may have seen this vehicle in the few days before the attack because they believe it had been loitering around the Eastwest campus.

Alternatively, people who have information and want to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

"People who find themselves in similar situations are advised to try and make as much noise as possible and defend yourself by using sufficient force to prevent harm to yourself or those with you. If someone does attempt to take you away, go to the nearest place other people are to raise the alarm."

- Stuff

Self-defence in the News - No. 71

Girl fights off attacker

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/10729692/Girl-fights-off-attacker-with-jiu-jitsu-skills

Girl fights off attacker with jiu jitsu skills

11/11/2014

TRACEY CHATTERTON  

 

A teenager with martial arts skills has earned praise from police after fighting off her alleged attacker.

The 16-year-old, speaking about her ordeal for the first time, said she "bolted"
home, allegedly leaving the man who tried to molest her stunned on the footpath.

The Year 11 student was happy to speak about her ordeal but her parents asked that she not be identified to protect her until the alleged offender had been caught.

She was resigned to the fact there will always be "scumbags" in the community, however it had knocked her confidence walking around what she thought was a safe area.

"I should be able to walk around without fear of being attacked," she said.

She encouraged other teens to scream, and fight back if they were ever confronted.
"They don't expect a small girl to fight back."

She had been walking home from a job interview at The Plaza in Hastings about 4.30pm on October 29 when a group of guys leaned out of a car wolf-whistling at her.

As she walked through a carpark a group of teenage boys also gave her a bit of lip.

"I thought what the hell is happening today, I just wanted to get home."

She continued on down Caroline Rd when she heard someone approaching on a bicycle. Instead of whizzing past she heard the bicycle slow.

Her heart was pounding when a "dodgy looking guy" started riding alongside her.

He started making lurid comments about her figure and suggested she go back to his house.

"I was looking straight ahead trying to ignore him ... and asked him to please leave me alone. He was being sleazy, and so creepy."

She tried to cross the road when he got off his bike and started walking next to her.

The man grabbed her and pushed her into some bushes.
 
"I should've screamed but I got a fright and it didn't click."

Instead she elbowed him in the testicles and punched him in the face, causing his tooth to cut through his lip. Then she ran.

She sprinted until she reached her doorstep and rang her mum who notified the police.

The teen said practising martial art, Brazilian jiu jitsu, gave her more confidence to confront her attacker.

She said she still counted herself lucky because if the alleged attacker had been any bigger, she would've struggled to stop the attack.

Police praised her quick thinking and defensive moves.

"This is a great example of how young people, especially females, should be aware of personal safety and know what to do if they are approached or attacked," Detective Jeff Foley said.

Police are still looking for a man described as Maori, aged between 20 and 30 of a medium build and height, wearing a large, black hoodie.

- The Dominion Post

Kung-fu man

Hadrian

Photographer: Anthony 01-11-2014

Labour Day

This Labour weekend:

There is no class on Saturday 25th.

On Labour Day (Monday 27th) Pete is in charge, and will open up at the normal time.

Self-defence in the News - No. 70

Dairy owner strikes back against armed robber

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10513380/Dairy-owner-strikes-back-chases-robber

 

Dairy owner strikes back, chases robber 

HELEN HARVEY  

18/09/2014

TAKE THAT: Dairy owner Pran Sharma fought off an 

armed intruder who tried to rob his dairy yesterday.

ANDY JACKSON / Fairfax NZ

A would-be robber got more than he bargained for when he pointed a knife at a Waitara dairy owner in Taranaki yesterday afternoon.

A man walked into the Raleigh St Dairy at about 2pm and made his way behind the counter to where owner Pran Sharma was sitting, making up orders, Sharma said. The intruder pointed a knife at him and demanded money and cigarettes.

But Sharma was having none of it. He hit the intruder with an electric kettle and as the man moved backwards Sharma grabbed a jar of lollies and whacked him again.

"I was not scared. I tried to grab the knife," he said.

"He was lucky to escape. I was really angry."

The exchange lasted less than a minute, before the man took off out the door with Sharma after him.

Sharma chased the robber across the road, yelling at him to stop and come back. But the man disappeared up a side street.

When Sharma returned to his shop a neighbour told him he had called the police.

Sharma has owned the dairy for more than two years and has only had one other problem, when a man tried to get into the dairy when it was closed.

He was caught on the security camera, recognised and went to jail, Sharma said.

And he was confident the police would catch this intruder.

Detective Mike Thorne of Waitara CIB said police were still looking for the offender.

They had footage from the dairy's surveillance system and he was confident local knowledge would produce some information.

In the last fortnight, two shops in South Taranaki had been targeted by armed robbers wanting money and cigarettes.

On September 1, Hawera's Subway Dairy owners were allegedly threatened by a teen armed with a small pistol. An arrest has been made in the case and a 17-year-old Hawera man is due to reappear in court on October 7.

And last Saturday, the owners of Chris's Dairy in Opunake, were confronted by a man wielding a large kitchen knife.

