A martial arts practitioner with minimal training successfully disarmed an individual wielding a rifle using a technique known as a Rear Naked Choke (RNC).
The incident, captured on surveillance footage that has since gone viral on social media, shows the white belt—the most novice rank in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—approaching the armed individual from behind before applying the chokehold technique.
“It’s quite extraordinary to see someone with limited formal training execute such a maneuver in a high-stress situation,” said one martial arts expert who reviewed the footage. “White belts, especially those who have just received their first degree, typically don’t have the experience to respond so effectively in dangerous scenarios.”
The video shows the practitioner seizing an opportunity when the armed individual was reloading their weapon. In what martial arts instructors describe as a textbook example of the rear naked choke technique, the white belt secured control from behind, neutralizing the threat until authorities could arrive.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners commenting on social media have noted that while the technique wasn’t executed with perfect form—one commenter pointed out that proper hooks weren’t established for full points—it was effective in the real-world application.
“This demonstrates that even basic training can be valuable in emergency situations,” commented a self-defense instructor. “However, we always stress that physically engaging with armed individuals carries extreme risk and should be considered only as a last resort.”
Law enforcement officials praised the civilian’s courage but emphasized that confronting armed individuals should generally be left to trained professionals whenever possible.
The white belt’s identity has not been released by authorities, but online commenters have already given him the nickname “John Wick of Jiu-Jitsu,” referencing the fictional character known for exceptional combat skills.
Self-defense experts caution that while this situation ended positively, outcomes in similar scenarios can be unpredictable, particularly when multiple assailants are involved or when the confrontation occurs in uncontrolled environments.
