Hey everybody here is another reason why you need to learn how to punch bareknuckled, cause you never know...

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Iowa man ordering food at a restaurant

called a zombie, then punched twice
Associated Press: Last update: October 25, 2009

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa City police are investigating an early morning assault in which a man accused another of being a zombie, then punched him twice. Police said the assault occurred at 1:17 a.m. Sunday at an Iowa City restaurant south of the University of Iowa campus.

A man was ordering food when he was approached by another man who called him a zombie, then hit him in the eye. When the victim tried to call police on his cell phone, the man punched him again, breaking his nose.

The man then ran out a back door.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

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Now what can we learn from this incident so it doesn't happen to you...

What Was The Guy Ordering?
What else "brains", yeah, obvious Zombie. No question.

Anywhere, Any place
"Doesn't matter where it happened. Zombies can attack at a restaurant, mall, home, anywhere. Thank goodness this citizen was there to stop him."

Bad Zombie Hunter
"This guy has no idea how to destroy a zombie. Severe head trauma, people!

A punch to the eye is only going to make the zombie mad."

That's the trouble...
...with Iowa City. All the friggin' zombies.

Out Break Tip
"You have to be careful when evaluating a potantial zombie outbreak."

Zombie Tip
Physical contact with a zombie is never a good idea.

The Bottom Line
The only thing that works permanently is REMOVING THE HEAD!

So be careful, alert, and aware at all times and above all learn how to knock out the zombies that get in your space.

Take care

Daniel Sambrano

Adaptation is important in fighting and online videos

Last week I shot a quick video to throw up on YouTube that covered basic defense and counters to a hay maker punch. The key take away from this is not so much about technique, but more about developing the ability to recognize targets and exploit those opportunities on the fly.

Shooting a YouTube video with an experienced partner is completely different, and less realistic than doing that video with junior students or individuals who have no martial arts training. Experienced training partners know what is expected from them, and they react exactly as you want them to. That's how the technique on some of those martial arts guru videos appear so clean. But if you try and shoot an unrehearsed video with a newbie you'll get a reaction that is true to what you'll see in a real street fighting situation.

This video, I think, proves the point. I did the shot with a newer student who had not yet learned the techniques I was demonstrating. His reactions forced me to adapt to the situation in real time in order to eliminate his threat. This is especially true against multiple opponents.

I highly suggest that you add "playing" to your training regimen. Playing, as I call it is having a partner throw a specific technique (punch, elbow, knee, kick, knife attack, etc.) and as you counter you play with various counters. Look for targets, and use angles & footwork to move around your opponent. And drill this over and over, It really helps develop quick thinking and situational awareness.

Remember, there's more than one way to skin a cat, especially if you happen have a karambit!

Top 20 Street Fighting Mistakes

Here is a video from the guys of FightTips.com which show mistakes people make when fighting in the street.

My favorite is no.#10 - Keeping your shoes tied tight. I loved this one, it's very funny but so true.

The only tip I would disagree with is no.#12 - Don't hockey fight: Don't grab with one arm.

When adrenalized you will tend to grab or punch to one side more than the other, this is due to gross motor movement patterns.

Plus you will get more power from striking this way since you will be crossing center line and getting more of your bodyweight into the strike.

But that's just my opinion, Shane and Terrell have made a very good video on what can happen when simple mistakes are made.

So watch and learn and above all don't make these silly mistakes when fighting.

Take care.

Daniel Sambrano

Bareknuckled vs Gloved: Six thru Ten

Here is the next group of reasons why you should consider training barefisted and not just with wraps and gloves exclusively, especially when it comes to streetfighting.

6. Barefists tend to fracture the bones around the eyes, the cheeks and the jaw.

You see when striking with gloves you have a large amount of padding on them as you strike your partner when training, not so when hitting someone on the street.

Your barefists are harder and can really do some damage on a face when hit hard.

You can slice open the skin on your opponents face with your knuckles and break the orbital socket around the eyes much easier than you can with gloves on.