- Taranaki Daily News

SEMINAR

The Form 

 

• Grounding exercise
• The last movement from the Bil Jee form: how it works and why it works
• The cyclical nature of Wing Chun's three forms 
• Pushing the planet away/decompression and straightening
• Structural power and the postural groove
• The neck connection
• Fishbowl full of agitated, muddy water
• Surprise! (Who is surprised?) Throwing the switch
• Explosive close-range hitting
• Internal attraction/density (magnetism analogy)
• Grand Central Station
• Breathing: how to breathe while doing The Form, and why it helps to pay attention to it
• Weight: what is affected and what is not
• The dynamic equilibrium of relaxation (within The Form) 
• Using The Form to move back to centre (remember my story of getting up on the wrong side of the bed)
• The relativity of yin and yang (remember my illustration of the outdoor grass area and the inside of the hall) and some of its relevance to us

Hands-on and experiential

Sunday 7 September 2014

8:45 AM - 12:00 PM

In attendance: Hadrian, Rachel, Chris, and Anthony (instructor).

Self-defence in the News - No. 69

Woman vigorously resists attacker

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/10416704/Daylight-sex-attack-at-campus

"Daylight sex attack at campus" 

LIAM HYSLOP  

23/08/2014 

Police are investigating a violent daylight sexual attack at Waikato University this morning.

A 20-year-old woman was confronted by a man aged in his 20s at the maths and sciences block about 8.30am, before being punched and dragged into a secluded area of the university grounds, Hamilton police said.

The woman screamed and "vigorously resisted" the man throughout the attack and eventually managed to flee her attacker, police said.

The offender was described as dark skinned male about 160-170cm tall and of medium build.

He had shoulder length black hair off his face and was wearing dark trousers and shoes, and a white long-sleeve sweat top with two distinctive black lines down the full length of the sleeves.

If anyone saw a person matching this description or has any information they are asked to call the Hamilton police or Crimestoppers (0800 555 111).

- Stuff

Self-defence in the News - No. 68

Christchurch dairy owner scares off knife-wielding robber

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/10412663/Pepper-spray-sends-knifeman-fleeing

"Pepper spray sends knifeman fleeing"

JOELLE DALLY

22/08/2014

Footage shows a man entering a Christchurch dairy before pointing a knife at the shopkeeper in a robbery. 

A Christchurch dairy owner scared off a knife-welding robber by threatening him with a can of pepper spray.

She also had a pool cue behind the door if she needed it.

Police have this week renewed calls for public assistance to identify the hooded perpetrator, who fled as soon as she held up the spray can.

But they warn dairy owners have few legal grounds to justify arming themselves.

Security footage of the June 23 incident at Avenues Dairy, on the corner of Worcester St and Fitzgerald Ave, shows the hooded man walk into the dairy and put a can of beer on the counter.

He requests cigarettes, and the dairy owner asks him for ID.

The man then pulled out a large knife, which Detective Hamish Beer said "has that cheese knife look about it".

The female attendant responds by grabbing a can and holding it up.

Beer would not comment on what it was, but a visit to the dairy found it was a can of pepper spray, which the small, friendly woman, still had handy, but out of a customer's reach.

She did not need to spray the offender that day. She just held it up and he ran, she said.

The dairy had been robbed only a month earlier, when two intruders, one holding a knife, threatened the female shop attendant, demanding cash and cigarettes. She called out to an associate, and they fled empty-handed.

She is not the only city dairy owner taking matters into her own hands.

In June, a Yaldhurst dairy owner wrested an air rifle off robber who demanded cash and tobacco pouches. Alexander William Edward Cottrell, 17, ran off empty-handed.

In October, another dairy owner fended off knife-welding robber Carly Denise Laughton, 27, with a chair. She was jailed in March after confessing to the robbery.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Warner said dairy owners could justify arming themselves only  if they had recently been robbed and feared it might happen again.

Otherwise, they risked prosecution for possessing a restricted or offensive weapon, he said.

Whether or not a dairy owner would face charges for fending off a robber with a weapon would be assessed on a "case by case basis", he said.

Dairy owners should instead consider security measures such as automatic doors and panic buttons, Warner said, but he conceded these came at a cost.

Offenders had little to gain for robbing dairies.

They often left with nothing or "very little", yet police and the judiciary took the offence "very seriously", Warner said.

Anyone with information on the June 23, Avenues Dairy robbery was asked to phone Detective Beer on (03) 363 7400.

- The Press

Self-defence in the News - No. 67

Woman fights off attackers

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/312811/victim-fought-attackers 

"Victim fought off attackers"

 By Hamish McNeilly 

16 Aug 2014

Joseph Lepper hides from the camera in the High Court at Dunedin while pleading guilty to a sex-related attempted abduction. Photo by ODT. 

A student who fought off two abductors on a mission to rape has made her parents ''insanely proud''.

The victim was supported by her family when her two attackers appeared in the High Court at Dunedin yesterday.

Joseph Lepper (37), of Motueka, pleaded guilty to a charge of detaining a woman without her consent with intent to have sexual intercourse with her.

Yesterday, co-accused Zane Alexander McVeigh (18), of Kaiapoi, was sentenced to two years and eight months' imprisonment on the same charge.

On the night of October 19, the pair were in Lepper's van cruising the warehouse precinct when Lepper spotted the victim walking in dimly lit Vogel St about 9.30pm.

''I'm going to do that bitch,'' he told McVeigh.

The victim, who cannot be named, fought off the pair as they tried to bundle her into the van, which was angle-parked in front of the 22-year-old.

