Bank managers around the city take note, as the manager of a Commerce Bank on the upper East Side used his black belt karate skills to nab a robber. Onlookers say that bank manager Marc Ravage told the robber, Derrick Harper, "I don't want to hurt you. Please, sir, don't run away," attempting the tactic of trying to reason with robbers. Ravage later jumped on Harper and pinned him to the hood of a car, telling police he had apprehended a robber thanks to a cellphone that an onlooker put to his ear. The Daily News also takes the time to call Ravage a hunk and give his personal stats (height, weight, what degrees he has from Tufts, clothing, and his marital status).
Gothamist remembers when everyone and their mother wanted to take karate after The Karate Kid (more about The Karate Kid), but taking up martial arts is a great way to learn about self-defense. And one of Gothamist's favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one where Kramer takes up karate and becomes the most feared student in his dojo. Of course, all the other students are kids.
