It was a case of wrong place at the wrong time for an assault suspect accused of punching two people, including a teenager, seemingly at random on a Manhattan street.
That’s because a passerby — who just happens be a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt — chased him down and helped bring him to justice.
Ro Malabanan was heading to work Wednesday when he saw the suspect sucker-punch a construction worker in SoHo before running away. In an exclusive interview with NBC New York, Malabanan said he was worried the suspect would attack someone else — so he decided to intervene.
Josh Copson always wanted to be the superhero growing up. When Nelson County teen Alexis Murphy went missing in 2013, that hero impulse returned.
“I’m not that, though,” he said. “What I am is a martial arts instructor. And what I can do is do something to help that not happen to somebody else.”
Copson has taught martial arts in the Nelson and Amherst areas for about 20 years and is the sensei of Blue Dragon Dojang on Front Street in Lovingston. He didn’t know Murphy personally, but something about her disappearance — in his hometown — was a call to action.
The Shipman 17-year-old was a rising senior at Nelson County High School when she went missing from a Lovingston gas station in August 2013. Murphy’s remains were located in December 2021, seven years after her disappearance. Randy Taylor, 56, is serving two life sentences for her abduction and murder after DNA evidence and video surveillance linked him to Murphy.
“Almost half of all adults in the US will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lifetime.” Exercise such as martial arts is scientifically proven to produce ‘happy chemicals’. When you train, especially at a moderate level or above, your brain releases the endorphins dopamine and serotonin. While it takes 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like jogging, for these chemicals to be released, it only takes a few minutes of high-intensity exercise to have the same effect.
“Researchers found that the martial arts training reduced the level of aggressive behaviour in boys, and found that they were more likely to step in and help someone who was being bullied than before they took part in the training.”
After motivating dozens of autistic youths in Hialeah to improve their focus, discipline and socialization, a karate instructor recently launched a training program for autistic youths in Doral, at the Legacy Park coliseum.
“One mother thanked me because her son, who is autistic and has problems speaking, has started to say hello to her.” Santander said. “These kinds of anecdotes tell us that we’re on the right path. The kids make progress, specially in socialization.”
SPRING HILL — It’s about discipline. Respect. Tradition. Giving back to the community.
Joseph Lotrecchiano, 49, believes that the martial arts teach all that and more, and he’s eager to share his knowledge with everyone who signs up and agrees to follow those principles.
He has a black belt in Aikibudo, but it’s not about belts or ranks or status, Lotrecchiano said on a recent Tuesday night at his home. It’s about using your knowledge for good.
He said he felt bad that many parents cannot afford to pay for the training for their children, and the same for many adults, and he’s “paying it forward,” sharing what it’s done for him.
ALLEN PARK — With the Detroit Lions scheduled to strap on pads for the first time on Tuesday, and all the hitting that goes along with it, focus will soon turn to that promising offensive line. And with good reason.
Taylor Decker was a first-round pick who became one of the best left tackles in the league last year. Frank Ragnow was a first-round pick who became perhaps the very best center in the league last year. Penei Sewell is a first-round pick who, well, let’s see what happens when he finally gets to hit a professional football player. But he was considered the best offensive line prospect in the country for a reason, and the early results have been promising.
And then there’s Jonah Jackson.
He’s become something of a forgotten man up front, although that has much more to do with the star-studded cast around him than anything else. Because he’s coming off a strong first season — he just might have been Detroit’s most consistent rookie — and has returned bigger and more refined than ever in Year 2.
“I can tell you this, Jonah’s one of the handful of guys who’s been here since basically I got this job, been in this building working like every day,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “I bring that up because I’ve seen him since February, at least seeing him around, know what he’s doing. He’s been down there with (strength and conditioning coach) Josh (Schuler) and those guys working out in the in the weight room. I already know what he’s all about, and I know the work that he’s put in, and I know what his body is able to put out. We’ve had our eyes on him, and he’s a workaholic.”
Jackson, taken in the third round of last year’s draft, opened last season at right guard before moving seamlessly to left guard. He played 1,004 offensive snaps in all — topped by only Decker on the team — and allowed five sacks, three of which came in his worst game of the year against Carolina. Otherwise he was a consistent force for Detroit in both the run and pass games.
But he knew there was a lot of room to improve, and remained in Detroit to get in more work with the coaching staff than almost anyone else on the team. He added about 10 pounds of good weight in the strength program, then used his off days on Tuesdays and Thursdays to get in some martial arts training with assistant strength and conditioning coach Morris Henry
A local karate studio is turning students of all ages into champions. Three inspiring medal winners overcame serious challenges to get to the podium.
Joel Westbrook is 14-years-old. He was born with a condition that affects his spine and that’s why he’s in a wheelchair, but it doesn’t hold him back. Westbrook is one of the best para karate athletes in the country and just added another gold medal to his collection.
“I just wanted to do it. I set my mind to it and I’m like I’m going to do this,” Westbrook said.
Kate Gore has been doing karate at Green’s for about 8 months. She said her training helped her when she was attacked by a komodo dragon.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Some law enforcement officers saw a need to connect with kids, especially in certain neighborhoods of Sioux Falls. So they came up with a plan involving middle school students, police officers and a martial arts studio.
Thanks to a non-profit, the new program is off to a good start.
“So we are going to scoot away you are going to get your knee inside.” JuJitsu instructor Bruce Hoyer leads a group of middle school students and local law enforcement officers through a class.
The program is called “Cops and Kids.”
The Next Edge Academy owner says the idea was born out of conversations with some of his friends who are police officers. They wanted to do something to connect with young people.
“The goal of this is to give them interaction with police officers, but also for them to learn a little bit of self-defense. So for me, self-defense looks very different, in the fact that I want them to control themselves in a high anxiety situation,” said Hoyer.
LA CROSSE (WKBT) — The Three Rivers Martial Arts Academy in La Crosse, which had been in limbo for several months since the death of cofounder Larry Klahn in October, is ready to take on all comers again.
Klahn
“We’re back up to a full roster of classes Monday-Saturday, including adult and youth classes in both Tae Kwon Do and Judo,” said Pamela Mihm, a fifth-degree black belt who is leading the comeback. “This was no small feat, as we were not allowed to be open for several months while we waited for insurance.”