In her victim impact statement, the victim said she ''had an inkling'' something was wrong when the van went past and stopped.

''It was a testament to her bravery that she was able to fight you off until help arrived,'' Justice Graham Lang, who had watched CCTV footage of the attack, said.

After the offenders appeared in court, the victim told the Otago Daily Times she was pleased her attackers were off the street and they did not harm anyone else.

''It is the best outcome from a worst-case scenario.''

The victim admitted she ''did well'' to fight off the two men long enough until others came to her aid.

Her parents, who live in Christchurch, said they were ''insanely proud'' of her actions.

''And I haven't seen how kick-ass my daughter was in the [CCTV] video,'' her mother said.

''A month previous [to the incident], she was at home chopping wood and literally couldn't even physically lift up an axe.''

Earlier, the court had heard how the attack had impacted on her last year of study.

She failed an exam and struggled to return to Dunedin to visit her sister, who was studying.

She was determined to move on with her life, and had a final message to share.

''Hopefully, we can teach men in society that they shouldn't be doing this kind of thing, as it is not acceptable ... and they won't get away with it.''

Her father said the attack was not a reflection on the city, and noted both men were visitors to the city.

''I don't think it is a sad indictment on Dunedin as such - it is sad there are people like that around.''

The victim praised the ''very good'' work of Dunedin police.

Her mother said she hoped McVeigh - whose offer of restorative justice with her daughter was declined - would learn from the incident.

''For a young man, let's hope he can turn his life around.''

Self-defence in the News - No. 66

Having car door locked thwarts carjacker

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11300701

"Carjack victim turns up at police station - told to ring 111"

By Kristin Edge, Hannah Norton

Tuesday Jul 29, 2014 

The woman drove straight to Whangarei Police Station, pictured, after an attempted carjacking but says she was told to ring 111 instead.

A woman who drove straight to Whangarei police station to report an attempted carjacking is appalled she was told by a constable to ring 111 to get a police officer to attend.

Police yesterday apologised to the woman, saying the officer was inexperienced and in the wrong. It was the second attempted carjacking in the city in less than a week.

The 21-year-old Whangarei woman, who did not want to be identified, was at the front counter of the Whangarei Police Station just after 12pm on Thursday when she was offered a landline to call police but opted to go outside and use her cellphone.

Only minutes before she had been in her car and stopped on Otaika Rd waiting to turn into Tarewa Rd when a man standing on the central traffic island tried to open her driver's door.

She described him as of Maori descent, aged in his late teens, of a stocky build, and dressed in a black hoodie with a blue T-shirt or collar.

"He yanked the door and looked at me," she said.

Fortunately her car door was locked and she was able to drive away.

"I went to the police station straight away and was told it would be faster to call 111 and they could dispatch a unit."

Acting Whangarei/Kaipara Area Commander Inspector Justin Rogers said the officer who served her had less than six months in the force, and had limited front counter experience.

"This is not the preferred response from police and he should have called 111 himself on the radio.
We have spoken to the officer about the matter," Inspector Rogers said.

Following the call to 111 a patrol car was dispatched immediately but, as more than 10 minutes had passed, the man could not be located, he said.

"Police would like to remind people that if a crime is in progress they should call 111 immediately. If you are in a car, you can call 111 from your cellphone."

The woman said she chose to go into the station rather than ring 111 as she was only three intersections away and was distressed after the incident and wasn't thinking completely clearly.

"They should have seen that I was distressed. I would have expected a better result," she said.

Meanwhile, police are investigating an incident at the BP Wylies Service Station on Maunu Rd last Monday where a man tried to get into a car parked on the forecourt.

A woman, who was in the passenger seat of the car, said while the driver had gone to pay for fuel a man came into the car and began searching for the keys in the ignition.

Police had not received a complaint regarding this incident, but due to the serious nature of the allegation contacted the service station and viewed the CCTV footage.

The footage shows a man in a hooded red jacket opening the door, reaching in and then taking off.

Anyone with information can contact Whangarei Police on 09 430 4500.

The Northern Advocate

Kung Fu Archive

I made these 20 photographs in May 2002 at Earle's Academy. The camera I used was my old Nikon FG 35mm manual focus SLR, with a standard 50mm lens. Thank you to my regular training partners of the time for allowing me to photograph them in the kwoon: Jacim T., Trevor J., Sean J., Ben G., and Chris M., all skilled wing chun men. And thanks also to Kevin.

Left to right: Ben, me (self-portrait), and Trevor. 

Ben (left) and Jacim. 

Chris. 

Jacim. 

Chris.

 Jacim. 

Jacim. 

Jacim (signing in). 

Jacim (left) and Ben. 

Jacim (fook sau) and Trevor.

Maria. 

Sean. 

Left to right: Sean and Chris. 

Left to right: Maria and Sean. 

Foreground: Sean and Maria. Background: Trevor and Jacim. 

Left to right: Sean and Trevor. 

Trevor. 

Trevor. 

Left to right: Trevor and Jacim. 

Foreground: Trevor (left) and Sean. 

Background: me making the photograph, reflected in the mirror.

