A teenage girl used her BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) skills to fight off a knife-wielding man who tried to rob her and a friend.
Alex, 15, and her friend Edwin were in Leeds, a city in the northern U.K. when a knifeman approached them and demanded they hand over their phones, BBC News reported.
Using her BJJ skills, Alex grabbed the man. She then hurled him onto the ground. “In these situations we’re taught how to defend ourselves,” Alex told BBC News.
Alex took hold of the man’s arm and shoulder and shoved him to the floor. The pair then grappled on the ground. “He was shouting to let him go and he would run off. I was trying to hold on to him but he broke free and managed to escape,” recalled Alex.
Alex has been practicing the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since she was a child. She joined her local BJJ Club (Otley’s BJJ) at age five. She was taught to flee during such attacks. However, this day she decided fighting back was the best option as she and Edwin were in an enclosed area of the park.
“We are always taught to stay clam in such situations and I feel like if I didn’t have my [BJJ training] I wouldn’t have been able to prevent my friend from being stabbed,” she said.
The incident was among a spate of attempted knife point robberies in Otley on Friday, between 9 and 9:30 p.m., according to West Yorkshire Police.
Detective Inspector Andy Norgate said: “These were obviously very distressing incidents for the victims and we are currently working to identify those responsible. We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed any of the incidents.”
Norgate said: “Otley is normally a very low crime area. Street robberies such as this are relatively unusual. We are liaising with our colleagues on the local neighborhood policing team. They are increasing their patrols of the area to reassure the community.”
This is yet another example of a smaller victim being able to defend themselves using Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in a life and death situation. Thankfully Alex had trained BJJ and was prepared to protect herself and others.
Keep train my friends. Keep growing. Stay Safe.
(Curated Piece via Newsweek)
Andy Gonzalez is a coach at Aces Jiu Jitsu Club. He has earned his BJJ Brown Belt under 2nd Degree Black Belt, Professor Mikal Abdullah. Follow Andy on Twitter at @GoGoGonzilla
Andy lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Amanda and their 3 beautiful children. Andy is also the father of a Marine who is honorably serving in the United States Marine Corps.