Japanese woman subdues convenience store thief with headlock, credits anime for technique

I wonder which anime is the one that inspired her.

Can only imagine what would have happened if this had occurred in the U.S.

An injury? A death? A lawsuit? A firing? Charges of sexism/racism? A corporate apology/payout?

as an office worker... i took tea ceremony lessons

i bet her male bosses are the onesmaking the tea for her now...

well done!!

Good for Karin - no guy is messing with her!

Good to see citizens taking the law into their own hands. This scum thief probably would have gotten away otherwise. I hope he is charged with assault along with theft. A couple of years in prison will hopefully do him good.

I'm really impressed by her calm, cool, and collected demeanor. It's great that she took charge of the situation and successfully subdued the criminal. If I were in her shoes, 23-year-old me might have just stood by, hoping someone else would step in to assist the clerk and tackle the shoplifter.

Would love to see some footage of the take down! Excellent work! The fact that she did not hesitate is an impressive feature which is slowly becoming a lost art.

Good to see citizens taking the law into their own hands. 

No, it’s not.

This could have tragically ended very differently, and we’re extremely fortunate it didn’t.

As the police advised, avoid putting yourself at undue risk and contact the police as quickly as possible.

Crime can be terrible violent, and the reality of serious crime differs greatly from how it is portrayed in anime or action films.

Yes, it sounds alpha macho to encourage others to “take the law into your own hands,” but the consequences can be dire.

Stay safe.

Good good job thinking and acting fast. She deserves all the praise. I bet she got the shakes and shudders after it was all over though.

Yes, it sounds alpha macho to encourage others to “take the law into your own hands,” but the consequences can be dire.

Nothing "alpha macho" about this.

Karin simply did what she knew was right and just. She has strong morals, and clearly the ability to back them up.

Thankfully there are good people like her out there.

Karin simply did what she knew was right and just. She has strong morals, and clearly the ability to back them up. 

Thankfully there are good people like her out there.

Agree!

Good on her!

Personally, I'd have been inclined not to intervene. So the convenience store loses a six pack of beer. Meh, so what?

Of course, it depends on the situation, and there are various things to consider such as were the clerk or other customers in obvious danger, etc? But as a foreigner in Japan, I would generally stay out of it.

 clerk confronted him, with the two becoming entangled near the store’s exit. Noticing the altercation,

So it was not one on one, there were three people that thief versus two people. That's why that thief easily subdued by pulling his leg.

The man attempted to break free by biting

Any idea what kind of disease that thief is carrying that can be transferred through liquid exchange?

Good on her, glad she stopped him, more power to her, hate people that steal, but I’m wondering how the woman could hold him down like that.

Alpha female.

Why would anyone, especially another customer risk injury or worse stopping someone stealing something from a multi-million dollar corporation?

Stewart Gale

Why would anyone, especially another customer risk injury or worse stopping someone stealing something from a multi-million dollar corporation?

Perhaps to aid the clerk, who is another human being.

Why would the clerk risk injury or worse either?

Bass4funk. Perhaps you’ve never noticed this but people, including men, come in different shapes and sizes. Some men are big, some are small. Incredibly, it’s not uncommon to see small men in Japan. I’m guessing this was a small man.

I hope that helps you gain some understanding.

Bass4funk. Perhaps you’ve never noticed this but people, including men, come in different shapes and sizes. Some men are big, some are small. Incredibly, it’s not uncommon to see small men in Japan. I’m guessing this was a small man.

You are correct. Plus, I suspect the thief may have even been impaired by a previous 6-pack - or two.

Good for her, everything turned out just like in anime also.

I have no doubt if I was involved in anyway, by choice or not; owner, clerk or customer; in the moment or retrospectively the thief would have the cans of beer.

Good for her...but unless the clerk was obviously in danger of serious injury, I'd probably be inclined to stay out of it, myself. Not so much out of fear of injury but because being the only obvious foreigner involved when the police arrive has all too good a chance of not working out well.

Good on her, glad she stopped him, more power to her, hate people that steal, but I’m wondering how the woman could hold him down like that.

Good point. Especially when the guy in the dramatization video could clearly pick her up and throw her with one arm.

There was a story a couple of years ago about a foreign national doing exactly the same thing to a thief. When the police arrived, they arrested him too, and kept him for hours unde interrogation, worst than the cryminal suspect.

I think even JT had this article.

So it was not one on one, there were three people that thief versus two people. That's why that thief easily subdued by pulling his leg.

So what? It's a real-life situation with no rules, not a sports match. However it went down, the shoplifter was taken down and restrained without worse happening. Isn't that good enough?

“At the time, I wasn’t scared, it felt like my body was just moving on its own,” Ryo recalls, adding that it wasn’t until after the incident that she stopped to think about the possibility that the man could have had a knife or been otherwise armed.