Self-defence in the News - No. 65

Teenage girl fights off attacker 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/10229052/Teenage-girl-fights-off-attacker 

03/07/2014

A teenager attacked in her Hawke's Bay home last night escaped with scratches and bruises after the man fled when she screamed and fought him off, police say.

The 16-year-old Napier girl had left the front door of her family home open for her parents when she arrived home around 11.30pm, as they were following her in a separate car.

The girl noticed someone come through the front door of their home on Logan Ave, Marewa, and reached for a phone when she saw it was not her parents, but a male intruder.

The man described as "part-Maori in his 30s", threw the teenager up against a wall, Detective Ross Alexander said.

She screamed and tried to fight him off, and the man fled just minutes before her parents arrived home.

The girl was shaken, and suffered scratches and bruising in the attack but was otherwise unhurt.

Nothing was taken from the house and there were no sexual overtones to the attack, Alexander said.

"We believe this may have been an opportunistic attack and is a timely reminder to everyone to keep their houses secure at night and be mindful of strangers in their neighbourhood.

"We are very keen to speak to anyone who saw a person acting suspiciously in the Logan Ave area last night. Someone may have seen this man walking along the street or perhaps in nearby streets," Alexander said.

The man was described as being of stocky build with short dark hair, and about 1.7m tall.

He was wearing a dark-coloured hoodie and pants, and fingerless gloves.

- Anyone with information about the man should contact Detective Alexander at Hawke's Bay police on 06 8310806, or information can be left anonymously on Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

 - The Dominion Post

Fighting-staff training yesterday

Anthony & Chris - 1

Anthony & Chris - 2

Anthony & Chris - 3

Photographs by Casey

Self-defence in the News - No. 64

Shop owner wrestles gunman 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/10187535/Shop-owner-wrestles-gunman 

BLAIR ENSOR

22/06/2014 

A dairy owner bravely wrestled a gun from a masked man who walked into his store and demanded cash and cigarettes.  

Police are looking for the would-be robber who fled empty-handed from Yaldhurst Discount Dairy, on Yaldhurst Rd, Christchurch, about 6.35pm, yesterday.

An air rifle was left at the scene. 

Detective Sergeant Hamish Wilson said the dairy owner initially complied with the gun-toting man's demands but took matters into his own hands when he realised it was not a high-powered rifle.

"When the robber has pointed the firearm over the counter the [owner] grabbed the barrel and wrestled it off him," Wilson said.

"Whilst the dairy owner was lucky on this occasion to escape without injury we would recommend that anyone in that situation comply with the demands of the robber and contact police as soon as possible."  

The alleged robber was described as a European, of medium build, 1.8m tall and wearing a grey jacket over the top of a black hoodie. His face was covered with a black cloth.

Anyone with information is asked to call Christchurch police on 03 363 7400 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

- The Press

Today's class

Class today, Monday 26th, is cancelled.



See you Wednesday.

Self-defence in the News - No. 63

Woman hits attacker with saucepan

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/23780381/stalker-hit-with-saucepan-charged/

Stalker hit with saucepan, charged

May 23, 2014

A Sydney man has been charged over an assault in which he was repeatedly hit over the head with a saucepan by the woman he followed home.

Police say the 23-year-old followed a woman to her unit block in McMahons Point, on the city's north shore, on April 9 and grabbed her from behind.

But he ran off when his victim smacked him several times with a large pan she was carrying.

Police have linked the man to two other incidents earlier the same day, with one woman allegedly followed from Milsons Point Railway Station and another from the street into a building in North Sydney.

Police arrested the man at a home in Oxley Park, in Sydney's west, on Friday and later charged him with three counts of stalking. He was also charged with assault with intent to rob and trespass.

He was refused bail and is expected to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.

Self-defence in the News - No. 62

Intended victim fought back

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/300594/intruder-stabbed-home-invasion

Intruder stabbed in home invasion

Thu, 1 May 2014

by Brendan Manning

 

A man who broke into a rural Manawatu property demanding drugs left with a pair of scissors embedded in his stomach after his intended victim fought back, a local farmer said.

Police said the 45-year-old woman got up about 6.40am yesterday at her Opiki property to investigate a noise she thought might have been her partner returning from milking.

Instead, she was confronted by a man armed with a knife.

The owner of a number of farms in the area, including the property where the attack took place, Helen McAloon, said she and her husband Michael rushed to the victim's aid after receiving a call from her partner.

"He was milking the cows and he had to race home ... he just informed us that there'd been a home invasion and his partner was hurt.

"She was a little bit hurt and obviously very distressed.''

The two men broke in demanding drugs, Mrs McAloon said.

"She put up a bit of a fight and they took off.

"She just said that two guys had broken their way in. I think they must have gone through a back door. She said she [had] locked it, but some of those old houses, the locks aren't as good as they should be,'' Mrs McAloon said.

"She fended them off with a pair of scissors, they're still in their gut ... [Police] will be trying to comb the hospitals to see if someone came in.''

Mrs McAloon said it was the first time she had heard of drugs-related offending in the area, and the attack had shaken up the close-knit community.

Palmerston North Detective Sergeant David Thompson said the attack escalated when the woman couldn't comply with her attacker's demands.

"We understand that during this time he [the attacker] has received a wound to the stomach with scissors,'' he said.

