Left to right: Fin, Moo, Sean, Pete (instructor), and Brendan.
Photographer: Anthony
7 Sep 2016
Last updated 10:16, March 11 2016
09 September, 2016
13 July, 2016
Self-defence in the News - No. 93
Dairy owner fights off four robbers
Monday, 11 July 2016
Monday, 11 July 2016
Dairy owner: 'Get ready to die'
A Northland dairy owner yelled "get ready to die" as he chased away four men who tried to steal from his store.
The owner was armed with only a broom as he ran at the men - one of whom was armed with a crowbar - at the Kingsway Dairy in Hikurangi, north of Whangarei, yesterday afternoon, Radio NZ reported.
The owner, who did not want to be named, told the Herald he had no sympathy for people who tried to rob from him, and had no qualms putting his own life at risk to stop it from happening.
He said the men - three of whom have since been arrested - entered his shop while he was cleaning and "donged me on the head and pushed me".
"There were four people that came into the shop and I don't know what they were after, I didn't give them time to talk even, I just gave them a bit of action and when they were running away I threw the board on the front windscreen and the windscreen shattered."
The man said he saw the men sitting in their vehicle outside the shop for about five minutes before the incident happened and knew they would be trouble.
"They came inside the shop and I saw them and one of them just donged on
my head with a crowbar and I said 'hey' and I pushed them and they
pushed me. I was so angry with them, I just said 'come on boys, get
ready to die', because I'm ready to die as long as they're ready to die.
As long as I can defend myself I have no sympathy, I'm sorry."
The man said he had owned the dairy for 13 years and attempted robberies happened "all the time".
"I don't put up with all that sort of nonsense, not in my world and I don't want them to do community service. I'm going to tell police their punishment should be hard."
He suggested the offenders be dumped miles out at sea and left to try and swim back into shore.
"If they swim, they have a life, if they don't, then too bad ... I don't want them getting just two years or five years jail."
Northland police are investigating the incident.
The dairy owner said he was phoned last night and told three of the four offenders had been arrested, however, the fourth was still being sought, along with the blue vehicle.
Anyone who may have seen people acting suspiciously in the area of King St, Hikurangi, yesterday afternoon is asked to contact Northland Police on 09 430 4500 or they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The owner was armed with only a broom as he ran at the men - one of whom was armed with a crowbar - at the Kingsway Dairy in Hikurangi, north of Whangarei, yesterday afternoon, Radio NZ reported.
The owner, who did not want to be named, told the Herald he had no sympathy for people who tried to rob from him, and had no qualms putting his own life at risk to stop it from happening.
He said the men - three of whom have since been arrested - entered his shop while he was cleaning and "donged me on the head and pushed me".
"There were four people that came into the shop and I don't know what they were after, I didn't give them time to talk even, I just gave them a bit of action and when they were running away I threw the board on the front windscreen and the windscreen shattered."
The man said he saw the men sitting in their vehicle outside the shop for about five minutes before the incident happened and knew they would be trouble.
The man said he had owned the dairy for 13 years and attempted robberies happened "all the time".
"I don't put up with all that sort of nonsense, not in my world and I don't want them to do community service. I'm going to tell police their punishment should be hard."
He suggested the offenders be dumped miles out at sea and left to try and swim back into shore.
"If they swim, they have a life, if they don't, then too bad ... I don't want them getting just two years or five years jail."
Northland police are investigating the incident.
The dairy owner said he was phoned last night and told three of the four offenders had been arrested, however, the fourth was still being sought, along with the blue vehicle.
Anyone who may have seen people acting suspiciously in the area of King St, Hikurangi, yesterday afternoon is asked to contact Northland Police on 09 430 4500 or they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
10 July, 2016
Self-defence in the News - No. 92
Man calmly ignores armed robber then walks away...
Friday Jul 8, 2016
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11670611
A man who calmly carries on making souvlaki while an armed gunman attempts to rob his Christchurch store is being hailed online as "the chillest chip shop operator ever".
CCTV footage posted by Canterbury police on their Facebook page shows the man bagging up a souvlaki when a masked and armed robber enters the Papanui Rd store shortly before 11pm on May 28.
Unfazed, the man finishes the order, reaching right past the offender to hand it to a customer.
He then calmly turns around and walks away.
The would-be robber then leaves as well without taking a thing.
Canterbury police posted the video on Thursday afternoon, asking members of the public to help them identify the gunman.
However people commenting on the post were more interested in talking about how relaxed the unidentified souvlaki-maker was through the whole ordeal.
"This has got to be the most chill chip [shop] operator ever," one person commented.
"Imma let you finish robbing me in 2 secs I just gotta get this order out #customerserviceonpoint [sic]," wrote another.
"Still salts the order and all! #ThugLife."
Nearly 100 comments had been posted late on Thursday night, most of them making light of the situation, which ended without violence or robbery.
"Hunger stops at nothing," read one comment.
Locals said the souvlakis at the unnamed shop were "the best" and, as more than one person pointed out, the service seems pretty good too.
If you know the offender, or if you have information that might help identify him, please contact Christchurch Police Station on 03 363 7400.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police asked people quote file number 160529/4294.
Friday Jul 8, 2016
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11670611
A man who calmly carries on making souvlaki while an armed gunman attempts to rob his Christchurch store is being hailed online as "the chillest chip shop operator ever".
CCTV footage posted by Canterbury police on their Facebook page shows the man bagging up a souvlaki when a masked and armed robber enters the Papanui Rd store shortly before 11pm on May 28.
Unfazed, the man finishes the order, reaching right past the offender to hand it to a customer.
He then calmly turns around and walks away.
The would-be robber then leaves as well without taking a thing.
Canterbury police posted the video on Thursday afternoon, asking members of the public to help them identify the gunman.
However people commenting on the post were more interested in talking about how relaxed the unidentified souvlaki-maker was through the whole ordeal.
"Imma let you finish robbing me in 2 secs I just gotta get this order out #customerserviceonpoint [sic]," wrote another.
"Still salts the order and all! #ThugLife."
Nearly 100 comments had been posted late on Thursday night, most of them making light of the situation, which ended without violence or robbery.
"Hunger stops at nothing," read one comment.
Locals said the souvlakis at the unnamed shop were "the best" and, as more than one person pointed out, the service seems pretty good too.
If you know the offender, or if you have information that might help identify him, please contact Christchurch Police Station on 03 363 7400.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police asked people quote file number 160529/4294.
22 June, 2016
Self-defence in the News - No. 91
Ex-army man fights back - Attackers get more than they bargained for
Tuesday Jun 21, 2016
By Roger Moroney
A group of men who took to a 21-year-old who had been sitting in his car at the Guppy Rd riverbank at Taradale on Sunday afternoon got more than they bargained for when he fought back.
As Detective Glen Restieaux explained - "he is ex-German Army so he defended himself pretty well".
However, as the young man, who is understood to be travelling the country and has been working in Hawke's Bay, took on his assailants one took him on from behind and he felt a sharp blow to his shoulder.
It was not until a short time later after he had driven to a friend's house that he became aware the pain in the shoulder had increased and he realised there was blood there.
Mr Restieaux said his assailant from behind had used what was likely to be a small pen-knife to stab him.
