An internationally-ranked jiu-jitsu champion has shared footage of the moment he grappled with a man who he claimed tried to rob him shortly after he arrived in New Zealand.
US-based Chris Bower, 46, was taking a sightseeing walk around Auckland on August 30 after flying in for a tournament when he said the flannel shirt-wearing man approached him and demanded he give him money for his son.
The black belt walked away but claims the man followed him for more than a kilometre – even when he broke out into a jog and unsuccessfully asked members of the public to help – and so he went inside a café in an effort to diffuse the situation.
‘He scared the s*** out of me since he was directly behind me. I could tell there was something wrong with him,’ Bower told the NZ Herald.
When the man followed him inside the café, Bower said he had nowhere else to go and did not know if he had a weapon on him.
The man then allegedly rushed at him ‘swinging and attacking’ so Bower said he ‘did was he was trained to do’ and confronted him.
The footage filmed by a bystander shows the pair as they wrestle on the coffee shop’s floor before Mr Bower sat on top of the man, whose hands appeared tied with his own flannel shirt.
‘I’m a trained fighter… I did everything I could to avoid the situation like running away… but I’m glad I ran into the store so others could see what was happening.’
Footage showed the pair grappling after Mr Bower claimed the man demanded money and followed him inside a café before lunging at him
Mr Bower runs a martial arts academy back in the United States and is a jiu-jitsu black belt
Bower said: ‘When he ran at me I took him down with a double-leg takedown’.
‘Once I did I rendered him unconscious with the man’s shirt in a rear neck choke, a common technique in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to subdue someone. I did that without hurting him or striking him and I got off of his back and sat on his chest and told people to call police.’
When officers arrived they took the man away and later wrote to Mr Bower to tell him he had been referred to mental health support services and that no charges were laid.
Police confirmed the martial arts expert’s recollection in a statement.
‘Police responded to an altercation at a cafe on Gaunt St. A man had charged at the victim inside the business after approaching him on the street. The victim managed to hold the man to the ground before police arrival,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Once our staff arrived at the scene, they arrested a 45-year-old man. On reviewing the incident, no charges have been laid but the man was referred to appropriate agencies for assessment.
‘Fortunately, on this occasion no one sustained injuries as a result of the incident. Our advice to the general public is always to not take matters into your own hands. We recommend people seek assistance where possible.’
Mr Bower runs his own martial arts academy, Bowerhouse MMA, back in America and has been competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions for years, winning gold medals in Brazil, Ireland, the Netherlands and Portugal.
He can now add another country to that list after he went on to win gold in the AJP Tour New Zealand National Championships Master 4 Middleweight division.
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