Following the attack, the offenders fled in a vehicle and the injured woman barricaded herself in her room and called police.

The victim was being treated at Palmerston North Hospital for her injuries.

The offenders were still on the run. Police wanted to speak to anyone who saw a vehicle speeding and driving dangerously in the Opiki area between 6.50am and 7.15am.

The first offender is described as Maori, with a noticeable missing tooth. He was wearing dark clothing. The second man was described as Pakeha with blond hair.

Anyone with information was asked to contact Constable Nick Parlane on 06 215 4962. Alternatively information can be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Easter training

Yes, training today (Saturday).

And yes, training Easter Monday as well.

Usual times.

Self-defence in the News - No. 61

Hero warden saves assault victim

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11227620 

Bay of Plenty Times

Thursday Mar 27, 2014

 

A Tauranga parking warden ran to the aid of an assault victim in ACC yesterday and held the offender until police arrived.

The parking warden, who wanted to be known only by his first name Peter, was patrolling past ACC on Grey Street when a woman ran out calling for help.

Peter entered the building and saw a man who was obviously out of control.

Peter said he helped an ACC staff member to restrain the offender and called police.

The man, who was accused of punching an ACC staff member and pushing computers and equipment off desks, was arrested.

Peter wanted to praise the actions of the staff member who, despite being assaulted, managed to get the offender into a headlock as Peter arrived to assist and helped to restrain his arms.

A third person then helped to restrain the man until police arrived. Peter said they had to hold the man for about 10 minutes.

All other ACC staff had retreated behind locked doors by the time police arrived.

The hand is the cutting edge of the mind. 

- Jacob Bronowski
The Ascent of Man (1973) 

Self-defence in the News - No. 60

Woman escapes attempted attack

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11218456&ref=rss

Man sought over attempted attack at Auckland Botanic Gardens

 Mar 12, 2014 

Photo / NZ police

A woman escaped an attempted attack after being grabbed from behind while jogging through Auckland Botanic Gardens this morning, police say.

The 44-year-old was jogging through the park around 8.30am when she was grabbed by an unknown man who attempted to pull her off the path.

She managed to get away, and the man made off towards the east side of the gardens, near Katote Close.

He is described as being around 5"11 tall and of skinny build with dark skin, wearing a turquoise coloured hoodie and long black pants. He was wearing socks but no shoes.

Police advised people to avoid dark or isolated places while running or walking alone, and to keep cellphones close by. If possible stay within view of traffic or pedestrians.

Anyone who can identify the man, or who witnessed the incident, is asked to contact Counties Manukau crime squad on 09 261 1321 or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Self-defence in the News - No. 59

"He fought for his life."

http://news.msn.co.nz/worldnews/8805623/bible-in-us-drivers-pocket-stops-bullets

Bible in US driver's pocket stops bullets

Wed Feb 26 2014 

 The Bible that a US bus driver kept in his pocket saved his life after it stopped two bullets from piercing his chest, stunned police say.

 

Rickey Wagoner (Ohio RTA)

"There was obviously some kind of intervention involved in this incident because he probably should not be here," Sergeant Michael Pauley of the Dayton, Ohio police told reporters on Tuesday.

Rickey Wagoner, 49, had stopped his bus to fix a problem in the early hours of Monday morning when he was approached by three teenagers in what appears to be gang-initiation attack, WCPO news reported.

"He heard one of the suspects say it was time to kill a polar bear to get into a club," Pauley said.

"He fought for his life."

Wagoner was shot twice in the chest but managed to stay standing and struggled to wrestle the gun away from his attackers.

"I had a book in my pocket," Wagoner told a police dispatcher in a call released to local media.

"At first I thought it went through. It just feels like I've been hit with a sledgehammer in the chest."

One of the teenagers slashed him in the arm with a knife while he fought for the gun, which went off during the struggle and shot him in the leg. But he managed to get both weapons away.

"I stabbed one in the leg with my pen," Wagoner said in the 911 call.

"He hollered and that's when they all ran."

Wagoner picked up the dropped gun and shot after the fleeing teens but told the dispatcher he didn't think he hit them.



© AFP 2014

This Saturday, 15 February...

All of the senior guys are away on other business,
so there will be no Saturday class this week.

So... Take a break, do the Form, and see you Monday.

Self-defence in the News - No. 58

Surfer punches shark in the face

Darren Mills

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9700256/Bitten-surfer-punched-shark

Bitten surfer punched shark 

LIAM HYSLOP  

08/02/2014

 

A surfer being attacked by a shark in a Southland bay punched it in the face to free himself from its grip.

The 28-year-old man was on his board about 50m out from Porpoise Bay Beach, near Curio Bay, about 8.30 last night when the attack happened, police said.

Nick Smart was surfing about 100 metres away and witnessed the incident.

"He was sitting on his surfboard and the shark came up from nowhere and hit him.

"He struggled for a bit and then punched the shark and it let him go."

The man then made his own way to shore before being assisted by a doctor and a nurse, who just happened to be at the beach, Smart said.

They applied a tourniquet and gave him first aid and blankets while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

The man was surprisingly calm throughout the entire ordeal, Smart said.

"He was totally coherent and talking.

"He was definitely in a bit of pain but he handled it really well.

"His partner was on the beach and she was right there as well so he had a lot of support."