The victim notified police and drove to a medical centre for treatment.
"He's okay - he's gone back to work today."
Mr Restieaux said the incident, which happened about 3pm, was sparked by one of the offenders approaching the man and asking for "a smoke".
The victim had simply been taking time out at the riverside and was having a cigarette when the four men, who were in what was described as a black Toyota Camry, pulled up.
"One of them asked for a smoke, in a gruff way and he responded with something like 'only if you say please' and they took exception to that."
The man was pulled from the car by his hair but took his attacker on.
After he was struck from behind his attackers got back in their car and drove off, and the victim went back to his car and drove to his friend's place.
The offenders were described as Maori with two in their mid-20s and two in their mid-40s, with two of them believed to have gang affiliations going by the clothing they were wearing, Mr Restieaux said.
He said at that time of the day there would have been other vehicles in the popular Guppy Rd riverbank area and police want to hear from anyone who may have seen the incident or seen the black Toyota, or knew of its whereabouts or the identity of the occupants.
Information can be reported to Napier Police on 06 831 0700 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11660353
Hawkes Bay Today
Tuesday Jun 21, 2016
A 21-year-old man was set upon at the Guppy Rd riverbank. Photo / Paul Taylor
A group of men who took to a 21-year-old who had been sitting in his car at the Guppy Rd riverbank at Taradale on Sunday afternoon got more than they bargained for when he fought back.
As Detective Glen Restieaux explained - "he is ex-German Army so he defended himself pretty well".
However, as the young man, who is understood to be travelling the country and has been working in Hawke's Bay, took on his assailants one took him on from behind and he felt a sharp blow to his shoulder.
It was not until a short time later after he had driven to a friend's house that he became aware the pain in the shoulder had increased and he realised there was blood there.
The victim notified police and drove to a medical centre for treatment.
"He's okay - he's gone back to work today."
Mr Restieaux said the incident, which happened about 3pm, was sparked by one of the offenders approaching the man and asking for "a smoke".
The victim had simply been taking time out at the riverside and was having a cigarette when the four men, who were in what was described as a black Toyota Camry, pulled up.
"One of them asked for a smoke, in a gruff way and he responded with something like 'only if you say please' and they took exception to that."
The man was pulled from the car by his hair but took his attacker on.
After he was struck from behind his attackers got back in their car and drove off, and the victim went back to his car and drove to his friend's place.
The offenders were described as Maori with two in their mid-20s and two in their mid-40s, with two of them believed to have gang affiliations going by the clothing they were wearing, Mr Restieaux said.
He said at that time of the day there would have been other vehicles in the popular Guppy Rd riverbank area and police want to hear from anyone who may have seen the incident or seen the black Toyota, or knew of its whereabouts or the identity of the occupants.
Information can be reported to Napier Police on 06 831 0700 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11660353
Hawkes Bay Today
13 March, 2016
Saturday training... and a visitor.
Hadrian, Pete, and I were joined on Saturday by Mike,
one of the founding members of Southern.
one of the founding members of Southern.
Left to right: Hadrian, Mike, Pete.
Left to right: Hadrian, Mike, Anthony.
11 March, 2016
Self-defence in the News - No. 90
Teenage jogger knocks attacker to the ground and escapes
1
More Hawke's Bay women have contacted police with reports of harassment while running.
On Monday a Hawke's Bay teenager was finishing off her running loop at 8.20pm.
The 16-year-old was jogging along Southland Rd and about to turn into her street when she slowed to reply to a text message and felt a pair of arms around her waist.
She said a Maori boy aged between 14 and 15 had grabbed her from behind while riding a bicycle, and attempted to rugby tackle her.
She jerked suddenly and knocked him to the ground and ran away.
He chased her until she arrived at a dairy, once she was inside staff checked for him but he had disappeared.
A police spokeswoman said after the event was publicised on Wednesday police received similar complaints from other women, but no arrests had been made.
On Tuesday morning a Taradale woman reported seeing a young man frequently circling female runners and making them feel uncomfortable.
Police said the man was described as Maori and riding a bicycle.
Police suggested joggers ran with a cellphone to ring for help, or take photos of suspicious behaviour, or alternatively run in pairs or groups.
Reports of similar behaviour or incidents should be reported to Hawke's Bay police on 06 831 0700.
2
A Hawke's Bay teenager doubts she will run alone again after being grabbed by a stranger while jogging on Monday night.
The 16-year-old Hastings Girls' High School student was finishing off her running loop at 8.20pm.
She was jogging along Southland Rd and about to turn into her street when she slowed down to reply to a text message.
With her headphones in and head down, she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist.
A Maori boy aged between 14 and 15 had grabbed her from behind while riding a bicycle, and attempted to rugby tackle her.
"At first I thought it was someone playing around and I tried to laugh it off, and then I realised I needed to get out of there."
She jerked away and the movement threw the boy off his bike and on to the footpath.
"He was moaning and groaning about how hurt he was," she said.
"I turned around and started to run towards a dairy and he chased after me."
When she arrived at the dairy, she explained what had happened to the staff and rang her parents.
By the time staff checked outside for the offender, he was gone.
Early the next morning, a Taradale woman reported to police that a young man was frequently circling female runners and making them feel uncomfortable.
Police said the man was described as Maori and riding a bicycle.
What also upset the teenager was the response from other members of the public.
"There were cars driving past, and I passed a group of three guys as I was running away and shouted help, but they just turned the other way," she said.
"You are just as bad as the person doing [the offending] if you do nothing about it."
From now on, she planned to be more aware of her surroundings when she was out running, and would exercise with other people or her dog.
Police suggested joggers ran with a cellphone to ring for help, or take photos of suspicious behaviour, or alternatively run in pairs or groups.
Reports of similar behaviour or incidents should be reported to Hawke's Bay police on 06 831 0700.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/77776102/More-complaints-of-women-hassled-by-man-while-jogging
A 16-year-old jogger was chased by a man who tried to
grab her while she exercised in Hastings.
1
More Hawke's Bay women have contacted police with reports of harassment while running.
On Monday a Hawke's Bay teenager was finishing off her running loop at 8.20pm.
The 16-year-old was jogging along Southland Rd and about to turn into her street when she slowed to reply to a text message and felt a pair of arms around her waist.
She said a Maori boy aged between 14 and 15 had grabbed her from behind while riding a bicycle, and attempted to rugby tackle her.
She jerked suddenly and knocked him to the ground and ran away.
He chased her until she arrived at a dairy, once she was inside staff checked for him but he had disappeared.
A police spokeswoman said after the event was publicised on Wednesday police received similar complaints from other women, but no arrests had been made.
On Tuesday morning a Taradale woman reported seeing a young man frequently circling female runners and making them feel uncomfortable.
Police said the man was described as Maori and riding a bicycle.
Police suggested joggers ran with a cellphone to ring for help, or take photos of suspicious behaviour, or alternatively run in pairs or groups.
Reports of similar behaviour or incidents should be reported to Hawke's Bay police on 06 831 0700.
2
A Hawke's Bay teenager doubts she will run alone again after being grabbed by a stranger while jogging on Monday night.
The 16-year-old Hastings Girls' High School student was finishing off her running loop at 8.20pm.
