By Rochelle E. Brenner
The scene: It’s the middle of the afternoon at an Action Karate martial arts school in Philadelphia. Head instructor Stephan Venter is working on preparing for class when a woman runs out of the nearby dry cleaning store. Shouting for help.
“I was screaming bloody murder like a complete lunatic,” said the woman, Jennifer Romanelli, recalling the harrowing moments. “There’s plenty of people around. No one’s doing anything.”
The reaction: Karate guru Venter heard her screams and sprinted out the door. He caught up to the purse snatcher and demanded he drop the loot.
“I shouted drop the bag. He didn’t want to drop it. I gave him a kick on the leg. As soon as I got the kick on the leg, he dropped the bag, stumbled, and kept running,” Venter said.
Romanelli got her purse back in a blink.
“Out of nowhere this guy appears like a ninja. … I have faith in humanity again,” she said.
The headlines:
“Martial arts instructor stops alleged purse-snatcher in Northern Liberties: ‘Faith in humanity again’”
“Purse-snatching in Philadelphia ends quickly with kick from South African karate instructor”
“Philadelphia karate teacher shows off the move he used to stop purse thief”
The hero: Romanelli wasn’t ready to drop it right there. She wanted everyone to know what Venter had done. She called Venter’s boss later, and she was amazed to find out her hero is a kickboxing champion. He moved to Philadelphia last year to fulfill his dream of being a full-time martial arts instructor at Action Karate.
“He sold his school in Johannesberg (South Africa) and moved here because he wanted to make martial arts a career. He’s a kickboxing champion so whoever stole your purse had no chance,” said Matthew Brenner, co-owner of Action Karate Northern Liberties.
Tons of news coverage followed and Venter was praised as a community leader.
“It turns out not all heroes wear capes, it turns out some of them wear black belts and beat up bad guys in between teaching karate classes,” said CBS Philly reporter Ross DiMattei, reporting live from Action Karate Northern Liberties.
He interviewed Venter live on-air.
“You didn’t even think twice. You just took off running. What was going through your mind?”
“It was all instinct, second nature for me to try and help someone,” Venter said. “No matter what I’m getting this lady’s purse back.”
Venter was also inspired to turn his little burst of fame into an opportunity to help more people. He offered Romanelli a week of free self-defense classes, then realized he could help even more people with this newfound attention. He and Brenner rallied with the instructors at 30+ Action Karate locations in Philly, the suburbs, New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley and they all agreed. The news media helped spread the word and the free community clinics are all coming up in the next few weeks. Registration is required for the free event, and anyone on a waiting list will get the opportunity to attend an “overflow” event in the coming weeks.
“We need more Stephans in our corner,” said the reporter DiMattei.
The kick: While Venter is a kickboxing champion – and no one is ever advised to risk personal injury for a piece of property – a simple low kick is considered one the most universally effective self-defense strategies. A low kick, also known as a roundhouse kick is powerful, simple and effective. Students as young as 3 years old practice this move at Action Karate. Adults in their 80s can do it too. Everyone deserves to have the ability to defend themselves, not just world champion athletes. The kick will be part of the curriculum in the self-defense clinics.
The key to effectively doing any self-defense move is practice, prevention and preparation. You don’t have to be a kickboxing champion to learn practical, proven self-defense moves. People often have the misconception that they know how they’d react if they’re the victim of a crime. In reality, it never goes like your imagination. It takes practice, composure and awareness. People who train in self-defense are less likely to even become a victim because they are more precautious and quicker to avoid conflict. They are more likely to be able to de-escalate a bad situation, and report having the confidence and self-esteem to cope after being a victim.
At the upcoming free seminars, Action instructors will advise on how to use a defensive kick and other tips on staying safe.
“It’s not usual for Stephen Venter to use this move while instructing at Action Karate in Northern Liberties. … but it proved to be successful outside,” said FOX 29 Philly reporter Kelly Rule.
Here are some key self-defense takeaways:
1- Hold purse/valuable items close to your body to make it a less appealing target
2- Scream to get bystanders involved
3- Run away as quickly as possible
4. Create safe habits
5. Be aware... but not on guard
6. Trust your intuition
7. Take immediate action
8. Learn from your experiences and the experiences of others
9. Only bring the items you need for that day to avoid losing all your identification and cards
10. Practice kicking hard so that if you ever have to kick, it will be there.
It’s nice to have superheroes like Stephan around.
“I would do it in a heartbeat again if anyone around me is in danger,” he said. But what’s even better is using his knowledge and training to equip more people to be able to defend themselves and others.
“We want people to have the confidence to know self-defense,” he said.
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