TV Reporter Incident

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[John Matsushima]

I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts were regarding the attack on the FOX news reporter caught on tape. I'm not sure, but the attacker seemed to reach for the reporters right hand with his left (katate) and then swing at him with a roundhouse punch with his right. What techniques do you think would have been best in this situation? Keep in mind the attacker's wife, who was going to get the "gun" while this was going on.

You can check out the vid at the MSN website.
http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm

[Kevin Leavitt]

a good clinch and not turn your back...but that would require that he have some training. Even before that...having a good defensive posture than having your feet square with your arms crossed.

The method the attacker used confirms my premise of most "real fights" happen with the attacker "closing the distance" in an unassuming way and then "ambush" you when you are not ready for it, overwhelming you with the element of suprise.

All that said, neither had any skill whatsoever I don't think anyone was in danger of any real damage. That and it is easy to arm chair something after the fact when you are not involved. So it is really difficult to say that I would have done anything different, other than I certainly would have positioned myself a little better to prevent the suprise attack...I think that is the best technique he could have used!

[John Matsushima]

I agree. I think it is difficult when you are in that situation because you don't know or even think that you are going to be attacked. I have often thought about this. The guy might have just went up to the reporter to yell in his face. Or, the guy may have just walked by him. In real life, I have had the experience of "rough-looking" strangers approach me like that just to ask me for a cigarette. I always asked myself, "Should I clock this guy before he gets too close?" (I didn't, and we were both lucky!) Anyway, the reporter was caught by surprise, and before he knew was was happening, he was getting smacked down. However, I also agree that if the guy was in a better position, he could have reacted differently after the first hit.

[MM]

The method the attacker used confirms my premise of most "real fights" happen with the attacker "closing the distance" in an unassuming way and then "ambush" you when you are not ready for it, overwhelming you with the element of suprise.


Got to agree. Why set up some sort of attacking stance and alert the "prey"?


All that said, neither had any skill whatsoever I don't think anyone was in danger of any real damage.

Got to disagree (or I'm just not understanding your point -- which is entirely possible). It doesn't take skill to inflict real damage. The reporter ended up with cracked ribs. It woudn't have taken any skill at all for the wife to bash someone's head with the rock she had.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060907-9999-6m7foxnews.html

Mark

[Kevin Leavitt]

Yea good point Mark...I suppose skill is realitive!

[aikidoc]

I think it would have been wise for the reporter to not let him get so close knowing his supposed reputation and the abusive behavior of the wife. Sticking his hands up in the guys face would have been a good set up for sankyo.

[JamesDavid]

The reporter actually got his left had up for a block, but it was an untrained block that was not strong enough (and he moved his head into it). I think that the amount of time he had to react would have been enough for most people with yokoman blocking practice to stop the first punch with ease. I don’t find the attack very frightening. Sure he managed to give the old man a bloodied lip. The cracked ribs were probably from the fall. What I find interesting is the “most fights end on the ground” aspect to this incident. How many Black Belt BJJ practitioners would end up with cracked ribs from going to the ground like that? Very few I bet. How Black Belt aikido practitioners would have been taken to the ground? Very few I bet. This is an incident where it is obvious that any MA training to a modest level would have given the reporter a great advantage over the performance we sore in the video. I think in many instances the use of surprise, multiple attack and weapons make the advantage of martial arts training marginal but this has to be a case were it would have turned the odds.

[L. Camejo]

What techniques do you think would have been best in this situation? Keep in mind the attacker's wife, who was going to get the "gun" while this was going on.

With a nice wide swing like that, Ude otoshi on the striking arm.

LC:ai::ki: