Ivan Skoko didn’t hesitate when he heard panicked screams echo through London’s Borough Underground station.
The BJJ black belt had just wrapped up a training session and was riding the Northern line when chaos broke out.
A 14-year-old girl had been assaulted, and witnesses were in shock.
Here is what Skoko had to say in an interview about the incident:
I was thinking someone got stabbed or something happened.
Once witnesses identified the suspect, Skoko reacted instantly.
He opened the train doors, leapt onto the platform, and used his grappling expertise to neutralize the threat in seconds:
I opened the doors, jumped off the train, and in five seconds I took the guy down and said: “Do not move.”
Skoko — who won gold in the men’s ultra-heavy division at the British Open earlier this year — chose a judo foot sweep to bring the suspect to the ground after noticing him reaching toward his pocket.
Footage released from the scene shows Skoko controlling the situation calmly as the subdued suspect can be heard saying:
I don’t want to stab you, bro.
Skoko also repositioned them to avoid a fall toward the tracks:
I actually moved towards the wall, so that we could stay safe on the platform and avoid falling into the rails.
British Transport Police arrived approximately 25 minutes later.
Officers found two phones — one with a Hello Kitty case — and a rusty claw hammer on the suspect, who was arrested on suspicion of theft, possessing an offensive weapon, and handling stolen goods.
Skoko said his response had nothing to do with recognition:
It was a natural reaction to defend women, children, and elderly people.
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