She was jogging along Southland Rd and about to turn into her street when she slowed down to reply to a text message.
With her headphones in and head down, she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist.
A Maori boy aged between 14 and 15 had grabbed her from behind while riding a bicycle, and attempted to rugby tackle her.
"At first I thought it was someone playing around and I tried to laugh it off, and then I realised I needed to get out of there."
She jerked away and the movement threw the boy off his bike and on to the footpath.
"He was moaning and groaning about how hurt he was," she said.
"I turned around and started to run towards a dairy and he chased after me."
When she arrived at the dairy, she explained what had happened to the staff and rang her parents.
By the time staff checked outside for the offender, he was gone.
Early the next morning, a Taradale woman reported to police that a young man was frequently circling female runners and making them feel uncomfortable.
Police said the man was described as Maori and riding a bicycle.
What also upset the teenager was the response from other members of the public.
"There were cars driving past, and I passed a group of three guys as I was running away and shouted help, but they just turned the other way," she said.
"You are just as bad as the person doing [the offending] if you do nothing about it."
From now on, she planned to be more aware of her surroundings when she was out running, and would exercise with other people or her dog.
Police suggested joggers ran with a cellphone to ring for help, or take photos of suspicious behaviour, or alternatively run in pairs or groups.
Reports of similar behaviour or incidents should be reported to Hawke's Bay police on 06 831 0700.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/77776102/More-complaints-of-women-hassled-by-man-while-jogging
16 February, 2016
Self-defence in the News - No. 89
Woman uses sickle to castrate alleged rapist
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/76920320/Woman-in-India-turns-up-at-police-station-with-dismembered-genitals-of-alleged-rapist
15 February 2016
A woman in central India showed up at a police station after slicing off her brother-in-law's genitals, telling police he had sexually abused her for days.
The 32-year-old woman, who walked into the station with her three children, said it was the only way for him to be stopped, reported the Times of India.
Police from the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh rushed to call for medical aid for the injured man, but he had taken his own life before help arrived.
The woman had been living with her brother-in-law as her husband was working more than 1100km away in another city.
After days of being assaulted by her brother-in-law, the woman planned her self defence by striking at him with a sickle, reported the Times of India.
She believed the severed organ would be a key piece of evidence in her rape case.
Police said she was mentally stable and had no regrets over what she had done.
According to the Times of India, the woman has been charged with attempted murder.
"This is a rare case and has to be investigated for a proper charge sheet," said Sidhi police spokesman Abid Khan.
After days of being abused, the woman struck out at her brother-in-law with a sickle.
(Laszlo Balogh/Reuters)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/76920320/Woman-in-India-turns-up-at-police-station-with-dismembered-genitals-of-alleged-rapist
15 February 2016
A woman in central India showed up at a police station after slicing off her brother-in-law's genitals, telling police he had sexually abused her for days.
The 32-year-old woman, who walked into the station with her three children, said it was the only way for him to be stopped, reported the Times of India.
Police from the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh rushed to call for medical aid for the injured man, but he had taken his own life before help arrived.
The woman had been living with her brother-in-law as her husband was working more than 1100km away in another city.
After days of being assaulted by her brother-in-law, the woman planned her self defence by striking at him with a sickle, reported the Times of India.
She believed the severed organ would be a key piece of evidence in her rape case.
Police said she was mentally stable and had no regrets over what she had done.
According to the Times of India, the woman has been charged with attempted murder.
"This is a rare case and has to be investigated for a proper charge sheet," said Sidhi police spokesman Abid Khan.
23 January, 2016
Self-defence in the News - No. 88
Dairy owner fights off masked teen attacker
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/76127225/lower-hutt-dairy-owner-fights-off-teen-attacker-and-customer-catches-him.html
by TALIA SHADWELL
January 21, 2016
A Hutt Valley dairy owner was hit with a hammer and cut with a knife after tackling a masked robber in his shop.
Mayur Gandhi managed to fight off the 15-year-old attacker, who then fled on foot. Gandhi gave chase and drafted in the help of a passing customer who caught the teenager, and pinned him to the ground until police arrived.
The Wednesday night attack took place around closing time at 9pm as Gandhi was fetching paracetamol for his wife from his car.
Gandhi heard his wife Sonam screaming and turned to see a figure in a red balaclava trying to force his way through the shop's door with a knife in one hand and a hammer in the other, as his wife and her assistant struggled to hold it closed.
The couple's young children were asleep upstairs above the shop.
Gandhi yelled at the man and the pair's eyes met.
As he raced across to the shop, the women fell silent.
"I couldn't see my wife. I thought she had been attacked, hit."
Adrenaline kicked in, and he tackled the intruder.
"He hit me with the hammer ... He hit me about the left arm and right arm about five times and cut me with a knife."
The pair tussled in between the counter and shelves, amid the bottles of of Jif and Tip Top icecreams.
CCTV images captured Gandhi's face animated by rage as he lunged for his attacker's weapon.
"I managed to wrestle the hammer off him, and he fell down to the ground."
The teen fled down the road, and Gandhi gave chase.
He spotted a regular customer driving by, and called to him to phone the police.
The customer followed the teenager in his car to a school. The robber turned around when he got to the school, and the customer jumped out of his car and chased him back to the dairy on foot.
"The customer managed to tackle the guy and pin him down," Gandhi said.
Then the police and an ambulance arrived, by which time Gandhi realised his shirt was stained by his blood.
"At the time I couldn't feel a thing."
He was taken to hospital, where he had seven stitches in his side.
Gandhi works in insurance, while his wife runs their Railway Ave dairy, Mayur Foodmart. They live above the shop with their young children.
He said he was "pretty pissed off" about what happened.
His wife was unhurt, but badly frightened. "She is still pretty shaken up about it.
"It's affected my wife, more than anything, that somebody would try and do this. We have worked really hard for this and someone would try and rob us."
They later learned the teenager, who was taken away by the police, was just 15. That saddened Gandhi, as a father himself.
"I was thinking about myself at 15. Star Wars was my favourite movie.
"It's not the way a 15-year-old should be living. He should be enjoying his youth."
Sonam Gandhi said she was left questioning why she and her husband had been targeted.
"If we are giving to others, why do we get treated like this?
"I want the thief to get punished. He may not have taken anything from here, but he can't put someone's life at risk."
She was worried about her family's safety. "I am scared, we are going to keep three people inside the dairy in the evening now.
"I am scared as soon as we open at 6am. I have said we should sell and leave.
"If something happened to me, it's OK; if something happened to my husband, we'll be OK; but what if something happened to my children?"
24 December, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 87
Liquor store worker fights off machete wielding robber
NANCY EL-GAMEL
December 24 2015
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/75433184/liquor-store-worker-fights-off-machete-wielding-robber
A liquor store worker risked his own life to protect his colleague from a masked man with a machete.
When a would-be robber threatened Arwinder Singh he grabbed the blade of the knife with his bare hands and held on. Blood was dripping down his arms.
"I knew if I held the machete and not let go, he can't touch me," Singh recalled on Christmas Eve. "I was injured but I will not leave the machete."
The offender, whose face was covered, walked into the store on Arapuni St in Putaruru shortly before 10pm on Wednesday night.
He put the blade on Singh's shoulder and demanded money from his colleague, Harsh Gupter, who was standing behind the till.
