The whole gang

Left to right: Anthony, Moo, Sean, Shereen, Paul, Pete, Brendan, and Simon.

Photographer: Fabia Oliveira

16/9/19

Self-defence training for Red Badge security officers

06-08-2019

Training a fantastic bunch of people in simple, effective, quick-to-learn self-defence, geared to their roles as professional security staff.

Men's Training Night

Great night's training with the boys only: Paul, Sean, Simon, Brendan, Pete, and me. Punching & striking, four-corner deflection, breaking grabs, and chi sau. Nice and rough with lots of camaraderie! Fantastic to see steady improvement from the newer lads.

Will see all the girls again on Saturday no doubt...

Midwinter training night

Left to right: 

Paul, Pete, Shereen, Brendan, Moo, and Simon

Some good Saturday training

Pete and Anthony

Kung fu nosh-up ~ 14 Oct 2018

Left to right:

Rachel, Shereen, Kevin, Moo.

Photographer: Beau

Left to right: 

Anthony, Brendan, Ange, Red, Shereen, Kevin, Beau, Rachel.

Photographer: Moo

Foreword to "The Invincible Man"

How is it that Kevin Earle can pay me a brief visit and leave me with enough to work on for the next year or two? How is it that he can make a couple of simple observations in training that set me on a path to greater understanding and depth? How can there be “nothing new to learn” – as he writes in this manual – yet he always has something valuable to teach me? 

I first met Kevin in the latter part of the 90s when he visited Dunedin for a training workshop. I was a student at the local kung fu club, and Kevin was the founder and chief instructor of Earle’s Academy, the pre-eminent Ving Chun Kuen kung fu school based in Christchurch. Although it might be accurate to say that his reputation preceded him, I had no more than a sketchy second-hand knowledge of him. 

With first-hand knowledge came the realisation that there was much more to this kung fu method than I had experienced up till then. With seemingly little effort, Kevin demonstrated to me that I was missing something. His undeniable depth and superiority in Ving Chun Kuen left me feeling both inspired and dissatisfied. 

In terms of where I was currently training, I realised I had progressed as far as I could go. What’s more, that point had been reached some time ago. And so I made the decision to “up sticks” and move my entire household to Christchurch so that I could join Earle’s Academy. 

What did I find there? 

I found many of the things Kevin writes about in this manual: I found the essential idea that binds the elements of Ving Chun Kuen together. I found out about the cultivation and control of force. I found concepts that could be brought to life through diligent training. I found signs that pointed towards important destinations without detailed instructions on how to get there. 

Above all, I found a deeply knowledgeable and experienced teacher who continues to have an enormous influence on my expression of kung fu. 

And further, it’s the way in which Kevin guides me that helps to explain why he can pay me a brief visit and leave me with enough to work on for the next year or two. He observes, he suggests, he demonstrates, he imparts knowledge, he influences – but he does not tell me what to do. He leaves me in charge of my own progress. 

Now, even given all that, I would be remiss if I did not mention possibly the most important part of my connection with Kevin, and that is in the way he inspires me. In handing down his Ving Chun Kuen method, he has given me a gift. Like the master in Matthew 25:14, he expected me to develop my talents, and develop them I have. Pivotal to this development is how I have derived ongoing inspiration from him. 

In my twenty years of training so far, there have been times when I’ve been discouraged. There have been times when I have been tempted to devote the energy kung fu requires to other pursuits. There have been times I have wanted to bury my talents in the ground and let them vegetate. In looking back, I won’t underestimate the importance of my sifu (my teacher-father) in acting as a living example of continuing progress and growth. For as surely as I grow in power and skill, Kevin pulls ahead of me that much more. 

Eight years ago, living back in Dunedin, I picked up the phone and rang Kevin. I rang him to ask him something. I believe I felt slightly anxious before making the call. I had come around to the idea of opening my own kung fu school, and I asked him if he would give me his blessing to do just that. His response was essentially, “Of course! What took you so long?” This really is the highest compliment I can pay him, that I would ask another man permission to do something. 

