Rome

Reminder: Italian Female Karate Champion Defeats Mugger

The following story broke in September 2008 and it was also posted by my fellow blogger/martial artist John Zimmer over at MySelfDefenseBlog.com

As you know by now, I strongly advocate that girls and women should practice some type of effective self-defense.

That’s why I feel the incident that happened in the Italian capital city of Rome serves as a reminder. And its outcome as an inspiration for girls and women.

Lara Liotta was 29 at the time and already four times Italian women’s karate champion in the under 55 kg (120 lbs.) weight division.

While walking on a street in central Rome in broad daylight a man just approached her and asked her for a smoke.

She told him that she did not smoke and that’s when he allegedly lunged for her and grabbed her around the neck.

Obviously, this guy had no idea who he was dealing with.

Lara Liotta, who also works as prison officer, didn’t waste any time and put her black belt training to good use to defend herself.

Reports say that she executed two swift jabs to the man’s face knocking him to the ground.

I’m just wondering if she actually did 2 jabs or maybe a One-Two (Jab-Cross) combination. Doesn’t really matter right now.

I read that this female karate champion was fortunate she could rely on her skills to fight off her attacker, because there was no assistance from passersby, despite the attack happening shortly after rush hour on a Monday. Maybe it all went to fast for them to notice. Yeah, right.

This is not the first time and I am sorry to say that it will not be the last time that too many passerby don’t give a hoot. That’s just a fact of life.

Lara Liotta told an Italian newspaper that no one helped her or stopped, even though there were a bunch of people around at that time of the day.

After punching the man to the ground, Lara did the right thing.

She ran to the nearby railway station of Termini and alerted police, who caught the perp before he could run away. He was arrested and detained on charges of assault.

I urge you to read her statement very carefully:

“It could have been much worse. What would have happened if this person, instead of attacking me, a karate champion who knows how to defend herself well, had attacked a young girl?”

Lara Liotta also mentioned that she was lost for words.

Well, in this case her action was certainly louder than mere words.

It also looks like there was no time for talking or reasoning anyway.

Shouri, Lara Liotta!