"He came in with a big machete, as big as my arm. He touched the machete on my shoulder and said to put the money in the bag, or he will cut me. Three times he pushed me onto the counter and scared me, but we were not giving money.
"When I got the opportunity, I suddenly grabbed the machete and would not let go of the machete."
Singh had a stand-off with the offender and refused to let go of the blade.
"He wanted to fight with me but I didn't let go because I didn't know what would happen next."
The offender then gave up and fled the store, leaving the weapon in Singh's hands.
"I had cuts on my thumb, hands, but he ran out of the store. We then called the police."
Police said the offender walked into the store with a machete and demanded money before one of the staff members intervened, grabbing the blade of the weapon.
That prompted the would-be robber to run-off. He was last seen running right onto Glenshea St.
Police are now appealing for witnesses.
The staff member was left with a minor injury to his hand and was treated by St John Ambulance staff.
The offender is believed to be in his teens or early 20s and is described as short and stocky, approximately 165 cms tall.
He was wearing a black jacket with no sleeves, black cap and white shoes.
Police want to hear from anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious.
They should contact Putaruru Police on 07 883 8199 or leave information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
08 December, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 86
Harvey Whaitiri, age 79, fends off three assailants with a baseball bat
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/74863043/harvey-whaitiri-79-fends-off-three-assailants-with-a-baseball-bat
Harvey Whaitiri, 79, of Hastings fought off three would-be intruders.
Photo: MARTY SHARPE
A 79-year-old Hastings man has struck back against three teens trying to break into his house by hitting one of them across the head with a baseball bat.
Harvey Whaitiri was attacked in his council flat in the suburb of Camberley at about 9pm on Monday.
Whaitiri, who lives alone, was watching television when he heard a knock at his ranchslider door. He pulled back curtains of an adjacent window to find three males aged between 18 and 20 wearing bandanas across their faces.
One was carrying a baseball bat and another was carrying a knife.
"These bloody dickheads they walk around with these red scarves thinking they're tough. One of them said 'Give us whatever you've got. Money or alcohol.' I told them to piss off," Whaitiri said.
"Then [one of them] started swearing and came rushing at the window to climb in. So I whacked him across the head," he said.
Whaitiri said he gave the man a decent hit with his baseball bat.
"He didn't like that."
"Then they all started shouting and swearing at me. They threw something through the [ranchslider] window, then they smashed the two kitchen windows," he said
The former despatch manager and rubbish collector, who has lived in the flat for nine years, lifts weights every day in the living room of the small flat.
"There's a lot of young ones around here that I get on with. But not these dickheads with the scarves on their faces. I'm not scared of them. I just can't be bothered with them," he said.
A witness reported that around that time they saw a Blue Honda Civic parked outside the Takapu Rd address with about five males inside.
Detective Glen Yule said Whaitiri, who turned 79 in July, hit the assailant quite hard "so we would like to hear from anyone who might know of a young man who came home with a large bump, or bleeding on his head".
Yule praised Whaitiri for doing the right thing by looking out the window rather than opening the door, and said if he had opened the door he would have been seriously assaulted.
Any information regarding such activities can be reported to police on 06 831 0700, or information can be left anonymously on Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
28 November, 2015
Pugilists
Left to right: Brent, Woody, Pete, and Brendan.
(click on pic to enlarge)
Photographer: Anthony
21 September, 2015
school holidays
Hey kung-fu people,
I will be away for these classes:
Monday 28/9/15
Wednesday 30/9/15
Monday 5/10/15
Wednesday 7/10/15
On these dates Hadrian is in charge, along with Brent and Pete.
You're in good hands.......................
Anthony
I will be away for these classes:
Monday 28/9/15
Wednesday 30/9/15
Monday 5/10/15
Wednesday 7/10/15
On these dates Hadrian is in charge, along with Brent and Pete.
You're in good hands.......................
Anthony
26 August, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 85
Dairy owner takes on armed robber
Wednesday Aug 26, 2015
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11502949 (Video through link.)
A Hamilton dairy owner is nursing bruises this morning, two days after wrestling a rifle from a man who demanded money from his till.Rupan Patel is this morning meeting with police again after grabbing the gun off the offender causing him to flee the scene at about 7.15pm on Monday.
"I did get a bit of bruising," he told the New Zealand Herald.
He did not yet know if the man had been caught by police.
When the man walked into the dairy with his face covered, Mr Patel said he thought it was some kind of joke.
"This area I've been told is really safe -- nothing ever really happens.
"He walks in ... he puts the gun up and I thought 'this is for real'."
Mr Patel said the offender passed him a shopping bag and ordered him to fill it with money from the till, while continuing to point a gun at him.
Mr Patel said when he tried to open the till it wouldn't open.
"He came to the front of the counter and he tried to make a jump across the counter - that's when I took the chance.
"His hands were free and he wasn't pointing the gun at me.
"He was quite close to me and I tried to push him down on to the ground.
"He was holding on to me, I'm holding on to him, we're on the ground. We have a bit of a wrestle, but my main intention is to get the gun off him."
During the confrontation, Mr Patel managed to grab the gun. He said the offender's balaclava came off, revealing some of his face, but he quickly fled, jumping into his getaway car and speeding off.
"Then he makes a run out the door, I want to hit him with the gun, and tell him 'don't come back'."
"Scary thoughts" ran through Mr Patel's head as the gun was pointing at him, he said.
"He could shoot if it was loaded, if I didn't do anything, or what he wanted, then he would have shot me," Mr Patel said.
"I was trying to follow what he was saying but I couldn't open the till.
"Everything happened so quickly, my mind was pretty much blank."
Mr Patel said he took over the business three months ago, and the incident was like nothing he had experienced before.
Despite Monday night's ordeal, he has remained calm, and was back at work yesterday evening.
"I've got my family now at night time. I'm not by myself any more, just to be on the safe side."
- Additional reporting: Susan Strongman of the New Zealand Herald
- NZME.
08 August, 2015
Winter training on a snowy Saturday...
Left to right: Pete, Brent, Sohail, Hadrian.
Photographer: Anthony
30 July, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 84
Schoolgirl knees attacker in the genitals
12:03 PM Thursday Jul 30, 2015
Police are looking for the man after the attack on Mackay St
in Thames about 2pm on Tuesday.
A schoolgirl kneed a man in the genitals and fled after he indecently assaulted her.
Police are looking for the man after the attack on Mackay St in Thames about 2pm on Tuesday.
"Our victim, a 16-year-old girl, was walking on the eastern side of Mackay St, towards Sealy St, when a man walking towards her suddenly stopped her and subjected her to an indecent assault," Detective Sergeant Martyn Hughes said.
"Keeping her wits about her, our victim has kneed her attacker in the genitals before fleeing and raising the alarm."
The offender was described as a clean-shaven man in his late 20s with olive skin who was "reasonably tall" and wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans.
Police have asked anyone with information about the suspect or the incident to either call Thames police on 07 867 9600 or anonymously contact the Crimestoppers organisation on 0800 555 111.
Police praised the girl's "presence of mind" in the situation.
Mr Hughes said police were speaking to local schools to discuss safety issues.