7. Gloved fists allow you to get away with hitting areas you wouldn’t hit barefisted.

When you’re sparring with your partner in the gym, you tend to not pay much attention on where you are hitting.

You may hit an elbow, top or side of the head or maybe even his glove and not think anything about it; after all you’re wearing gloves and wraps to protect your hands from such inconveniences.

But do that bareknuckled in a streetfight and you will end up injuring your hand.

Training bareknuckled teaches you where to damage your adversary without damaging your fists in the process.

8. Gloved Fists Produce lazy hands and wrists.

When you train exclusively with gloves and wraps, you end up relying on them more than you know.

You forget to tighten your fist on contact, due to the fact that your wrap and glove don’t allow for your fist to clench properly.

You also end up relaxing your wrist since the wrap is supporting it; this is a recipe for disaster or an accident waiting to happen.

I can guarantee, you will hold back on your punches when striking bareknuckled if you have lazy hand and wrist syndrome.

9. Target areas are bigger with a gloved fist.

When using gloves they can be almost two to three times the size of your hand and depending on how much padding they have, that makes for a very large striking surface to hit with.

Your bread and butter strikes won’t hit or impact the same when you land them bareknuckled, since the target area will be smaller.

Your distancing will also suffer since your fists won’t be as thick as a glove would be. So you better start to get in closer or extend that arm a little wider if you plan on hitting anything.

10. Gloved fists make your strikes heavier, due to the weight of the glove.

When striking with gloves they can weigh up to one to two pounds per glove.

You will get used to hitting with that weight on the end of your wrist as you start to throw that leather around, but let me warn you it won’t be there when you have to throw those same punches bareknuckled.

Your fists will be lighter and will be carrying less mass to strike with; your hooks won’t tend to pull away from you as you throw them since the centrifugal force won’t be so strong. You do realize that’s why hooks are easier to throw with gloves on don’t you?

Well I hope that this information will help you realize the importance of training as close to the real thing as possible.

Remember you will fight the way you train, so train the way a fight will really go down.

So stay safe and train hard, real hard.

Until next time.

Daniel Sambrano

The reality of real fights

Everyone is a critic when it comes to the Internet and the content that gets posted. My videos receive mostly great feedback, but there's also the contingency that reminds me that the technique I demonstrated could be easily countered with a spinning back kick, or a hook to the body. Perhaps a well timed wedgie could render my strike useless, in a vacuum.

But the reality is that each fighting situation is different, and those golden opportunities to use that ca-ca-ca-combo breaker technique rarely presents itself. Fights are usually spontaneous, involve more than 2 people, and sometimes introduce improvised weapons. The video below came from MyMuayThai's blog this morning, and it reminded me that training for a fight in the ring does not prepare the fighter for what could happen outside the squared circle.

Here's a few tips to survive a situation like the one you're about to watch:

1. Look for an exit, if possible make your way towards it.

2. Do not stay in the same spot long - be dynamic, moving about in a zig-zagging, unpredictable manner, constantly changing directions.

3. Try to remain on the perimeter of the room/area. If you're in the middle of the room, get to the perimeter.

4. If you have to engage somebody in a brawl, think about incapacitation, punching to the head will not stop an adrenalized attacker.

5. Watch for flying objects, this video provides a textbook example of how it works.

This brawl escalates pretty damn fast, and the 4 minutes fly by.

Bareknuckle Boxing for Beginners

Here are some basic considerations when learning to strike bare fisted for the first time.

You must wrap your head around the fact that punching bareknuckle is different then gloved.

Also the impact is different on the body.

Next the making of a fist is very important along with the correct angle to strike from.

You also must understand that modern boxing comes from pugilism or bareknuckle boxing and is different in its techniques and tactics.

The angle of the fist and the knuckles you hit with will be more important when punching bare fisted.

A “fist” is not just your hand only, but also wrist and forearm.

