Japanese schoolgirl and karate teen subdue violent shoplifter

Martial artist happy to be able to put skills to use.

In a Japanese city, you’re never very far from a vending machine or convenience store. Those who are both thirsty and savvy, though, will skip them and instead head for a supermarket, where the prices of individual drinks are much cheaper.

However, even the prices at a supermarket in Yokohama’s Isogo Ward apparently weren’t low enough for one 19-year-old shopper. Well, maybe he shouldn’t be called a “shopper,” since instead of buying anything he decided to just steal a drink last Tuesday night. Showing off a talent for multi-tasking, the shoplifter decided to add assault to his list of crimes by punching a 54-year-old security guard in the face after he spotted the theft and confronted the man about it.

Luckily, help was nearby, though not in the form of additional security staff. A 17-year-old high school girl who had been on her way home and heard the commotion came to the rescue, grabbing the violent shoplifter by the arm. When the shoplifter shook her off and tried to run away, the schoolgirl’s 18-year-old male companion gave chase. He quickly caught up to the shoplifter, put him in a headlock, and delivered a series of knee strikes to subdue him until the police arrived and placed the shoplifter under arrest.

The teens have been issued a letter of commendation from the Kanagawa Prefectural Police’s Isogo Precinct, and it turns out there’s a reason for the 18-year-old’s combat prowess. “I was able to put my experiences from nine years of studying karate to use,” he said with a smile, adding “I’m glad I was able to help with the arrest.”

So remember, among the many reasons shoplifting is never a good idea is the chance that a crime-fighting schoolgirl or someone who’s been studying martial arts for half their life might be walking by and decide to show you their fists (or knees) of justice. Sure, the odds are pretty low, but just like with giant robots appearing, sometimes those anime-sounding scenarios actually do happen in real life.

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun via Golden Times
Top image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
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