Let’s say you’re a little short of cash, but you’ve got a gun. No problem, you think. Just walk into a restaurant and hold the place up. It seems like a great plan, until you run into some guys who actually train in physical combat. From Fox News:
Russell R. Rogers, 64, walked into Elmer’s Restaurant in the Portland, Ore., suburb at about 2 p.m. Oct. 24, brandishing a gun and demanding money, customers and staffers told the Longview, Wash., Daily News.Enjoying a late Sunday brunch at the restaurant were “extreme fighting” pro Benji Radach, 25, and his sparring partner, Dennis Hallman, 28, along with two women.
As other customers ducked under tables or ran out the doors, and the cashier started to hand over money, Radach and Hallman snuck up behind Rogers.
“I kind of went over it in my mind, and walked over there,” Radach told the newspaper.
Rogers looked to his left and shouted out that he had a gun. Radach came up behind on the right, grabbed Rogers with a wrist lock and got the pistol out of the gunman’s hand.
Radach then forced Rogers’ hands back behind him and pushed him face-first to the ground as Hallman frisked him for more weapons. Radach then knocked Rogers out with a blow to the head.
Radach is an expert in Pankration, an ancient Greek combination of boxing, kickboxing and wrestling. Also known as “The Razor,” he has a 23-3 record in freestyle wrestling and Ultimate Fighting.
“I just know that I’ve been training for a long time and more than most people,” said the 6-foot, 185-pound Radach. “Especially more than someone who’s a crook and probably doesn’t train.”
This is why it’s a good idea to train, even if you’re not going to compete–at least you’ve got an option in a situation like this. Radach is right–I’m sure that good old Russell didn’t spend the week before the robbery practicing his takedown defense.
If you’re curious, here’s Sherdog’s page for Victory Athletics, which is where Radach and Hall train. This is just a reminder that you never know who you’re dealing with. Two guys enjoying a late brunch ended up knocking this guy out cleanly.