In my own school over the years, I have taught many people kung fu and self-defence. Most of the students that have walked through my door have been content to scratch at the surface layers of kung fu; in effect, to learn how to fight. A rare few have demonstrated the desire and motivation to go on a deeper journey with me, to grow the five talents I have given them into ten. Through their own initiative, these senior students begin to become more self-reliant, more introspective, more imaginative, and more dedicated. So, in some ways, they parallel my own journey; but, more than that, they tap into the ongoing inspiration provided by my own instructor. 

And they start to get a sense of their real potential… 

This manual is about realising your potential. It is for the Ving Chun Kuen practitioners who are approaching a rarefied stage in their training, that of integrating the three forms at the level of practical combat. As you will discover in the pages that follow, wooden man training is essential in this process of consolidation and refinement. You will also discover that although there is “nothing new to learn”, there is a distinct advantage in having the words and ideas of Kevin Earle close at hand as you tackle this challenge on your kung fu journey!

 

Anthony Revill

Chief Instructor, Southern Kung Fu

Dunedin, New Zealand

January 2018

The Invincible Man ~ a book by Kevin Earle

scan of front cover

THE INVINCIBLE MAN

Published this month (October 2018) in New Zealand, The Invincible Man by Kevin L. Earle is a Ving Chun Kuen kung fu training manual par excellence.

scan of back cover

Kung fu get-together and barbecue

Left to right:

Kevin, Brent, Beau, Anthony

14-10-2018

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

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

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

Self-defence in the News - No. 113

Woman fights off street attacker

22 July 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Self-defence in the News - No. 112

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

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

Senior kung fu men ~ Saturday training

Brent and Pete

Self-defence in the News - No. 111

Shopkeeper scares off armed robber

18 June 2018

By Tom Kitchin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She saw what looked like a gun in his hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

She thanked the Cromwell community for their support.

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

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

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

Shereen in action

Caffeine Highgate

Left to right: me, Red, and Kevin.

17 Dec 2017

Dunedin

Saturday training...

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

Lyndsay, Brendan, and Fin

27-01-2018

Photographer: Anthony

Lyndsay and Anthony

27-01-2018

Photographer: Brendan

Self-defence in the News - No. 110

Nelson man fights off home intruder

CHERIE SIVIGNON

December 22, 2017

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

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

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

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

The pair started to exchange blows, the resident said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kung fu training day and club dinner

Shereen and Kevin

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

16 Dec 2017

Photographer: Anthony

Rodney and Red

16 Dec 2017

Photographer: Anthony

Anthony and Kevin

16 Dec 2017

Photographer: Rachel

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

Self-defence in the News - No. 109

Australian gas station owner fights off armed robber

November 26, 2017

An Australian service station owner has exacted sweet revenge on a would-be robber armed with a machete, 7 News reports.

Ratan Raju, whose service station is outside the town of Caboolture in rural Queensland, grabbed the nearest thing to hand to protect himself when he was confronted by the armed man: a lolly tin.

CCTV footage shows the man approaching Raju, waving his machete around and demanding cash. Raju grabs a large tin of Milkos from behind the counter and hurls it at his assailant's head, sending him running for the door.

Raju then follows the would-be robber outside, arming himself with a tube of Pringles and a pot of honey on the way.

"I whacked him on his head and then he ran further so I ran closer to the garbage bin and I gave it to him on his back," Raju told 7 News.

"He was coming back with a knife, so I got [a] chair and I said 'come on, bring it on'."

It's not the first time the Australian Navy veteran has taken on a robber: the last person whe demanded cash from his till got knocked out cold. 

During the latest drama, Raju's wife and children were in the room behind the store.

"I work 14 hours a day, seven days a week, no one is just going to come in and grab my sweat and my blood off me," he said.

And if the robber returns? Raju has a clear message: "He'll be sleeping on that ground, I swear."

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/99253914/australian-gas-station-owner-fights-off-armed-robber-with-lollies-pringles

Self-defence in the News - No. 108

Off-duty cop carrying baby shoots dead two robbers

November 23, 2017

An off-duty Brazilian police officer had a baby under one arm when he pulled his gun and engaged in a shoot out with two robbers, leaving the raiders dead.

The gun battle took place in a pharmacy and part of it was captured on surveillance footage.

Souza opened fire when one of the robbers, wearing 

a masked hoodie, pointed a gun at him.