03 June, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 83
Knife used in self-defence
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/344550/no-charges-over-self-defence-stabbing
A coroners report has found building contractor, David Cunningham, died after becoming involved in an altercation with another man, David Broiles, who stabbed him in "self-defence".
The incident occurred after Mr Cunningham left the house where he was staying to go and buy cigarettes around 11pm on the night of August 26, 2012. He was then seen on Ararimu road, at around 2am on August 27, where he entered a property.
Mr Cunningham proceeded to a sleep out where a person living on the property was sleeping.
Mr Broiles heard Mr Cunningham's approach, armed himself with a knife and torch believeing the person was an intruder. He confronted Mr Cunningham at the door and a fight ensued.
Mr Cunningham was stabbed several times. He died at the scene.
The report found Mr Cunningham's death was caused by Mr Broiles and no other people were involved in the events of that night. Despite acknowledging this fact, the man said he used the force he did in self-defence.
Police were unable to establish the reason Mr Cunningham was on the property at Ararimu road and no evidence was found to conclude he had gone onto the property with any criminal intent.
A blood test found Mr Cunningham's blood alcohol level was almost three times over the legal driving limit. The limit has since been lowered.
No criminal charges were laid in relation to the death of Mr Cunningham.
- by
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/344550/no-charges-over-self-defence-stabbing
No charges over 'self-defence' stabbing
Wed, 3 Jun 2015
Charges have not been laid against a man who stabbed a 40-year-old Mount Manganui man in the chest during a confrontation.
A coroners report has found building contractor, David Cunningham, died after becoming involved in an altercation with another man, David Broiles, who stabbed him in "self-defence".
The incident occurred after Mr Cunningham left the house where he was staying to go and buy cigarettes around 11pm on the night of August 26, 2012. He was then seen on Ararimu road, at around 2am on August 27, where he entered a property.
Mr Cunningham proceeded to a sleep out where a person living on the property was sleeping.
Mr Broiles heard Mr Cunningham's approach, armed himself with a knife and torch believeing the person was an intruder. He confronted Mr Cunningham at the door and a fight ensued.
Mr Cunningham was stabbed several times. He died at the scene.
The report found Mr Cunningham's death was caused by Mr Broiles and no other people were involved in the events of that night. Despite acknowledging this fact, the man said he used the force he did in self-defence.
Police were unable to establish the reason Mr Cunningham was on the property at Ararimu road and no evidence was found to conclude he had gone onto the property with any criminal intent.
A blood test found Mr Cunningham's blood alcohol level was almost three times over the legal driving limit. The limit has since been lowered.
No criminal charges were laid in relation to the death of Mr Cunningham.
- by
29 May, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 82
Grandmother plays possum to survive violent home invasion
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/68889043/porirua-grandmother-played-possum-to-survive-violent-home-invasion
May 29 2015
NEIL RATLEY
KEVIN STENT/Dominion Post
A Porirua grandmother was beaten and throttled in her own home for half a packet of cigarettes and an iPad.
Linda McElwee played possum to survive the attack, which left her with scars and bruises to her face, chest and shoulder.
"He tried to strangle me and then started bashing me with his fists and then an object. I knew I wasn't going to win a fight against him, so I played unconscious," the 63-year-old said this week.
But despite her ordeal, in the early hours of May 21, she says she feels "a bit sorry" for her attacker and wants to see him rehabilitated.
The sanctuary of McElwee's home in a quiet, bushy dead-end street in Ranui Heights was shattered when she awoke to find a stranger in the house.
She thinks the deadbolt from the seldom-used sliding door in the lounge might not have been fully put back the last time it was used.
"I had fallen asleep on my couch under a big fur blanket. The lights were on, the TV was on."
The invader opened the sliding door and circled the couch, probably not spotting the sleeping McElwee, burrowed into her blanket.
A packet of Winfield Blue 25s, holding 12 cigarettes and a lighter, and an iPad were taken from the coffee table. The burglar then headed for a small table at the foot of the couch, where a laptop was charging.
"I woke facing the window and I noticed the curtain open. I made a slight move and he jumped me," McElwee said.
"He came right down with his hands and then slammed his leg across the top of my shoulder and my chest, trying to pin me down. Then he got his hands around my throat.
"I knew then this was for real. I started trying to protect myself and then he came on with his fists.
"He must have thought the thumping wasn't doing any damage, so he picked up something solid and started bashing me around the face.
"I realised this is getting serious and went limp."
The invader made a run for it out of the door and into the darkness.
McElwee's 83-year-old mother, who lives with her, slept through the entire episode.
"Thankfully mum is deaf and slept right through it. I can only imagine what could have happened to her if she had wandered in while I was being attacked," McElwee said.
Her mother said it was horrific to be woken by her daughter, her face covered in blood.
"I thought I was dreaming when she woke me up and said, 'Mum, I've attacked.' Part of me feels guilty I slept right through it."
McElwee, with blood pouring from her face and dripping on to the cream carpet, picked up the phone and called the police. Despite a good cleaning, the carpet is still visibly stained.
Police were soon on the scene with the dogs, and McElwee said they tracked down a suspect just a few blocks away, having a smoke.
A 17-year-old is due to appear in court on June 12.
McElwee said: "I realise there are people struggling out there. It's sad to think they believe they have to resort to these kind of things.
"This young person must have no self-worth, no self-respect and no pride. Hopefully the system can help give him these things."
- Stuff
25 May, 2015
21 May, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 81
Sex attacker choked-out by female kickboxer
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/68725133/Sex-attacker-choked-by-female-kickboxer
May 21 2015
Sex offender "bit off slightly more than he could chew" when he attacked a female kickboxer.
Sex attacker Mark Willis dragged a woman over a wall and tried to get on top of her, but five minutes later he was unconscious.
The female had two years of kickboxing under her belt and put her attacker in a triangle choke, Metro reported.
The move involves wrapping your legs around the neck of the other person to cut off the blood flow to their brain, and puts them to sleep.
Willis, 39, was not prepared for his attack to go all so wrong.
He had targeted the woman who was walking alone through a town in Gloucestershire, England at 2am (local time).
Wallis grabbed her and punched her several times, then forced her into a garden and got on top of her. He told her to be quiet, do as he said and she wouldn't get hurt.
"I swore at him," said the woman.
"My legs were still free so I lifted my left leg up onto his shoulder and around the back of his neck. I crossed my right leg over and squeezed together as hard as I could.
"I closed my eyes and held it for as long as I could hoping he would pass out in a few seconds. Then I felt his body go limp. I thought he had lost consciousness or run out of air. I flipped him off, rolled over and crawled through the bushes to the door of the house."
Later Willis was quickly arrested, identified by the woman, and convicted of sexual assault, despite his denial.
He is yet to be sentenced.
The woman received a £500 reward from the presiding judge, as a token of the court's appreciation of what she has done to catch Willis.
"He bit off slightly more than he could chew with this young lady," Judge Hart said.
"Not everyone could do what she did and not everyone could even sensibly try to do what she did."
- Stuff
03 May, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 80
Woman fights off attacker during attempted assault in Rotorua
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/68227815/woman-fights-off-attacker-during-attempted-assault-in-rotorua.html
May 3 2015
A woman fought off her attacker during what is thought to be an attempted sexual assault in Rotorua.Police are appealing for any information about the alleged assault, which took place on Wharenui Rd, between Te Ngae and Reeves roads, on Saturday night.
