Jiu-Jitsu in Action
or How Jiu-Jitsu can save
lives and keep you out of jail
Pattaya was
originally a fishing village during the Viet Nam War. Thanks to American
G.I. R & R, it soon became known as Asia's sleaze capital and grew
into Thailand's second largest city. Today it is better known as a haven
for Chinese tour buses and Russian mafia bosses. Plenty of Northern
Europeans show up during winter to enjoy the warm weather. It's a good
place to train Muay Thai too.
None of that
mattered to Jose Manuel Polanco Jr., age 44, on Friday, February 9
(2018) at the Ruby Club on Soi 6, in Bang Lamung, Pattaya Thailand.
A drunk
Australian named Benjamin Robb, age 43, decided he needed to choke one
of the bar ladies, Roong-arun Sangsuwan. He grabbed her by the neck and
squeezed until "her face turned blue", according to
witnesses.
Instead of
letting the Thai staff and Thai police deal with it, Jose decided to step
up and do the right thing, or play hero, depending on your point of
view. Benjamin objected. Jose punched him. Benjamin fell. He was
transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Jose was drunk
too, by the way.
It isn't
irrelevant to the story.
An earlier
report said Jose punched and kicked Benjamin for 20 seconds and threw
him across the room before order was restored. Either way, Robb's
holiday was over. So was Jose's.
Jose
believed he did the right thing. He didn't run. In fact he turned
himself in. "He was initially charged with injuring others
causing death, punishable by 3-15 years under the Criminal Code."
Jose did not
apply for bail.
Police said the
case would be dealt with in court.
Why were
Jose and Benjamin's holidays ruined? To put it another way, how could
this unfortunate turn of events have been avoided?
There are
various answers. Jose could have minded his own business. But obviously
he wasn't that kind of person. He might have tried diplomacy,
asking Benjamin to politely release his hold on Roong-arun
Sangsuwan's neck. That probably wouldn't have worked. Benjamin was drunk
and apparently upset by something. Maybe Jose did try but Benjamin
rebuffed him, leaving Jose no choice but to do what a man has to
do in such cases.
Since
Jose was determined to "intervene", was there any way he could
have avoided inadvertently killing Benjamin?
There
was: Jiu-Jitsu. Specially a jiu-jitsu technique well-known to old
masters, preserved in many martial arts today, and even in a modified
form, in Muay Thai.
It is
easy to do and invariably effective. (Note that it doesn't work quite as
well in the Pentagon, but then it isn't designed to). It involves
grabbing the "assailant" on both sides of his jaw, with both
hands, one on each side, and then twisting while turning in a downward
corkscrew (or steering wheel) motion. At the same time, step to the
outside (the opposite side to the one that you are directing him to).
You can
add an optional leg reap if you like, but that isn't necessary.
You can
also do it with one hand, using the other hand to stabilize the person's
thorax.
Depending
on the urgency of the situation, you can place the "assailant"
on the ground gently, or you can slam him brutally. Since his head is in
your hands, you can avoid him to smash it against a concrete floor, if
that is your desire. Or vice-versa (but then, you'd be talking to the
police, which we want to avoid).
After the
"assailant" reaches the floor, apply for a knee on the belly
or as the Brazilians say Joelho na Barriga.
Then hope he gives up or help arrives. If neither happens, you can exit
the scene, or pound him into submission or unconsciousness, accurately
claiming that you did your best to avoid having to do it.
Like all
stories, this one has a moral. Boxing and Muay Thai are great in the
right time and place. But sometimes jiu-jitsu is what the doctor
ordered.
The world
would be a better place if more people learned the fundamentals of
good jiu-jitsu.
At least,
Benjamin Robb would probably not be dead now and Jose Manuel
Polanco would not have spoiled his holiday in Pattaya.
*
Below: Two reports about the incident from Bankock Post. They'll
probably be gone soon.
Story
1
Story
2
*
If
sleaze, Chinese tour buses, and Russian mafia bosses don't bother you,
there are numerous places to train Muay Thai in Pattaya. For some
information see: Academy Reports.
(c) Roberto
Pedreira, 2018. All rights reserved.
Thanks to Jake
Jacobs for sending the Bankock Post links.
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