You will need to use a softer heavybag of 40 to 50 pounds, made of leather with 2 inch of padding and stuffed soft, hard bags are made for gloved punching.

If you can’t get one make a bag out of two canvas dufflebags stuff one into the other and then filled with rags and sawdust.

You want your bag to feel like a body, and sink in a little when you punch it, just like a real opponent.

You can also use a soft leather medicine ball to strike at if you don’t have a heavybag, but you will need a partner to hold it for you as you strike.

These are just a few basic things you will need to do if you will be training to punch bareknuckle.

Remember it’s more than just taking off your gloves and hitting a bag or a person.

Do it wrong and you can injure your hand badly, but do it right and you can be a force to be reckoned with.

Take care and above all train smart.

Daniel Sambrano

BareKnuckled vs Gloved: One thru Five

Here are five facts to think about when training with gloves and wraps for self defense purposes.

If your used to using gloves, you may be in for a rude awakening when you have to hit someone without any hand protection.

There is nothing wrong with using gloves to train with provided you know where they belong in a self defense training program or a sport fighting program.

That difference is very important for you to know.

So here are five differences to give you something to think about.

1. Striking with an unprotected fist is hard.

You have to know how to punch correctly, get used to not wearing gloves, understand which part of the fist to strike with and how to hold your hands to defend yourself. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is a whole lot more that needs to be understood.

2. Extremely skilled fighters tend to break their hands in street-fights.

Many fighters get so used to wearing gloves that their hands get more prone to injury, after all wearing gloves and wraps is alot like wearing shoes and socks for the hands.

3. Gloves throw off your distancing.

Most gloves are so padded that they extend anywhere from one to three inches from your fist. This will make your strikes come up short when you take off your gloves as you'll be more used to their striking distance.

4. A gloved fist doesn’t cause damage the same way a bare fist does.

Most strikes with a glove are spread out equally on it's surface but with a fist it is more compact so the impact force is more solid. And a barefist can get into areas that a glove can't.
In other words it hurts more getting hit with a bare fist.

5. A gloved fist turns the punch into a push.

Since the padding of a glove can be very spongy as you hit your target, you'll end up pushing thru the glove as you make contact.

So there you go, think about these five differences as you train, especially if it's for self defence purposes.

Daniel Sambrano

You are most likely better than these guys

I wanted to post something I find hilarious while I'm researching the best and worst shin conditioning theories out there. This is easily one of my favorite videos found on the Internet.

I'm sure you've seen the Afro Ninja clip at some point in the last few years. Here is the extended version with other martial arts 'experts' demonstrating there skills.

I think I'm fairly knowledgeable in muay thai and cqc, perhaps even enough so to appear in films. Hell, I may even develop the audacity to proclaim myself a subject matter expert, but holy crap, I don't think that I'd have the cajones to audition for a role in a kung fu movie, especially with the thought in mind that my spectacular failure could end up on YouTube. I certainly couldn't keep a straight face and say lines like "I never lose," or my favorite, "I hope you like pain."

I hope you like this painfully funny video.

Benefit From Training Muay Thai Without Pads

If you subscribe to my YouTube channel you've probably already seen the above clip, what I don't mention in it is the importance of training without pads.

We can all agree that thai pad and focus mitt drills are vital to any muay thai or mma curriculum, but it does have a few drawbacks - including reinforced bad habits and a false sense on security in one's skills.

Striking pads is actually a very different sensation from hitting a real person. Aside from the actual impact, the entire interaction is entirely different when you strip away the pads, gloves, and other protective gear. I'm not saying that you go all-out on someone else. I suggest you learn to play with your combinations and get a feel for where the true targets lie. This is especially important for those of you who are learning close quarter combat (self defense) systems.

So, what do you really get out of this? Here's the truth: you can master any fighting system, but when it comes down to it: when you find yourself in a fighting situation in the street, your subconscious, reptilian brain is going to rely on a handful of strikes or combinations. All of those fancy, technical - fine motor skill - small joint locks are going to wash away with the adrenaline rush.

