A teenager has been praised for using his mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu training to quickly subdue a man he believed was trying to steal his car, in an incident that was captured on surveillance camera.
Gavin Archer, 18, was working out at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu gym in Indianapolis on Monday when he noticed a man peering into his car in the parking lot, according to gym owner Ian Pomfret.
“He managed to minimize the blows he received by using judo techniques to throw the man to the ground, pinning him down on his back and choking him until he lost consciousness.”
Pomfret posted a video of the ensuing exchange captured on security cameras inside the gym.
Archer went to the front door and engaged in a conversation with the man before he was attacked. Archer reacted quickly and used his skills to knock the man to the ground, then choked him until he lost consciousness.
“By [Gavin]”His years of martial arts and jiu-jitsu training enabled him to minimize the blows he inflicted on himself by throwing the man to the ground in a judo-like manner, pinning him down on his back and choking him until he lost consciousness, eliminating the immediate danger so he could call police,” Pomfret wrote.
The video, posted to the owner's Instagram account, garnered more than 13,000 likes and was published in a WRTV-TV YouTube news report.
Archer told WISH-TV he plans to press charges against the man because he allegedly attacked him.
“This is why Jiu Jitsu saves lives. Imagine that! [Gavin] He had absolutely no training when this man attacked him. He could have been seriously injured or killed.”
“It appears this guy has attacked people before and I hope he gets the help he needs,” Archer said. “Without this gym and this training, who knows what would have happened.”
WISH also spoke with the man who allegedly tried to steal the car, who works at an auto repair shop near the gym, and said the altercation was the result of a misunderstanding.
“I changed my attitude, I raised my voice a little bit and took a step forward saying, 'Hey, listen to me,' and he took a step back and pushed the gym door all the way open. It looked like he was going to be coming at me next in that situation so I just reacted and went after him,” Andrew Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson said he was in the car because it matched the description of a vehicle he had been asked to repair, and he has accused Archer of making things worse, something Archer denies.
Whoever struck first, Pomfret used the opportunity to exhort others about the benefits of martial arts training.
“This is why Jiu Jitsu saves lives. Imagine that! [Gavin] “He had absolutely no training when this man attacked him. He could have been seriously injured or killed,” he continued.
Pomfret offered some final advice for parents.
“Find a jiu-jitsu school and enroll yourself or your child immediately. You never know what tomorrow might bring,” he concluded.
Archer posted a Bible quote from the Gospel of John on his account, adding: “Jesus is King.”
Wilkerson no longer works at the auto repair shop.
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