The man's friends believed it to be a sevengill shark, although they couldn't be sure of that, and thought it was about two to three metres in length, Smart said.

An ambulance arrived about 40 minutes after the attack and transported the man to Southland Hospital, where he remained in a stable condition today.

The man was bitten three times from his thigh to his calf and there was "lots of blood", a police spokesman said.

The attack was a real shock to everyone in the Catlins area, Smart said.

"Mate, it's the first time there has ever been a shark attack in the Catlins and there has never been a shark attack in this bay.

"There's been so many dolphins in the bay over the last few days as well.

"I've spent thousands of hours in this shore break and the thought [of a shark attack] doesn't even cross my mind ... but it does now."

The attack would not put surfers off from returning to the water, with some already saying they were keen to get back out there, Smart said.

"There is no-one out there at the moment but there is people wanting to go out and there will be people out there later today."

Self-defence in the News - No. 57

Late night attack: 'I really am so angry'

 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11196659 

By Rebecca Quilliam 

Tuesday Feb 4, 2014  

 

Frank and Barbara Watene standing outside boarded

 up windows at their Naenae home. 

Photo / Rebecca Quilliam

Barbara Watene is mad as hell at the four men who left her 71-year-old husband lying in a heap on the ground bruised and with a fractured collarbone.

"Do I want to face those guys? Oh yes. I am so angry, I really am so angry."

Frank Watene knows he's lucky to be alive after he was set upon by the group at 3am on Sunday outside his Naenae home in the Hutt Valley.

"If they'd found my hammer hanging up outside, I'd probably be dead."

The couple who have lived on Bush Street for 33 years are refusing to be intimidated by the incident and said there was no way they would leave their home.

"Why should we let p****s like that chase us out?" Mrs Watene said.

Their cosy house has also been home to 300 to 400 foster children - many of whom are pictured in frames covering the walls.

Two of those children, a 14-year-old boy and girl, were in the house during the incident.

They were frightened, but the boy managed to phone some older former foster children to come and help, Mrs Watene said.

"He did so well. He did what he needed to do."

The attack happened after Mrs Watene opened the door to one of the men - but was able to push him back by closing it quickly. The other men then set about smashing the couple's windows.

Mr Watene, described by his wife as a "Maori warrior", confronted the men and was able to land a punch to one of them before being viciously attacked.

"I wasn't thinking of myself. I was thinking of the kids," he said.

Neighbours quickly gathered at the home after hearing the commotion and the appearance of one may have frightened the men off, Mrs Watene said.

The attack had left Mr Watene "aching all over" and unable to sleep.

The pair have been left bewildered as to why the attack happened to them.

"I've gone back..in my memory to see if there was someone I had attacked...then it would make sense. But I haven't. It's a mystery," Mr Watene said.

Mrs Watene said it might have been a case of mistaken identity.

"Because we've done nothing."

Police were seeking sightings of a dark-coloured four-wheel-drive, possibly a Nissan Terrano or Pathfinder.

Anyone with information was asked to contact police on 04 560 2600 or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

- APNZ

Self-defence in the News - No. 56

Hamilton teen escapes attempted abduction 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/9679615/Hamilton-teen-escapes-attempted-abduction 

03/02/2014

 

The attempted abduction of a teenage girl in Hamilton could be linked to a similar incident on the same day, police say.

A 16-year-old girl walking along Edgecumbe St was approached by a man driving a silver saloon about 11am yesterday.

"The man has pulled up alongside the girl, called out to her offering her a lift before getting out of his car,'' acting Detective Sergeant Nick O'Brien said.

"He has then approached her, taken her hand and upon her pulling away grabbed her waist. The girl has kicked out at her attacker and run to a nearby address to raise the alarm."

The man was described as a dark skinned male aged in his 40s to 50s, of lean muscular build with short dark hair.

He was said to be wearing a black coloured t-shirt with a white design on the chest, dark coloured knee length shorts and black, red and white coloured sneakers with white laces.

"We would like to hear from anyone who recalls seeing the incident, who saw a silver coloured saloon in the area about the time of the attack or anyone who may know the identity of the attacker,'' Mr O'Brien said.

Police are considering whether this incident is related to a similar incident reported on Hamilton's Hood St about 6am.

Anyone with any information on yesterday's incident is asked to contact the Hamilton Central Police Station on 07 858 6200.Alternatively, information can be left anonymously with the independent organisation Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.


- © Fairfax NZ News

Saturday 25th

Further to what we discussed on Wednesday..............

Yes, we will be training tomorrow.

Self-defence in the News - No. 55

'Courageous' supermarket staff praised

http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/289002/courageous-supermarket-staff-praised 

By David Bruce on Thu, 23 Jan 2014

The Regions: North Otago 

 

Oamaru New World in south Oamaru was open for business as usual after four staff were confronted by an armed burglar early yesterday. Photo by David Bruce. 

Four staff of the Oamaru New World supermarket were ''very courageous'' when they tried to calm a burglar armed with a firearm, knife and hammer early yesterday while awaiting the arrival of police.

After about an hour and a-half of negotiations with two police officers, the man laid down his weapons and was arrested.

