Real life ™
Dr. Ted Gambordella
The courage to make a difference… MMA champ stops knife attacker!
I
was inspired when I heard the interview on the radio. Then I looked at the photos of Guy Mezger’s hand where his thumb had been almost cut off—due to a miss by an attacker, who had actually wanted to cut his head off! Mezger had stepped up to protect a young woman who was being abused at a shopping mall by her ‘boyfriend.’ Now, Mr. Mezger is a former UFC Champion, Pancreas Champion and World Kickboxing Champion and one of the greatest MMA teachers in America. He could have easily killed the attacker, after the man attempted to murder him, but he restrained himself, protected the lady and almost paid with his life. He showed true fearlessness and bravery and could be considered a hero, but he does not feel that way. He only feels that he did what was right and what other people should have done. The thing that Mr. Mezger kept stressing in his interview was that over 10 people were watching the attack of the lady by the man and no one was doing anything about it. Guy was the only person who stepped up, first by calling the police, then by talking calmly to the man and then by protecting the lady and himself from the attempted murder. He was a true hero, but being the gentleman and great martial artist
he is, he downplays this and keeps referring to the fact that no one else had stepped up to help and that he would like to think that other people would have the courage to help. He could not understand why others would not. Mezger turned the tables and asked his radio interviewer, a 300 pound former MMA fighter and black belt himself, if he would have stepped up. The man truthfully said he was not sure. He probably would have, but he was not sure. Would you have stepped up? In reality there are very very few people who would have stepped up, even 300 pound MMA fighters and the list of reasons goes on and on but the facts never change. Someone needed help and other people did nothing about it. It was up to the fearlessness of Master Guy Mezger that saved the day and protected the lady. And you have to ask yourself… would YOU have stepped up…especially if you knew the man had a knife…which Guy did not know? Do you feel confident that wouldn’t have mattered? Well, Guy stepped up, protected the lady and could have lost his life in the battle, and he is a true hero—but that is not the point of this article. My point is not that you should learn martial arts so you would feel confident to step up and help protect the live of a young
Would you have stepped up if you knew the man had a knife?
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OFFICIALKARATEMAG.COM Fall 2012