Repeated drills such as the one in the video can help you train your subconscious mind so that when its called upon, your animal brain won't freeze on you. It becomes a natural reaction. John Grissom, author of the combat blog, 1Urban Warrior and fellow Muay Thai Academy International alumni covers this topic extensively. Dave Grossman's book, On Killing also provides some interesting insights into the application of the fight or flight mechanism in combat.

Other variables including target selection, environment, and the unpredictability of your attacker all factor into the equation. And that only adds to the importance of training your subconscious mind. Oh boy, I'm gonna have to expand on this a little later.

10 Steps to Avoid Bad Habits in Muay Thai

Everybody does it. We're all vulnerable to those bad habits that are developed over the course of months, sometimes years. It's either that hand that creeps down below your chin, or that little movement you make right before you throw a technique that screams out "I'm now going to throw a round kick!" Personally, I have to always make sure I'm not dropping my hands, and I tend to spend too much time baiting my opponents when I spar with junior students.

Bad habits developed in training muay thai, boxing, or MMA can be easily reversed with a little observation, some effort, and a lot of patience. I'll share with you my little bag of tricks that I've picked up over the years that has helped myself, and my students avoid the pitfalls of laziness:

1. Mix it up: Maintain a good mix of sparring, shadow and pad drills in your regimen.

2. Train with different people: It's very easy to get comfortable working out with the same person every week. Pro - you've made a friend, con - you're not only picking up each other's bad habits, you're also consistently reinforcing them. Make sure you train with people of varying heights, body types, and skill levels.

3. Spend time with your shadow: Shadow boxing is the most crucial element in training muay thai. This is where you improve your speed, dial in your footwork, and most importantly, clean up your technique. Shadow helps form and reinforces the good habits you want. Just watch the senior students, instructors or pro fighters at your gym. They'll spend a good 20 minutes warming up with shadow. They're doing it for a reason.

4. Seek out those better than you: Hold pads for advanced students, ask to do drills with that guy who seems to throw every technique perfectly. This is where you learn. Additionally, you'll have a pair of knowledgeable eyes watching you, able to spot what needs to be corrected.

5. Ask your instructor: Unless you train at one of those McMartial Arts mega gyms where you're stuck in a class with 40 other people and you've never met the head instructor because he's off in a corner training the next BJ Penn upon whose wagon he's hitched his stars, then request some face time with your instructor. Request the s/he watch you shadow for a few rounds or hold pads for you. Explicitly ask for a critique. Any muay thai instructor worth their salt (and your business) should happily comply.

6. Slow down: If you can't throw a proper round kick slowly then you certainly can't throw it properly fast. Example: your kicks are getting lazy and you aren't turning your hip over. Spend time practicing shadow and on a heavy bag, slowly and deliberately exaggerating the proper technique.

7. Watch yourself: Keep a keen eye on yourself while you train. Perform random habit inspections on yourself once every two weeks. Stop midway though a drill to check your footwork, shadow in front of a mirror and scrutinize your technique, have an instructor get on you when s/he sees you exhibit your bad habit.

8. Corner Drills: Nothing helps you keep your hands up like getting punched in the head. We train corner drills which are defensive no-win scenarios in the ring or cage. A partner throws punches, elbows, knees, at you for the entirety of the round and all you can rely on is your cover, body movement, and footwork. You're not allowed to hit back. A couple rounds in the corner will work wonders on those sloppy habits.

9. Check your ego at the door: Trust me, you may look cool bobbing around with one hand down at your waist, but one day the right opponent is going to come along and knock that cocky look of your face. Pride is a dangerous thing, and believing that you are invincible will lead to lazy defense and sloppy technique. Be confident, but remember that there is always someone better than you.

10. Self awareness: Know what your bad habits are, what you need to work on and have the patience with yourself to work through it.

Here's the good thing about habits. Once you get rid of the bad and introduce the good, your training will only reinforce them.