He was charged yesterday in the Dunedin District Court with aggravated burglary, presenting a firearm to avoid arrest, three separate charges of presenting a firearm and possession of an offensive weapon (the knife). He was remanded in custody until tomorrow.

The 62-year-old Oamaru man allegedly broke into the supermarket about 4am by smashing a front door with the hammer. He then confronted a baker and cleaner who were the only staff in the building at the time, Sergeant Blair Wilkinson, of Oamaru, said.

They were joined about 30 minutes later by another cleaner and baker - making a total of two men and two women.

The last two arrivals contacted police.

''They made the very courageous decision not to escape, staying with him [the alleged offender] to de-escalate the situation by talking to him calmly and also to avoid anybody arriving at work and not knowing what they were walking into.

''The staff were very levelheaded,'' Sgt Wilkinson said.

Asked if staff were being held hostage or could leave, he said that was still unclear and inquiries were continuing. There was no clear direction they could not leave.

However, the man did not face charges relating to detaining people against their will.

Eight Oamaru officers, all armed, were involved from 4.39am. A portion of State Highway 1 outside the supermarket was closed. The Dunedin Armed Offenders Squad was activated, but was stood down before arriving in Oamaru.

Two officers started negotiating with the offender and the four staff were able to leave.

Sgt Wilkinson said the man laid down his weapons at 6.05am. No-one was injured.

The supermarket opened at its usual time of 7am, although bread production was delayed because of the involvement of two of the bakers, New World owner-operator Justin Smith said in a statement. He praised the quick action of his staff who discovered the man and called the police.

Mr Smith and the staff involved declined to be interviewed.

- david.bruce@odt.co.nz

Self-defence in the News - No. 54

Cop's judo skills come in handy 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9614743/Cops-judo-skills-come-in-handy 

 MATT BOWEN

16/01/2014

DONNA WALSH/Fairfax NZ 

BLACK BELT: Sean Choi has form as a judo champ. In 2011 he won a gold medal at the Oceania Championships while fellow Metro Judo Club member Shawnee Felton, right, won a couple of bronzes.

A Hamilton police officer who was attacked outside a legal highs store is a judo black belt, among the most lethal in the world.
 
Witnesses said members of an unruly mob taunted him, calling him Jackie Chan. They didn't know who they were dealing with.

Constable Sean Choi was on the beat outside synthetic cannabis dealer U njoY during a tense and violent morning in Hamilton East on Tuesday.

Police said a member of the group approached Choi and tried to pick a fight. The antagonist gave up on the first attempt yet returned minutes later and tried again.

The man was arrested but another man allegedly joined the fray and jumped on the officer's back.

Choi has been a member of the Metro Judo Club since he arrived in New Zealand from South Korea as a teenager.

Head coach Terry Steenson said the alleged attacker was destined to take flight: "We move in close. Where most people would back away it is in our nature to move forward. We fight in their face. We fight inside their arms and legs and a lot of our stuff is throws. Most guys wouldn't know how to land from a throw or wouldn't know what's hit them when they started flying through the air . . . it wouldn't have been pleasant."

A shop owner, who asked to remain anonymous, saw Choi in action.

She said the policeman "dropped" a "huge, big guy".

"He picked him up, pepper-sprayed him and dropped him," she said.

"I looked at it and went, ‘holy s . . . '.

Choi does that kind of thing for fun. In fact, he gets his kicks from lifting up and throwing men much bigger than he is, some up 130kg, to the ground.

He's a third dan black belt, a former New Zealand champion, an Oceania Champion and he was close to qualifying for the Olympics when he dislocated an elbow a few years ago.

Mr Steenson said police work takes up a lot of Choi's time now, but he still trains and helps children at the club improve their technique.

He's a good role model, Mr Steenson said.

"He's very humble - an awesome bloke. He's reserved, but when it comes to his passions, judo and family, he's very passionate."

- © Fairfax NZ News

Self-defence in the News - No. 53

Karate black belt rescues police officer

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11186784

Black belt saves police officer in trouble

By Cullen Smith

Wednesday Jan 15, 2014 

Photo / Thinkstock

Grant Torrance didn't hesitate when he saw a police officer in trouble.

The holder of a 3rd degree black belt in karate, the 54-year-old senior manager for Hawkins Construction spotted a police officer backing away during a violent confrontation with a young man on Main North Rd in Papanui last week.

"Out of the corner of my eye I saw the policeman back-pedalling with this guy all over him," Mr Torrance said.

He stopped, leapt out and asked the officer if he needed a hand.

Constable Grant Stewart gave the okay and Mr Torrance used his karate skills to help subdue the aggressive offender.

"There was a bit of a scuffle," he said. "I locked him up and basically pinned him to the ground so he couldn't do much. He was pretty well contained."

Police said Constable Stewart had used pepper spray in an unsuccessful attempt to subdue the man, but had been unable to use his radio to call for back-up because the handset had been dislodged during the tussle.

"He was a big guy about 6ft and solidly built and he was cranking ... really wound up," Mr Torrance said. "You could see the pepper spraycan on the ground. I didn't think about what I was going to do, I just wanted the guy to stop."

Mr Torrance said he'd done something similar about 15 years ago when he stepped in between two people fighting, but was modest about his latest success.

"I was just Johnny on the spot. I stopped and gave a hand without thinking too much. It was the right thing to do.