At one point the officer is seen handing the baby to his wife, who had taken cover behind one of the store's aisles.

Brazilian newspaper Estadao reported Sao Paulo police sergeant Rafael Souza, his wife and the infant, were shopping in the city of Campo Limpo Paulista on Saturday.

Two men stormed the shop and announced they were robbing the place.

One of the robbers, wearing a masked hoodie pointed a gun at Souza. At that point Souza pulled his gun and the shootout started.

Souza told investigators he fired first because he believed the robbers would have opened fire if he told them he was a police officer.

Brendan and Shereen

28 Oct 2017

The greatest fist-fighter who ever lived

Anthony and Fitz

Date: 21 Oct 2017

Statue of Bob Fitzsimmons

Sculptor: Margriet Windhausen van den Bergh

Commissioned by Bob Jones

Unveiled 1987 by David Lange

Location: Timaru (Bob Fitzsimmons' hometown),
New Zealand

Visiting my fellow kung-fu instructor in Southland...

Anthony (left) and Ben

6 Oct 2017 

Photographer: Skye

Ben outside his kwoon

6 Oct 2017

Senior kung-fu men

Brendan and Rodney
- Saturday training -

Self-defence in the News - No. 107

Dairy owners fight off axe-wielding robbers

PHILLIPA YALDEN

June 27, 2017

When tomahawk wielding robbers stormed Ram Sharma's dairy, the father of one had two instinctive thoughts.

Fight back or step back.

So the Hamilton man, and his parents, took on the thieves using a bottle of soy sauce and canned goods to thwart the pair's violent attempt to grab cigarettes.

"Once they come in you can't think what to do. It's only 45 seconds - you can try to protect yourself or you try to stop them."

Police are now appealing to the public to help track down the pair who attempted to rob the dairy on Aberdeen Dr and Courtney Ave on Sunday evening.

Around 6pm Sharma was working the counter when the two men wearing black balaclavas rushed into the store.

They approached the counter with their tomahawks raised and demanded cigarettes.

"I was standing out the back in the storage area having a chat with my parents while they were doing some stuff when two guys came in with the axe.

As the pair approached, Sharma yelled "hey, don't touch".

"I said - 'don't hurt us, take what you want'."

"But he still kept coming towards me."

Sharma put his hands in the air, repeatedly telling the culprits to take what they wanted.

"He said to the other guy - get the smokes."

But before the thieves made it to the cigarette cabinet, Sharma grabbed one of the men's axe.

"Then he started struggling with me. Meanwhile my dad was pushing him outwards while mum tried to hit him."

Sharma's 53-year-old mother turned to the other robber, pulling on the man's mask as he advanced towards the struggling trio.

"I think he lost his shoe, which we didn't realise until later."

A metre or two away Sharma and the thief grappled with the axe.

"Then he started trying to release the axe that I'm holding very tightly."

"Then he just took it, tried to hit me again but luckily I had a soy sauce bottle next to me."

After the soy sauce, Sharma began hurling cans.

"We tried to chase them out but it's too dark outside, there's no street lights and you can't see if they are hiding, and it's not safe to chase them."

At the same time the culprits entered the store Sharma believes a customer pulled up outside with a baby in the back of her car.

Too afraid to enter the woman stayed in the vehicle and called police.

"Once we came back we found one left his shoe behind. We hope the cops can find something."

He described one man as being about 5ft 10, of heavy build and darker skin. The other was shorter about 5ft 4 and skinny with white skin.

Sharma was taken to hospital on the night with a gash to his finger and rapid heart rate.

In the six years the family have owned the store this is the first serious robbery they have experienced.

"It does make you think about safety, everyone is concerned about each other.

"The mental stress is the main thing, it creates fear and makes you think whether it was safe to run the shop."

Sharma was thankful his wife and nine-month-old baby were away overseas at the time.

"We just thank god we are safe."

Waikato police Detective Sergeant Nicola Cornes said the pair fled empty handed.

"This type of threatening behaviour is not something the community should tolerate.

"Police are investigating and are appealing to the public for assistance."

Anyone who recognises people in the images, or witnessed any suspicious activity around the superette on Sunday, is asked to contact Hamilton police station on 07 858 6200.

Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/94112572/dairy-worker-grabs-tomahawk-from-masked-robbers

Warrior poet

Senior kung-fu man Brent at his house, 

waxing lyrical about Ving Chun Kuen, 

among other things..

Photographer: Anthony

Date: 11 June, 2017

Self-defence in the News - No. 106

London attacks: Man fights back against terrorists

5 June 2017

Eyewitness Gerard Vowls came face to face with the London Bridge terrorists after leaving his friends at the pub and bravely confronted the group to try and stop them.

Gerard Vowles told Sky in the UK he shouted at the terrorists and threw tables and chairs at them in the hope they'd follow him and stop stabbing others.

When three men armed with a van and knives went on the attack in a bustling area of the British capital on Saturday night [Sunday NZ Time], Londoners fought back with whatever came to hand, in some cases hurling chairs and tables to ward them off.

The attack, in which the assailants killed at least seven people and injured almost 50 before they were shot dead by police, began with a van being driven at high speed into a crowd of pedestrians on London Bridge.

"It looked like he was aiming for groups of people," Mark Roberts, a 53-year-old management consultant, said He saw at least six people on the ground after the van veered on and off the pavement.

"It was horrendous."

Then the knife-wielding assailants took their attack to the nearby Borough Market, where survivors described a hellish scene in an area packed with people enjoying a night out in bars and restaurants.

Gerard Vowles told Sky TV he was on the street near the Southwark Tavern pub, the scene of multiple stabbings, when he heard someone say: "I've been stabbed, I've been stabbed".

"I thought they were joking," he said.

He said he then saw a woman and man being stabbed while the attackers shouted: "This is for Allah", and recalled how he tried to distract the men.

"As they left I was going 'Oi, oi, cowards!'" Vowles said. "I was just trying to get their attention by throwing things at them ... I thought if I throw bottles or chairs they can come after me. If I can get them to come to the main road then the police can stop them, they can obviously shoot them."

Other witnesses reported seeing a man with a large blade, similar to a kitchen knife, and victims bleeding from stab wounds. They said people were fleeing the area in panic.

One witness, who only gave the BBC his first name of Ben, said he saw a man dressed in red who was stabbing a man with a blade that appeared to be about 10 inches long.

"He was being stabbed quite coldly and he slumped to the ground," he said of the victim. The attacker then walked towards Southwark Tavern where a chair was thrown towards him, shortly before gunshots rang out.

- Reuters

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/93339321/london-attacks-oi-cowards-witnesses-yell-as-they-fight-back-against-terrorists

Self-defence in the News - No. 105

Shop staff wield cricket bat at shoplifter

THOMAS MANCH

Last updated 11:27, June 1 2017

A Hamilton greengrocer says he refuses to give in to shoplifters after his staff fended off a would-be thief with a cricket bat.

After the thief left, the next day the greengrocer said he received a threatening call from the man's relative.

A brawl broke out outside Harjit Singh's Vege King, Fairfield store on Tuesday after a man was asked to return stolen corned beef.

The man became violent, Singh said, punching his staff who resorted to returning blows with a cricket bat.

"He bloody steal stuff you know, and then he hit my staff. We don't want to hit anyone. We want to stop them you know."

A staff member suspected the man was pocketing cheese. He then alerted other staff when she saw him nab the corned beef.

He pushed her, and walked from the store. Outside, another Vege King staff member asked him to return the goods.

The man, "pretending to be like a boxer", threw a punch at his face, Singh said.

"After that, what can we do? Then we hit him too."

More workers, and the cricket bat, came from the back of the store to assist.

The end of the brawl was captured by a passer-by, who posted the footage on Facebook.

After a swipe at his head, the man walks away from the store - without the food, Singh said.

But the saga continued. On Wednesday, Singh said he received a threatening phone call from the young man's uncle.

"He said, 'oh, I want to fight with you'. I said, 'Okay, one on one? I'm ready ... you tell me the place.'"

The uncle's tone then changed and an apology was offered, he said.

Singh was growing frustrated with both shoplifters and police response.

"They came here and they pretended like nothing happened here."

A police spokesperson said the man had already left the scene when officers arrived. Police spoke to witnesses and enquiries are ongoing.

It was fortunate Vege King had a lot of staff during situations like this, he said.