The most basic, yet most effective muay thai block

Whether you train muay thai, MMA, krav maga, or any of the myriad close quarter combat / self defense systems out there, this technique is a must have for your personal arsenal. Remember, you saw it here first.

I'm gonna get straight to the point here. The defensive technique I demonstrate in the video below is one the easiest to learn and apply. I call it the 45 degree block because of the angle at which you hold your arms. Its amazing how effective it is in stopping elbows, hay maker punches and even high kicks.

As you'll see, when you step in with the 45 degree block, you end up in knee or elbow striking range. Its a great entry technique to counter off of a strike. Once you're in close range you choose to use hard techniques or soft techniques such as head control or joint lock take downs, depending on the situation. Oh, it also works well in a multiple opponent situation. With that block you can control (while softening him up with knees) while creating a barrier between you and the other attacker(s).

Historically, this block comes from muay chao cherk (muay chao churd), the ancient form of muay thai forged in the battlefield. After a soldier lost his sword, his best form of defense was to get deep inside the strike range his attacker where he can, yep, disarm his opponent, and use his body as a shield from the fray. Modern Thai military forces have also integrated the 45 degree block into the lerdrit system.

Muay thai + social media = more resources for you.

I finally spent some time today to unify all things oldstylemuaythai.com. You can now stay up to date, and more importantly, interact with other muay thai practitioners. I encourage you to join my group on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. My hope is to put you in touch with other resources to help make your training experience more rewarding. So join up dammit!

Follow me on Twitter!

Join the group on Facebook

See all the videos on You Tube

Attention other muay thai bloggers out there: join the conversation! Let's make it easier for our readers to access the information they're craving!

Train how you fight

How you train is how you fight - I've heard that adage from a number of instructors in my past and, as it goes, I now attempt to pass on that same knowledge to my students. In my experience as a muay thai instructor, approximately 50% of students have studied another form of martial arts, mostly sport muay thai, taekwondo, or jujitsu.

I train and teach lerd rit, muay boran, and muay chao cherk for the purposes of street defense, not for cultural demonstrations. A high percentage of our training is focused on multiple opponents, and I teach that when you strike, you strike to demolish, not to score points. My school (I teach there, I'm not the owner), Muay Thai Academy International does not participate in competition mainly because we don't we don't believe in watering down technique for ring or cage application.

I've seen that most western martial artists are trained to strike targets in the hopes of scoring points, or applying a form because its the "proper technique", not because it generates maximum force.

If you're training a martial art, specifically muay thai, and you find that you throw round kicks to the head more often than not, your switch kick is all but useless, and you believe that the purpose for an elbow is to cut your opponent's eye I have some bad news for you. All that training at your camps or gyms may be for naught in a real fight in the streets. You're training to win a competition, not to survive an attack in a situation where there is no referee, no bell, no one to throw in the towel if things go south. Are you really going to go to the ground against 2 or 3 guys? Just remember that the habits you form in the gym are the same habits you'll take with you into a confrontation. Now I know I'll probably get some unsavory responses for this post, and that's fine. Agree to disagree, right?

If you're still reading this and you're considering augmenting your training to apply your existing skill set for street defense, here are a few things to think about:

1. Aim for big targets: Forget about trying to hit someone in the jaw for a knockout. The head is a small target that's difficult to hit. Imagine an invisible triangle starting at the jaw and expanding down to right above the pectorals. You have a much better chance of hitting that area which contains the throat, clavicals and large nerve masses. Think center body mass.

2. Don't hit, smash: When you strike, strike through your opponent, don't just hit. For example, when doing thai pad drills, visualize your kick / elbow / knee going right through the pad holder, knocking him back.

3. Your attacker is one big target: Take the human out of the equation. You could be fighting for your life and your attacker won't certainly be treating you like a sparring partner. You need not care about his/her feelings. No more, "oops, I threw that one a little too hard."