She sounds like someone who can naturally intervene. No training but still stepped in and took action, however inadvisable, in a situation where many wouldn't (but might fantasize about all the cool moves they would have pulled off if only it had gone on another couple of minutes).

Excellent, well done lady!!..

World needs more people like her..

And thanks for anime, saving the world again..

Only in Japan!!..

Perhaps you’ve never noticed this but people, including men, come in different shapes and sizes. Some men are big, some are small. Incredibly, it’s not uncommon to see small men in Japan. I’m guessing this was a small man. 

I hope that helps you gain some understanding.

I was thinking that may also have been a possibility

You are correct. Plus, I suspect the thief may have even been impaired by a previous 6-pack - or two.

Fair enough.

Pipsqueak probably. The country's crawling with them.

I am impressed, but then again I would have let the guy have his sixpack. She could not have known what kind of character she was dealing with. Not worth taking the risk.

Hawk

Of course, it depends on the situation, and there are various things to consider such as were the clerk or other customers in obvious danger, etc? But as a foreigner in Japan, I would generally stay out of it.

Totally. If e.g. a child is in obvious danger, sure. But playing hero to save a sixpack? Count me out.

All these over a six pack of beer! It could have ended tragically for both the store staff and the hero citizen! She could have lost her hand to infection from the bite and worst if the perpetrator was armed he could have stabbed them both!!! People should only intervene if the life of another citizen is in grave danger!

My French colleagues carry personal protection devices, pepper sprays, including stun devices.

I understand in France one can purchase pepper spray kits however carrying them and deploying them is another matter altogether.

23-year-old Karin Ryo actions, public spirited in nature, could have unforeseen serious consequences, our local Koban takes a close to zero tolerance approach to "have a go hero's",

The Koban insist the role of protecting the public, dealing with crime requires professional training and defined levels of force, to apprehend, "subdue".

Guys, as foreigners, please don't intervene on anything for your sake!

Totally. If e.g. a child is in obvious danger, sure. But playing hero to save a sixpack? Count me out.

That's right. Every situation is unique and has to be approached on its own merits. For example, is it your personal property (and even then, if it's only six beers you might just want to let it go anyway -again it depends) vs some big corporation's? Are you there by yourself or are you there with your family, whose safety you should prioritise?

This lady apparently jumped in without thinking. Good on her and luckily it turned out all right in the end. My risk assessment may have been a bit different.

Kudos for Ryo.

Sounds cool. But I am wondering what would be the consequences for Ryo or convenience shop worker if they accidentally killed or handicapped the thief?

This really brightened my day! Well done Karin!

@BobbyFranks,

In USA about a couple of months ago, a 49ers American football player was walking out of some stores in San Francisco CA and a thief tried to rob him of his Rolex watch.

The player resisted and tried to disarm the thief of his gun.

The thief fired multiple shots, and the 49ers player was lucky that the shots went through his body and not hit any of his vital organs.

The thief was clumsy enough that he shot himself too.

In USA, a good chance that a bullet(s) will hit you if you are subduing a thief.

he advised others who might witness crimes to prioritize to avoid putting themselves at undue risk and contact the police as quickly as possible.

Wise advice!

Not taking the law into her own arms, just reacting to an incident as a civilian (I do have doubts about the anime stuff) but good to see. Now for all you males? etc who said it must have been a small inebriated male 'cos a female took a male down, how about a civil common apology to all the females in jpn in a spread in JPT.

???shame on yus. But if more than one citizen had reacted chances of harm would be diminished. Hiding behind clever what if words, Anybody see a rolex on her wrist, new caption name JAPANISNOTUSA!

In USA, a good chance that a bullet(s) will hit you if you are subduing a thief.

I can’t agree more, Jind.

On the topic of civilians lending a hand, there was also the case last year of a 24-year old Marine veteran being indicted on second-degree manslaughter charges for restraining a man on the New York City subway after the man began shouting at passengers that he was hungry and thirsty and didn’t care whether he died.

And don’t forget the four hotel workers charged with murder this summer after helping remove a disruptive man from a Milwaukee hotel. (https://youtu.be/tnJWLBuyKWc?)

I am glad she stopped him, there is a lot of comments like she should not have done it etc, this is the problem we have in society, just let it go mentality, the problem with this attitude is put more strain on the police force, crime does go up because people know that they can get away with the crime because the police are dealing with a dramatic rise in low level crime,

I am glad she stopped him, there is a lot of comments like she should not have done it etc, this is the problem we have in society, just let it go mentality, the problem with this attitude is put more strain on the police force, crime does go up because people know that they can get away with the crime because the police are dealing with a dramatic rise in low level crime,

Although the police themselves encourage people "to prioritize to avoid putting themselves at undue risk and contact the police as quickly as possible." I'm sure they'd rather deal with a stolen six pack of beers than a murdered good Samaritan.

But fair enough. If you want to risk your life to save someone else a couple hundred yen, go ahead.