Some time between 6.30pm and 6.50pm a woman in her 30s was grabbed from behind and pushed to the ground, a police spokeswoman said.
"She blacked out briefly, but then fought her attacker and screamed, causing him to run off."
The alleged offender is thought to be a male Maori aged in his mid-to-late teens. He has a skinny build with a long, thin face and no facial hair, police said.
"He is likely to have a scratch or injury to his face as a result of the victim fighting back."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Rotorua Police on (07) 348 0099.
- Stuff
11 April, 2015
Visit from Ben / Saturday training
My kung-fu brother Ben from Invercargill dropped in for Saturday training today...
Left to right: Brent, Ben, Hadrian, Pete, Sohail.
Ben and Anthony
10 April, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 79
Young woman fights off two knife-wielding robbers
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hutt-valley/67678072/Lower-Hutt-woman-threatened-with-knife-in-aggravated-robbery
April 10 2015
A young woman has fended off two knife-wielding teenagers in the latest of a spate of aggravated robberies in Lower Hutt.
The 22-year-old woman resisted two male teenagers who threatened to "stab her" if she did not hand over her cell phone.
Inspector Kevin Riordan, of Central Police Communications, said the attack happened between 8pm and 8:25pm on Thursday on the stop bank or river bank near Hutt Valley High School.
"The offenders have approached the female and produced a knife and threatened that they would stab her if she did not hand over her cell phone," Riordan said.
"The victim has refused and a subsequent struggle has ensued between the three."
It is believed the woman was not injured and the two teenagers took off from the scene.
The offenders have been described as two teenage males of unknown ethnicity.
One was wearing long shorts and a black and white top while the other was wearing a dark coloured hooded sweatshirt with an emblem on the front with the hood pulled up over his head. He is also wearing a tan coloured pair of trousers.
Police were also looking to speak to two females who were walking in the same direction at the time of the robbery and could possibly know the males involved, Riordan said.
The seriousness of the crime and because it was the third crime of this nature in the Hutt Valley in recent days was a concern, he said.
Police were determined to catch those responsible and anyone who had information that may help police should contact the Wellington District Command Centre or Wellington District Crime Squad on 04 3812077.
- Stuff
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hutt-valley/67678072/Lower-Hutt-woman-threatened-with-knife-in-aggravated-robbery
April 10 2015
A young woman has fended off two knife-wielding teenagers in the latest of a spate of aggravated robberies in Lower Hutt.
The 22-year-old woman resisted two male teenagers who threatened to "stab her" if she did not hand over her cell phone.
Inspector Kevin Riordan, of Central Police Communications, said the attack happened between 8pm and 8:25pm on Thursday on the stop bank or river bank near Hutt Valley High School.
"The offenders have approached the female and produced a knife and threatened that they would stab her if she did not hand over her cell phone," Riordan said.
"The victim has refused and a subsequent struggle has ensued between the three."
It is believed the woman was not injured and the two teenagers took off from the scene.
The offenders have been described as two teenage males of unknown ethnicity.
One was wearing long shorts and a black and white top while the other was wearing a dark coloured hooded sweatshirt with an emblem on the front with the hood pulled up over his head. He is also wearing a tan coloured pair of trousers.
Police were also looking to speak to two females who were walking in the same direction at the time of the robbery and could possibly know the males involved, Riordan said.
The seriousness of the crime and because it was the third crime of this nature in the Hutt Valley in recent days was a concern, he said.
Police were determined to catch those responsible and anyone who had information that may help police should contact the Wellington District Command Centre or Wellington District Crime Squad on 04 3812077.
- Stuff
28 March, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 78
Young female nurse fights off attacker with a punch to the groin
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/australia/337557/dashcam-appeal-sydney-nurse-attack
Fri, 27 Mar 2015
AAP
An unsuspecting motorist with a dashboard camera might provide detectives with a vital clue as they investigate an attempted abduction in Sydney's north.
A nurse, 27, was walking home along Falcon Street at Crows Nest on Wednesday night when a man grabbed her.
The North Shore Private Hospital nurse told police the man put his hand over her mouth and tried to put her in the boot of his grey or silver sedan.
She punched the man in the groin before he drove away up Sophia Street.
She sought help from the nearby Caltex service station and was treated in hospital for bruises, grazes and swelling.
Detectives are hoping motorists with dashcams that were in the area between 10-11pm may be able to help with the investigation.
"These days many drivers, including motorcycle riders, have dashcams on their vehicles," Harbourside police Detective Inspector Michael Birley said on Friday.
"An unsuspecting motorist who was in the vicinity of the Pacific Highway or Sophia Street on Wednesday night may have captured footage of interest to our investigation."
Det Insp Birley said the nurse was still emotionally traumatised from the terrifying attack.
Investigators are after a man described as of Middle Eastern or Indian appearance, aged in his 30s, about 175cm tall with a stocky build and short dark hair.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/australia/337557/dashcam-appeal-sydney-nurse-attack
Fri, 27 Mar 2015
AAP
An unsuspecting motorist with a dashboard camera might provide detectives with a vital clue as they investigate an attempted abduction in Sydney's north.
A nurse, 27, was walking home along Falcon Street at Crows Nest on Wednesday night when a man grabbed her.
The North Shore Private Hospital nurse told police the man put his hand over her mouth and tried to put her in the boot of his grey or silver sedan.
She punched the man in the groin before he drove away up Sophia Street.
She sought help from the nearby Caltex service station and was treated in hospital for bruises, grazes and swelling.
Detectives are hoping motorists with dashcams that were in the area between 10-11pm may be able to help with the investigation.
"These days many drivers, including motorcycle riders, have dashcams on their vehicles," Harbourside police Detective Inspector Michael Birley said on Friday.
"An unsuspecting motorist who was in the vicinity of the Pacific Highway or Sophia Street on Wednesday night may have captured footage of interest to our investigation."
Det Insp Birley said the nurse was still emotionally traumatised from the terrifying attack.
Investigators are after a man described as of Middle Eastern or Indian appearance, aged in his 30s, about 175cm tall with a stocky build and short dark hair.
19 March, 2015
kung-fu brothers
Left to right: Raph, Dave, Anthony
Left to right: Dave, Brent, Anthony
Brent and Anthony
Photos by Ange (Jan. 2015)
04 March, 2015
Monday 9th of March
I'm away on Monday.
Hadrian is in charge on that day, and he will run the class -- so be good and I'll see you on the Wednesday.
Anthony
Hadrian is in charge on that day, and he will run the class -- so be good and I'll see you on the Wednesday.
Anthony
21 February, 2015
Ving Chun Kuen kung-fu brothers - Saturday training
Anthony (far left) with: Sohail, Chris, Hadrian, Rodney (top row),
and Brendan, Pete, Brent (bottom row).
21-02-2015
15 February, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 77
WOMAN FIGHTS OFF ATTACKER
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/66211245/teen-fights-off-abduction
PHILLIPA YALDEN
February 15 2015
A Hamilton teen managed to fight off a man attempting to abduct her by scratching his eyes during what police say was a cowardly attack witnessed by two men.