"It's not the sort of thing you expect on the street at 7.15 in the morning."

He was uninjured in the fracas, but admitted "feeling pretty sore" the following day.

Mr Torrance said he was "delighted" to receive a letter from police a few days later thanking him for his efforts.

"It was great, but they didn't need to do that."

Inspector Derek Erasmus said police were "very appreciative" of Mr Torrance's help.

A 21-year-old was charged with disorderly behaviour, resisting arrest. Assaulting a police officer and possessing a knife.

- CHRISTCHURCH STAR

Self-defence in the News - No. 52

Elderly lady plays dead

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11183913

By Morgan Tait

Friday Jan 10, 2014  

77-year-old woman plays dead to scare off knife-wielding attacker

Police were yesterday patrolling nearby streets to the Papatoetoe woman's home. 

Photo / Greg Bowker

Her arms bound and with a bedsheet tied over her head, a 77-year-old woman played dead to scare off a masked man who attacked and robbed her at knifepoint in a brazen daylight home invasion.

Police are hunting the man who barged through the backdoor of the woman's Papatoetoe home as she went outside to get her laundry at 1pm on Wednesday.

The elderly woman, who moved to New Zealand from Fiji 20 years ago, was bruised and in shock after the ordeal and her family yesterday appealed to the public to help identify the "sick" assailant.

"I want that guy to be caught. If he's done it to her he'll do it to someone else," her son said last night.

Her son, who the Herald has chosen not to name to protect the victim, described his mother's terror and bravery as she fought against the burly intruder.

"She hardly opens the front door. It was at the back and as she opened the door he grabbed her, he had a knife in his hand."

He said the large man, dressed in black and wearing a balaclava, gripped his mother by her arms and pushed her into the nearest room, her bedroom, and used an Indian silk scarf to bind her hands behind her back. He also covered her face.

"The cover sheet from the bed, he put it on her head. There are bruises on her face. The knots were so tight on her neck.

"She's really tough, she fought everything. He tried to do everything and she was yelling at him, 'no, no, no'. After that he tried to pull her from the bed and [he] dropped her on the ground and pulled her down the corridor.

"She stopped her breath so he thought she was dead. That's when he left."

The woman lives with her son and his wife, who regularly make telephone checks on her when they are not home. On Wednesday, her son phoned about 3pm and became worried when she did not answer.

"The first call she didn't pick up, so I rang again in 10 to 15 minutes and she'd pulled her hand from the scarf knot and was crying on the phone."

He dialled 111 and sped home from his Manukau workplace, arriving at the same time as police. "I helped the police untie her."

His mother was taken to Middlemore Hospital where she stayed overnight for full body x-rays and a CT scan. She returned home yesterday morning with extensive bruising to her arms, neck and face, her son said.

The intruder stole cash, ripped the woman's valuable gold necklace from her neck and pulled thick gold bangles off her wrists.

But laptop computers and other valuables were left untouched.

The family are worried about their mother's welfare and want to move to another neighbourhood.

"We were talking about the fear ... and I am just thinking, 'How is she bearing this'?"

Police were dismayed by the attack, the latest in a spate of crimes targeting the elderly.

Detective Sergeant Simon Beal of Counties Manukau CIB said: "We are appalled at the violent nature of this crime during broad daylight."

He appealed for anyone who saw suspicious behaviour in the area of Huia Rd, Stonex Rd, Bernard St and Kimpton Rd to contact police.

In November, a man faced charges after another 77-year-old Papatoetoe woman was sexually assaulted in her home. The attack came only days after a brutal home invasion in Pukekohe where an elderly couple were assaulted and tied up and the sexual assault of an 87-year-old Hastings grandmother who was dragged into her lounge while checking her mail.

• Contact: Call Detective Sergeant Simon Beal of the Counties Manukau CIB on 09 261 1321 or speak anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Self-defence in the News - No. 51

MMA fighter kills home invader 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/9581170/MMA-fighter-kills-home-invader 

SIOBHAN DOWNES

06/01/2014

Joe Torrez killed one of the four men who broke into 

his house, and put another in the hospital.

A trained mixed marital artist repelled four armed men who attempted to invade his New Mexico home, killing one of them, US authorities say.

The attackers had a knife and shank with them, but Joe Torrez, a 70kg lightwweight fighter with a 1-5 record, managed to gain the upper hand.

"He was fighting for his life," his lawyer, CJ McElhinney, told the Las Cruces Sun-News.

It's not clear what sparked the New Year's Day attack at Torrez' mobile home in Las Cruces, which left another man hospitalised and two more running away in fear.

Before the 2am attack another of the men, Leonard Calvillo, allegedly called ahead to threaten Torrez, telling him, "I'm big Eastside. I'll kill you and your family ... I will go to your house."

Torrez's fiancee and toddler were home at the time, authorities said. The men tossed furniture and attacked Torrez, according to an arrest affidavit, KFOX-TV reported.

A man identified as Sal Garces was found dead at the scene from beating and stab wounds and another received severe facial injuries.

Torrez only endured minor injuries, according to his lawyer.

The remaining two men, who fled the scene, have been arrested on charges of conspiracy, property damage, and aggravated battery.

Torrez could also face charges in the death of the attacker.