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South Carolina Man Strikes 'Karate Kid' Pose Before Allegedly Stealing Purse
The alleged purse-snatcher in Swansea, South Carolina displayed decidely less grace than Mr. Myagi.
A South Carolina man launched into Mr. Miyagi's famous crane kick pose before stealing a purse at a gas station, police say.
Swansea police posted photos on Facebook from surveillance video showing the man striking the pose that humble martial arts master Mr. Myagi taught his teenage pupil Daniel LaRusso in 1984's "The Karate Kid."
The pose appears to be the man's "unique" ritual, police said of the Saturday incident during which he allegedly grabbed a purse from a vehicle.
Authorities say they've identified the man and warrants are forthcoming but had not yet released that information by Thursday afternoon.
Previously, the department had humorously requested the public’s help in a Facebook post that was shared over 1,100 times, using hashtags like #MrMyagiWouldntApprove.
It's not the first crime-related martial arts display to be seen at a gas station. Last July, an almost completely opposite situation unfolded at a Mobil station in Norwood, Mass.
A crook trying to rob the station got much more than he bargained for when cashier Ebrahim Gawargi, who is a martial arts student, leapt into action, Boston 25 News reported at the time. After pounding the hapless would-be thief, Gawargi put him in a sleeper hold until police arrived.
"I didn't want to kill him, I needed to let him breathe, [but] when he kept moving I gave it more pressure to let him sleep again," Gawargi told the news outlet following the incident, describing a technique that’s likely a lot more effective than the Crane Technique.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
[Photo: Swansea Police Department/Facebook]