The 19-year-old was waiting to be picked up after finishing work at a restaurant at the Hilcrest shops around 10.30pm yesterday when she was attacked.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Matt Cranshaw, of Hamilton CIB, said the woman was by the roundabout at the intersection of SH1 and SH26 when a car heading north from Cambridge approached.
The car drove past the woman before turning around, when three men in the car began whistling and shouting at her. "The car has pulled up and the driver has got out of the car and approached the woman before attempting to drag her into his car," said Cranshaw.
The woman began screaming for help, hitting her attacker and scratching him in the eyes, said Cranshaw. "The attacker has then begun screaming before getting back into his car and driving off with his two rear seat companions, south along SH1 towards Cambridge."
Cranshaw said the victim put up a valiant effort.
"The understandably shaken victim has gone back to a pizza store where police were subsequently called."
A duty manager at Homestead Bar and Eatery said the young woman had been left too distressed to talk about the incident and was recovering at home with family.
The manager understood the teen, who had been working part-time at the restaurant for the last year, was waiting outside the shops, near the Kiwibank, when she was attacked.
"I am presuming she had finished and left. Our managers never leave them here by themselves.
There had been a number of incidents including a burglary at the restaurant and issues with drunken people at the nearby Burger King in the last few months, she said.
"It is a really big worry," she said.
CCTV survallience camers were installed around the eatery, but the manager did not believe they captured the road area.
Police are looking to identify the man, who is described as having dark skin, aged in his mid to late 20s, with an Indian accent, wearing blue, short-sleeved collared shirt and black shorts. He was also wearing sunglasses and had his black, chin length hair with blonde tips, tied up. "His car was described as a late model dark or black sedan with tinted rear windows."
"Police have no description of the two men in the back seat but police would like to speak to them in relation to their role in this cowardly attack and why they did not intervene?"
Anyone with any information either on the incident or who may be able to identify the attacker is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Nick O'Brien at the Hamilton Central Police Station on 07 858 6200.
Alternatively, information can be left anonymously with the independent Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/66211245/teen-fights-off-abduction
PHILLIPA YALDEN
February 15 2015
A Hamilton teen managed to fight off a man attempting to abduct her by scratching his eyes during what police say was a cowardly attack witnessed by two men.
The 19-year-old was waiting to be picked up after finishing work at a restaurant at the Hilcrest shops around 10.30pm yesterday when she was attacked.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Matt Cranshaw, of Hamilton CIB, said the woman was by the roundabout at the intersection of SH1 and SH26 when a car heading north from Cambridge approached.
The car drove past the woman before turning around, when three men in the car began whistling and shouting at her. "The car has pulled up and the driver has got out of the car and approached the woman before attempting to drag her into his car," said Cranshaw.
The woman began screaming for help, hitting her attacker and scratching him in the eyes, said Cranshaw. "The attacker has then begun screaming before getting back into his car and driving off with his two rear seat companions, south along SH1 towards Cambridge."
Cranshaw said the victim put up a valiant effort.
"The understandably shaken victim has gone back to a pizza store where police were subsequently called."
A duty manager at Homestead Bar and Eatery said the young woman had been left too distressed to talk about the incident and was recovering at home with family.
The manager understood the teen, who had been working part-time at the restaurant for the last year, was waiting outside the shops, near the Kiwibank, when she was attacked.
"I am presuming she had finished and left. Our managers never leave them here by themselves.
There had been a number of incidents including a burglary at the restaurant and issues with drunken people at the nearby Burger King in the last few months, she said.
"It is a really big worry," she said.
CCTV survallience camers were installed around the eatery, but the manager did not believe they captured the road area.
Police are looking to identify the man, who is described as having dark skin, aged in his mid to late 20s, with an Indian accent, wearing blue, short-sleeved collared shirt and black shorts. He was also wearing sunglasses and had his black, chin length hair with blonde tips, tied up. "His car was described as a late model dark or black sedan with tinted rear windows."
"Police have no description of the two men in the back seat but police would like to speak to them in relation to their role in this cowardly attack and why they did not intervene?"
Anyone with any information either on the incident or who may be able to identify the attacker is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Nick O'Brien at the Hamilton Central Police Station on 07 858 6200.
Alternatively, information can be left anonymously with the independent Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
- Waikato Times
04 February, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 76
Chinese contractors use karate
to overpower gunmen
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/331909/contractors-use-karate-overpower-gunmen
Tue, 3 Feb 2015
One of the Chinese contractors re-enacts the martial arts moves they
used to scare off the armed robbers, in this screengrab from Albania's
Ora News.
Three Albanian gunmen met their match when they held up three Chinese contractors only to be outwitted and overpowered by the karate skills of their would-be victims.
The Chinese contractors re-enacted for Albania's News24 TV on Monday what they said had happened on a mountain road in northern Albania on Sunday (local time) after they were held up at gunpoint.
"They were masked and armed and stopped us, putting the gun below the chin of our friend. They wanted our mobile phones, money and the sacks with our goods," said one of the Chinese men, whom News24 did not name.
Speaking in Chinese, the three agreed to fight their attackers, he said.
The man's demonstration of his techniques for the camera included powerful hand blows and frontal and back kicks.
Having overpowered the gunmen, the Chinese men called the police and had them arrested.
Albanian police confirmed that gunmen had tried to rob the Chinese nationals at gunpoint and said they had arrested two people, aged 21 and 23. The police also said they had seized old Soviet-era Model 54 guns, a mask and a bag.
Holdups, commonplace in Albania during the Balkan country's turbulent post-communist 1990s, are much rarer now.
Reuters
14 January, 2015
Self-defence in the News - No. 75
Boy fights off attacker with can of soft drink
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/64928504/boy-fights-off-attacker-with-can-of-soft-drink
January 14 2015
BRITTANY MANN
A 10-year-old boy who fought off an attacker with a can of soft drink feels it saved his life.
The boy got off a bus two doors from his house on Woodham Rd in Avonside, Christchurch, on Sunday about 9.30pm.
He and his 16-year-old brother were returning from dinner at the mall, his mother said. She has asked for her and her sons not to be identified by name.
The boy got off the bus alone, while his brother stayed on the bus to buy milk from a service station further up the road.
When the boy stepped off the bus, a "rough looking" man grabbed him by the wrists and tried to pull him away.
"Luckily my son has got a little bit of Judo experience," his mother, aged 29, said.
The boy managed to fight off the man by punching his wrists with a can of Lift soft drink, and throwing it into his face, his mother said.
"He feels that saved his life."
Her sons described the attacker as white, unshaven, aged between 40 and 50 years old, with a "hunched" appearance.
He was wearing long pants and a red and blue checkered hoodie, with the hood up.
He was wearing gloves.
The man did not say anything during the altercation.
The mother said no-one saw the incident.
The attacker ran off towards Stanmore Rd. Her son ran home.
"He was traumatised. I've never seen him hysterical like that."
Her other son had seen the man waiting at the bus stop and had a "gut feeling" he was dangerous.
He had seen the man in the area on a number of other occasions, his mother said.
Police took a statement from the family that night, but the woman said she had not been contacted by them since.
The woman said she was "super proud" of her younger son.
Police did not immediately respond to The Press' inquiry about whether an investigation was under way.
