TJS Posted October 9, 2003 Posted October 9, 2003 A Krav Maga student Disarmed a Bank Robber in California rescently..here is a Post from another site talkingh about it..I had a close friend/student that trained with me, get held hostage in a bank in California by two gun men. I don't know all the details but here's what I have. My friend went to cash his check as he was getting ready to leave two men entered the bank and proceeded to rob it. After getting the money, one of the robbers ran off. The other didn't, big mistake! The gun man proceeded to terrorize and threaten the people in the bank. At some point he asked my friend to give him his watch and empty his pockets. My friend used gun to the front and took the gun away from the suspect. Just as he was backing away from the suspect the Swat Team immediately entered and tackled both my friend and the suspect. I asked my friend why he didn't give up his money and his watch to the robber. He stated that it was alot of money and he got more scared when it was just the one gun man. He didn't do the gun defense to save anyone but himself. I talked awhile with my friend, yesterday and got more information. He's having a very hard time talking about the incident. He works as a consultant for athletic clubs and the club he is currently helping is across the street from the bank that was robbed. He states" to many people know what happened and its getting old talking about it." On the other side he completely credits Krav Maga and the defense for disarming the robber. I posted incorrectly previously; the gun defense used was reaching with your left hand controlling the weapon, striking with your right hand, disarm. When he reached for the gun it was a little off to his right and pointed at his upper chest. As he reached for the gun and controlled it he immediately punched it into the suspects stomach. He immediatly reached with his right hand and controlled the gun and went for the disarm. He stated the gun man was already losing his grip on the gun with him just punching it into his stomach and almost fell to the floor. The gunmans' finger was coming out of the trigger/guard or not in it, so it didn't break or get stuck in the guard. The suspect still got cut, actully tearing a small piece off his finger, as he twisted the gun for the disarm.
Shorinryu Sensei Posted October 9, 2003 Posted October 9, 2003 Hmmmm...I don't know. I think I'd like to see it on the newspapers actual website before I'd start applauding the guym, or believing the story. Seems pretty foolish to me to endanger not only yourself, but others by trying that. For "a lot of money"? Hell, like I tell my students, what is the MOST amount of money you've ever had in your wallet/purse at any given time? A few hundred? Maybe a couple of thousand? Is that worth your life??? Oh sure, if the guy was actually starting to shoot people..what have you got to lose? I'd do something too. One of my own personal experiences similar to this. Years ago, 1977 I think, when I was a brown belt, I walked into my bank and there was a guy with a .22 rifle waving it around and ranting. I knew this guy pretty well (friend of my fathers) and he had a lot of mental/emotional issues after his divorce. He was not trying to rob the bank, and I never did figure out what he wanted..but he was just ranting and pacing around the floor. He wasn't pointing the rifle at people, just sort of waving it around randomly. I noticed that the rifle had an empty hole where the magazine goes in the bottom of the stock, so all he could have had in the fifle was one shot. I called him by name, told him I was Earl's son..remember me? He did, and lowered the gun to point at the floor. I stuck my hand out to shake his..when he put his arm forward, I brushed it aside and very esily just took the rifle out of his other hand. His finger was not on the trigger, but rather around the stock. Cops came right in after that..and they took the man to the hospital. I got my name and pic in the paper, and I made no mention of martial arts. There was no bravery involved in this, nor bravado. I knew the guy, his gun wasn't loaded (it appeared) and they confirmed it afterwards, and he didn't have his finger on the trigger. Hell, the safety was even on! lol Was I nervous/scared? Hell yes, and if he'd have been pointing it at people (me), I wouldn't have done a damn thing. But I knew this guy, he's always been nice to me, and it was a simple thing to get the rifle from him safely. Since this was back around 1977 or so, so there isn't going to be any confirmation via the net on the website..sorry. Believe it or not I guess. My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!"
TJS Posted October 9, 2003 Author Posted October 9, 2003 1) it's a true story and they have it on video survelence.. 2) your right maybe he shouldent have done anything...but who is to say the Robber woldent have shot him after he gave him his wallet..He did stay oin the bank after the other guy left. I have heard of a bank robbery randomly shooting people after they rob the place several times. none of us know what was going thru his mind and you cant go back and second guss things.
Shorinryu Sensei Posted October 10, 2003 Posted October 10, 2003 1) it's a true story and they have it on video survelence... Well, again, I'd believe it a heck of a lot more if I had a URL for a newspaper website instead of a posting from another forum. ) 2. your right maybe he shouldent have done anything...but who is to say the Robber woldent have shot him after he gave him his wallet..He did stay oin the bank after the other guy left.. True, but then again, since the robber WASN'T actually shooting anybody, is trying to disarm an apparently irrational man with a gun, that asks for your wallet and watch, a smart move? Not only for yourself, but for others around you? I don't think so.I have heard of a bank robbery randomly shooting people after they rob the place several times.. A VERY rare occurance. Bank robbery is one thing, cold blooded murder is another, and I'm sure the majority of bank robbery's occur without ANYBODY getting hurt in the process. none of us know what was going thru his mind and you cant go back and second guss things. Also true, but what if the Krav Magna guy got himself shot and wounded, and maybe a few others in the bank got themselves killed in the process? I know if that were me, I'd sure spend the rest of my life feeling like crap! We can "what if" forever on this topic, and everybody's entitled to his/her opinions of course, but "IF" the story is true (which I really doubt), then I feel the guy made a move that he was damn lucky succeeding in, and damn lucky that he didn't get himself or others killed. My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!"
TJS Posted October 11, 2003 Author Posted October 11, 2003 I think it's comical that you would think this was made up...What would the results be of a krav maga instructor making up a story like this then posting it on the internet? do you think no one would find out? what would be the results of that? You said it, and i'll say it..you can "what if" alot of things...but the fact is nothing did go wrong.
Shorinryu Sensei Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 And are you so new to the internet that you blindly believe everything you read and see on here, and take everything as a fact without questioning things that seem a bit out of whack? Are you one of those that forwards that email supposedly from Bill Gates that states that every person that forwards this email, Bill Gates will personally send a check for $1,000? If either is correct, then I apoligise. I can understand why that story sounds OK to you. My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!"
TJS Posted October 11, 2003 Author Posted October 11, 2003 no but when I hear multiple well known Krav Maga instructors discussing the matter I guess I tend to belive things...
battousai16 Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 gah, you know, the bickering wont sway either party. you'd might as well just leave it be... "I hear you can kill 200 men and play a mean six string at the same time..."-Six String Samurai
Shorinryu Sensei Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 Good advice battousai16...I'm outta here. My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!"
Yerforumsuxass Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 Im just stealing yer smileys. Thanx Hasta!! Slider
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