Wild moment jiu-jitsu champion Chris Bower describes how he took down alleged stalker by pinning him to the ground while visiting New Zealand
An internationally renowned jiu-jitsu champion has shared footage of the moment he grappled with a man he claims tried to rob him shortly after arriving in New Zealand.
Chris Bower, 46, of the US, was walking around Auckland on August 30 after flying in for a tournament when he says the man in the flannel shirt approached him and demanded money for his son.
The black-banded officer walked away, but claims the man followed him for more than a kilometre – even when he started jogging and asked the public in vain for help – so he went into a cafe in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
“He scared the s*** out of me because he was right behind me. I could tell there was something wrong with him,” Bower told the NZ Herald.
When the man followed him into the cafe, Bower said he had nowhere else to go and didn’t know if he had a weapon on him.
The man then allegedly ran up to him and attacked him. Bower stated that he “did what he was taught” and confronted him.
Footage captured by a bystander shows the pair wrestling on the coffee shop floor before Mr Bower sits on top of the man, his hands seemingly bound by his own flannel shirt.
‘I am a trained fighter… I did everything I could to avoid the situation, such as running away… but I am glad I ran into the store so others could see what was happening.’
Footage shows the pair struggling after Mr Bower claimed the man demanded money and followed him into a cafe before lunging at him.
Mr. Bower runs a martial arts academy in the United States and is a jiu-jitsu black belt
Bower said, “When he ran at me, I knocked him down with a double-leg takedown.”
“When I did that, I knocked him out by putting a chokehold on the man’s shirt, a common technique in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to subdue someone. I did that without hurting him or hitting him, and I got off his back, sat on his chest and told people to call the police.”
When officers arrived, they took the man away and later wrote a letter to Mr Bower informing him that he had been referred to a mental health facility and that no charges had been filed.
Police confirmed the martial arts expert’s recollection in a statement.
‘Police responded to an altercation at a pub on Gaunt St. A man had approached the victim inside the business after approaching him on the street. The victim was able to hold the man to the ground before police arrived,’ a spokesperson said.
‘When our officers arrived on scene, they arrested a 45-year-old male. After reviewing the incident, no charges were filed, but the male was referred to the appropriate authorities for evaluation.
‘Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident. Our advice to the general public is always not to take matters into your own hands. We encourage people to seek help where possible.’
Mr. Bower runs his own martial arts academy, Bowerhouse MMA, in America and has competed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions for many years. He has won gold medals in Brazil, Ireland, the Netherlands and Portugal.
He can now add another country to that list after winning gold at the AJP Tour New Zealand National Championships Master 4 Middleweight division.