- The Press
12 January, 2015
New Year visit
New Year visit from my sifu, Kevin Earle, along with Ving Chun Kuen instructors Rapheal Stowers and Dave Sutherland.
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Kevin and Raph
Anthony and Kevin
Dave, Brent, Chris, Ange, Raph, and Kevin
Photos: 6 January 2015
24 December, 2014
New training space for Chris
Chris is the only kung-fu man I know with a kwoon made out of steel...
Here are three photographs I made this morning...
Chris 1
Chris 2
Chris 3
21 December, 2014
The Form
To the past, present, and future students of Southern Kung Fu.
The Form
by Anthony Revill
The single most important training habit I learned from my
sifu, Kevin Earle, was to do my Form every morning. In fact, the Form (Sil Lum
Tao) is essential for me in starting each day. It affects how I am in the
world, and imbues my day with qualities that have become indispensable to me.
When Kevin became my sifu, I recognised that I was in the
presence of an unusual kind of self-defence instructor. Kevin wasn’t the only
guy around who could knock people down or throw them to the ground. However,
early on, I felt there was something more to him. It was this recognition of a
difference that helped me become receptive to what he was really teaching me.
It’s true that I heartily embraced the business end of Ving Chun Kuen kung-fu:
the intercepting, deflecting, entering, punching, striking, stomping, and other
ways of engaging with the enemy. Nevertheless, this external manifestation of
Ving Chun Kuen’s methodology, despite being fun and challenging to practice, is
merely the flowering of a more fundamental essence.
So it is that when prospective students walk through my
door, this is what they are looking for. They want to learn how to engage an
enemy. And that’s all well and good; I can teach them that. Yet, by the very
nature of their desire, they are focused on the external – and with the
external they shall remain for some time. Because of this, the Form puzzles
them. It’s an anomaly. It will begin to make some sort of sense as knowledge
flows into it, as ongoing training informs it. However, to a beginner, I can
accept that the Form is simple, slow, and tedious – something they copy in
class because they’re told to. To them, it’s as external as any of their other
training; and, considered externally, it makes little sense.
Furthermore, the Form does not look combative. A student may
wonder what place it has in a self-defence class. As some sort of solitary,
contemplative exercise, it smacks of downtime – a mere indulgence on the part
of the instructor. (In class I have said, “What does the Form have to do with
fighting? Nothing… and everything.”) Accordingly, I have little doubt that some
of my students cannot wait to skip through the Form in class, so they can get
to the good stuff. Legion are they who do their Form in class because they have
to, and at no other time. I had to learn to love the Form, and I persisted with
it because my sifu valued it so highly. He reinforced its importance by his own
example.
My challenge, then, is how to facilitate a student’s
interest in the Form. Newer students underestimate its value, while I cannot
overstate its value. One reason for this is the experience of depth. For
beginners, Ving Chun Kuen kung-fu is broad, containing many disparate elements,
like a wide but shallow lake; while for me the art is like a very small pond,
with such depth that I can step into it and disappear. This is the quality of
Ving Chun Kuen that holds my interest. Over time, as the student navigates the
lake, gradually understanding that the elements are all qualitatively alike,
the lake begins to shrink in diameter, and it starts to deepen.
Essentially, the Form is a felt experience. Possibly it can
be understood and discussed intellectually, but in practice the student has to
come out of the head and into the body, so to speak. Thoughts running
continuously through the mind are formations in themselves, competing with the
exercise for attention. Memories, imaginings, old conversations, possible new
ones, ongoing issues and the problems of a busy life – they all vie for the top
spot in the student’s awareness. Nevertheless, the student must come to realise
that training while distracted in this way is counter-productive. I do have
suggestions and strategies for my students regarding this, but none of them
involve the suppression of thoughts. Rather, a shift in awareness can be
useful, guiding the attention away from the unfettered activity of the mind.
Once this is accomplished, the mind can be recruited effectively, with its
powers of intentness and focus of force through the gaze of the eyes – but
empty of words, pictures, the past, future, and other formations. In this way
the Form is grounded in the present moment, with the mind and body inseparable
in purpose. Put another way, cultivation and projection of force involves the
awareness, engagement, and unification of body and mind.
Here I have chosen to write primarily of the formless, and
the irony of using a form to develop the formless is not lost on me. Yet there
is no better method I know of that can impart the real depth of Ving Chun Kuen
except that the student consistently practice their Form. And this is the
aspect of my training that has made all the difference for me, namely, my
commitment to practicing every morning, as inspired by Kevin. The Form is far
more than a set of positions and actions that the student learns by rote,
performed exactly the same way thereafter, repeated in a mechanical, unvarying
fashion. The Form is actually a process, continuously progressing day-by-day,
much like the human being practicing it. Initially, the student may see the Form as something
separate from themselves which they have to conform to, but, really, there is
no Form until they enact it. It’s a matter of perception. At first, their
method of positioning, breathing, moving, focusing, projecting, etc., is
imposed upon them by me. I am giving them the seeds of an idea, an idea that is
not tangible until it finds expression in the kung-fu practitioner. Moreover,
this aspect of training is never brought to a conclusion, for the Form
represents the continuing evolution of the student; it is not only a doing, but
a becoming.
Nothing I have written is meant to imply that the Form is a
closed system all of its own. It does not exist in a vacuum. Indeed, all of the
other training within Ving Chun Kuen begins to inform the Sil Lum Tao and flesh
it out. The Form begins as a small number of copied movements and positions,
without any real internal substance. This has to change. Left to its own
devices, it simply does not encompass enough experience on the part of the
student to enrich it. Therefore, every other exercise in class is important,
particularly partner work and the practice of the other forms. The student’s
growing awareness, skill, and knowledge, developed from the ground up, is
incorporated into the Form, there to be refined and improved – only to be
returned to the training exercises in class once more. Effectively, this
constitutes a cycle of enrichment, without which Sil Lum Tao would remain
impoverished, its efficacy limited. Furthermore, like a sapling subjected to
the elements, the idea must be put under all types of pressure to develop its
resilience and vigour, as in the practice of sticking hands for example.
Having said that, there comes a time when the Form begins to
give more than it gets. It remains the linchpin of Ving Chun Kuen’s combat
practices, yet also moves beyond this, becoming a personal process towards
self-mastery. More specifically, it is about switching on to internal
definition, bringing the locus of control increasingly towards centre, away
from the manipulations of external threat. In light of this, there is a stage
of maturity to be reached in kung-fu training where the obsessive focus on
dealing with perceived enemies gives way to more of a focus on dealing with
ourselves. The Form’s cultivation of structure and posture, groundedness and
stability, relaxation and expansion – along with awareness and intent – comes
to signify assertiveness rather than aggression. And that is how I sometimes
describe the Form, as an act of assertiveness; that is, a daily renewal of our
attitude, confidence and determination.
To sum up, I have written about Ving Chun Kuen directly from
my own experience, and touched on some of the ways in which the Form holds
meaning for me. In doing so, I am aware that I am still going through the daily
discipline of this training, and that my views may change – possibly as early
as tomorrow morning. The day-by-day renewal through Sil Lum Tao is what keeps
my kung-fu growing, much like an everlasting springtime.
© 2014 Anthony Revill
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