3. No more rules: Eye gouging, biting, groin shots, head butts, and weapons are now allowed. Train accordingly. Here's a great source for info on unorthodox street defense.

4. Train in your street clothes in different environments, on different terrain. I've said before, it's important that you're as comfortable fighting in slacks as you are in shorts. Set up staged situations such as an office, a living room, a dance floor complete with strobe lights and loud music. You'll soon learn how difficult it is to defend and attack with multiple distractions and obstacles.

5. Improvise: Learn how to fight with what what you have around you. Almost anything can be used as either a weapon or as a defense tool, and then a weapon.

6. Multiple baddies: Start to put it into your head that you may be facing more than one opponent. In reality, more often than not you'll end up against 2-5 attackers.


Those are a few basics to think about and when integrated into your regular training regimen, you'll find that you're getting a lot more out of your martial arts experience.

Happy Birthday Champ!

Today was the birthday of one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time, William Harrison Dempsey better known as Jack Dempsey, he was born at the turn of the century June 24, 1895.

The west was still wild when he started to fight at the age of 15 against bigger and older opponents.

Between 1919 and 1926 Dempsey reigned as the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

He could knock you out with either hand and was not ashamed to be called a slugger, men feared getting in the ring with him.

Above are a few quotes and pictures of the champ, enjoy.

And happy birthday champ.

Daniel Sambrano

Outta My Way! Shedding the back-and-forth mentality in fighting

We've recently seen a spike in new student enrollments at the Muay Thai Academy International, a number of which have defected from Fairtex and Master Toddy. Others have a background in TKD & other sports oriented martial arts. Regardless of their respective backgrounds, they all tend to have one trait in common - they have the 'exchange' mentality.

Almost all sports oriented martial arts teach students to always stand in front one's opponent. Body movement is much like that in fencing - get in, strike, and back out - but always be in front of your opponent. Whether we're doing shadow boxing, pad drills, or sparring: most new students want to strike and wait to counter, thus exchanging blows with their partners.




If I'm in a fight, the last place I want to be is in front of my opponent trading punches. I've been trained to use continuous movement and react on the fly. Instead of simply blocking, I move in at angles to get myself close enough so its uncomfortable for him to attack. That's my comfort zone. If I don't move in, I'm trying to get behind him because, where else could you be safer than behind you enemy?

Its really just a matter of your mindset. If you train to stay dynamic and reject the rule that states you have to stand still and absorb blows you'll find your movements more fluid and your sparring partners more frustrated.

3 on 1 Cage Fighting at MTAI

Cage Training

Hey everybody here is a multiple opponent fighting drill we use at Muay Thai Academy International.

The object of the drill is to protect yourself as your training partners hit you with Thai pads, you can also use focus mits or gloves.

Go for 1, 2, or 3 minute rounds. You don't need a cage to do the drill, just use a training mat or mark the floor with tape in a ten foot diameter circle and stay within the circle.

This drill develops your defense, footwork, tactics and conditioning all at once, not to mention getting use to dealing with multiples and getting comfortable with impact to your body.

So try the drill and let us know what you think, I know you'll get alot out of it.

Take care and train hard.

Daniel Sambrano

Old Style Muay Thai Open House in Santa Clara, CA

We're hosting an open house at the Muay Thai Academy International tomorrow (March 21, 2009). If you live in the SF Bay Area - or if you happen to be in town this weekend - drop by.

We'll be on hand to answer questions, run through some reality based street fighting situations and give guests a taste of how we train lerdrit, muay boran, muay chao churd, and close quarter combat. A sister school will also be on hand to demo some 'dirty' jujitsu that's a little more street oriented than the typical stuff you find at a MMA school.

Here's the logistical info:

Date: 3/21/2009
Time: 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Place: Muay Thai Academy International (below the yoga joint)
1500 Norman Ave , Santa Clara , CA

Punch and pie.

Angel Of Death

Hey Everybody

Just wanted everybody to check out a Bad Ass Hardcore Chick named Eve, she's an assasin with a bad attitude.

