Robber had no idea the woman beside him was a martial artist — he was about to find out

Self-defense is a skill that many aspire to, but only a few possess. It teaches people to tackle emergencies and helps them maintain composure. Displaying similar prowess, a karate enthusiast took on a would-be robber, sending him scrambling for safety. The medal-winning martial artist, Mairi Kerin, was lauded by the community in the UK’s Shropshire for her bravery, as reported by The Daily Mail. An inspiring video shared on YouTube by Mail News captured her rising to the occasion after an armed man, dressed in all black and wearing a face mask, showed up at a convenience store.

Kerin did not wait for the would-be robber to make his move. Instead, the 42-year-old expert in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing turned the tables on him. Not only did she stand her ground, but the woman from nearby Rugeley Township also taught the would-be robber a lesson for life. Through her remarkable courage amid the testing situation unfolding at a local LOCO convenience store, Kerin forced the man attempting theft in broad daylight to flee empty-handed. The fifth-dan karate black belt’s heroic act was captured by the store’s CCTV camera.

Later, the UK police took up the matter, and it helped them identify a gang that carried out robberies in the township. The incident that happened in 2023 alerted law enforcement agencies, and as per the outlet, they were finally able to bring an end to a spree of 15 known similar offenses by the same gang.

As the crimes committed over a period of only a couple of weeks were put to rest, the offenders were charged with a total of 45 offenses, followed by prison sentences totaling 18 years. In the CCTV footage from the store, Kerin was seen forcing the criminal to retreat in fear, thanks to her years of martial arts practice and newly purchased heels.

"The incident happened almost 2 years ago. I'd unexpectedly, due to work commitments, ended up in the town where my sister's family live just before the schools were about to come out, around 3 pm," Kerin said, per the outlet. To surprise her nieces, she claimed to have popped into a local store to buy some chocolates. Little did she know that her 15-second visit would turn into an active crime scene. "I had picked what I wanted for the kids and heard the shopkeeper quiz whoever had just walked in. ‘Why did you put the board against the door?’" she added.

Kerin suggested that her instincts helped her decode the thief’s motive before he could spring into action. “As calm as anything, the voice behind me said what I thought was, ‘Because I am going to take your money,’” the martial artist explained. Within no time, she grabbed the criminal's arm and delivered a couple of firm kicks to his shins, leaving him scarpering out of the store. “I caught both his shins and had two bruises to show for it, but my new heels that I was breaking in for the new job meant I couldn't run after him, which, in hindsight, was probably a good thing,” she concluded.

Among the several reactions from people online, @lenns_music lauded, "It's her walk back to the counter that solidifies her bada** status forever." @randellburton5150 added, "A guy that was in the army with me years ago said a woman could never beat up a man, no matter if he is small and she is big. I hope he sees this."