"I feel sorry for the other people they're targeting. Last week, the Super Liquor … it's really, really bad you know."

Two doors down Heaphy Tce, Super Liquor faced a similar problem on Friday night.

A young man, masked with a red bandanna, entered the store and threw an empty backpack in front of manager Dev Bhardwaj.

He drew a long, single barrel weapon from his puffer jacket.

"It's bloody scary man, I had three customers in the shop," Bhardwaj said.

After 6pm, he is the sole shopkeeper in the small village shopping centre. Police responded in 10 minutes, he said.

It was the first time in six years he's faced a firearm, he said, but aggressive armed robberies aren't uncommon.

Three weeks ago, three young men entered the store and threatened him with a knife.

"We are basically in a dilemma, what can we do?"

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/93196336/hamilton-green-grocer-faces-threats-after-staff-wield-cricket-bat-at-shoplifter

Self-defence in the News - No. 104

Indian woman cuts off alleged rapist's genitals

Last updated 02:21, May 21 2017

A 24-year-old woman in southern India has cut off the genitals of a Hindu holy man who tried to rape her and who she alleged has been sexually assaulting her for the past eight years, police say.

G. Sparjan Kumar, a police officer in Thiruvananthapuram, the Kerala state capital, said the woman fled her home after the incident on Friday night [Saturday NZ Time] and called police.

The alleged attacker, 54-year-old Gangeshananda Theerthapada, who claims to be a spiritual healer, was reported to be in stable condition after reconstructive surgery.

Pinarayi Vijayan, the state's chief minister, said it was brave of the woman to take such action.

"It's a courageous and strong act by the woman," he said.

The New Delhi Television news channel said the woman's family knew Theerthapada, who used to visit their home to cure her bed-ridden father. She told police that he would rape her whenever he got an opportunity.

When he again visited her home on Friday night and tried to force himself on her, she got hold of a knife and attacked him, Kumar said.

Violent crimes against women have been on the rise in India despite tough laws enacted by the government.

-AP

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/92809173/indian-woman-cuts-off-alleged-rapists-genitals-in-courageous-act

Self-defence in the News - No. 103

Christchurch dairy attendant swings bat at robbers

MADDISON NORTHCOTT

Last updated 20:21, April 30 2017

Sujan Burra was robbed the day he took ownership of his Christchurch dairy.

The Woolston Discounter, on Ferry Rd, has been held up almost every month since.

After a knife-wielding robber in a skull mask stole cash earlier this month, Burra put a baseball bat under the counter and a lock on a gate at the end of the counter.

So when two offenders came in on Saturday night - the sixth robbery since September - he was prepared.

It started with a man wandering around the store and asking about the price of products about 7.20pm.

He "seemed like a regular customer", Burra said, until a second person, disguised in a dark sweatshirt, hat and mask, walked in.

The man tried to barge through the gate, which separates employees from the store. The lock kept him out.

Burra grabbed the bat. He swung it at the masked man.

Both men took off on bicycles with a handful of snacks.

The Discounter is about 200 metres from the Woolston Night 'n Day, which has been held-up nine times in eight months. That dairy set up a "safe room" at the back of the store, where attendants can lock themselves inside and call for help.

In Auckland, fed-up dairy owners marched on Sunday, calling on the Government for harsher penalties for thieves after a string of robberies left many scared to return to their stores.

Burra was stumped on how to stop thieves targeting the stores. Usually, they went after cash from the till or cigarettes.

"We can't close the business at 6pm, maybe there needs to be another CCTV camera installed outside to watch where they go. By the time the police arrive five minutes later, they're gone."

"We're an easy target, there's usually only one man on the till."

Though Saturday's incident was no great monetary loss, each theft made it harder to keep the business open, Burra said.

Detective Inspector Darryl Sweeney said police gave retailers advice and support on how to improve security and make their shops less attractive to thieves.

"All violent offences are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly to determine whether there may be any emerging patterns."

Anyone who found themselves in a robbery should comply with the offender's demands, Sweeney said.

"The risks just aren't worth it."

A police spokeswoman said an investigation into the Saturday night robbery was under way.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/92060698/christchurch-dairy-attendant-swings-bat-at-robbers