She can shoot a gun, punch bareknuckle and throws some mean knees and kicks! I'm in love!

"Meet the girl that can kick your ass" as the add says, go to crackle.com and watch "Angel of Death" and see if she isn't what I say she is.

There are ten episodes and everyone is kickass, so get on over and start watching the action, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Who knows you might learn a few cool moves from the beat downs she gives.

Take Care

Daniel Sambrano

Come by and Visit

Come and train at a no nonsense Combative Training Center.

Muay Thai Academy International

Come train to be a warrior today.

Cage Fighting

Multiple Opponent Training in a Steel Tiger Cage.

Using drive to add power your strikes

Stationary strikes can become fairly strong with a tweaking of body mechanics. But in my opinion, stationary strikes carry two inherent problems. They limit the amount of torque and thrust you can generate, and they also inhibit body movement - arguably the most important aspect of a fight. If you aren't moving in a fight/combat situation, you're a target that's going to get hit.

Incorporating drive (forward motion) into your strikes will increase your hitting power not only because you're adding momentum to the force mix, but also consider this:

Knee Strikes - you'll be able thrust your hips farther forward, allowing you to drive deeper into your target

Elbows and Kicks - increased range of pivot rotation and hip drive

Punches & Headbutts - Additional force behind the strike and more ability to hit through the target.

In the video below I used the basic muay thai up elbow strike to demonstrate this concept. Modern ring style muay thai teaches the up elbow as a stationary attack. Lerdrit and muay chao churd integrates drive into almost all of its offensive and defensive techniques.

So when when you're moving while you strike you're killing a number of birds with one stone while conserving movement and keeping yourself a difficult target to hit.

Things that make you go Hmm...

Here are two true stories that will make you scratch your head and go Hmm...

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Babysitter Shot by Angry 4-Year-Old

by Amy Hatch

Police are scratching their heads over what to do with a 4-year-old Jackson, Ohio boy who shot his babysitter after the 18-year-old caretaker stepped on the child's foot.

Nathan Beavers was minding the boy in his grandmother's mobile home when the shooting took place. Beavers says that after he accidentally stepped on the boy's foot, the enraged child announced he was going to get a gun.

No one in the house took him seriously -- several other teens and kids were present -- but the boy ran to a nearby closet, and grabbed a gun. He then opened a drawer, took out a shell, loaded the gun and fired it at Beavers.

Beavers sustained minor wounds to his arm and side, and was treated and released from the hospital. One other teen also suffered minor injuries.

The boy is in the custody of his parents while cops figure out what to do about the incident. He may be too young to be charged.

His father says the kid has seen adults fire guns before, but maintains that he was not aware that his son knew how to load and shoot the weapon. Counseling has been arranged for the young shooter.

Wow, and I thought it was bad when the kid I babysat for hid my shoes. What's next? I mean, the guy just stepped on his foot. What would have happened if he had tried to make him take a nap or sit in the naughty chair?

This just goes to show that A) kids are more prone than ever to violence at younger ages and B) you need to lock up your guns, people.

Teen Arrested After Passing Gas at School

by Sandy Maple

If this kid in Stuart, Florida was looking for a little attention at school, he certainly found an offensive way to get it.

According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, the 13-year-old was arrested earlier this month after purposely disrupting his classroom at Spectrum Junior-Senior High School.

No, he wasn't threatening anyone or endangering the lives of his classmates or teacher - he was passing gas.

The Sheriff's report alleges that the boy repeatedly and deliberately broke wind in the classroom and shut off a few computer that other students were using.

After confessing to his crimes, he was arrested on charges of 'disruption of a school function' and released to his mother.

You know, if deliberately and repeatedly passing gas is a crime, I know a few people who should be behind bars for life.

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So what have we learned from these two stories today, be careful of people with loaded weapons.

Take care and be safe out there.

Daniel Sambrano
www.SuperHeroSystems.com