INTL Attilio Fini: Former Olympic Fencing Coach Knocks Down Robber in Milan

[SageRock]

Fair use cited.

Attilio Fini: Former Olympic Fencing Coach Knocks Down Robber in Milan - World Today News

Veteran Olympic fencing coach, Attilio Fini, takes down a would-be robber in Milan. Find out how he used his fencing skills to thwart the attack and why he's being hailed a hero on social media.

www.world-today-news.com

Attilio Fini: Former Olympic Fencing Coach Knocks Down Robber in Milan - World Today News

December 22, 2023

A native of Algeria tried to rob a veteran in Milan, but he turned out to be the former coach of the country’s Olympic fencing team and knocked down the attacker, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported.

Attilio Fini led the national team for almost thirty years, leading it, among other things, to gold medals in the team saber competition at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

The criminal stopped an elderly man on the street when he was returning home from a walk, and, threatening him with a weapon, demanded money and a watch.

“I hit him in the face, then I punched him in the arm, causing his gun to fly off, and then finally the push: he got stuck between some scooters,” Feeney said.

The attacker is a man wanted for murder in Algeria and accused of several robberies.

“Fencing taught me not to be afraid because if I had been afraid, now I would no longer have money or watches, and I would probably have a hole in my stomach. So I’m absolutely convinced that I did the right thing, even if it was risky. I reacted instinctively, just like when I fought on the platform, like the saber fencer that I was. Experience taught me to predict enemy movements and counterattack. Now I’m older, but my reflexes and vision apparently remain fine,” the veteran is confident.

Before the police arrived, the robber was held by a group of young people nearby. After the arrest, it turned out that the Algerian was wanted in his homeland for murder.

“This guy didn’t know that on the platform I ‘ate the liver’ of many referees,” said the former coach, recalling the myth of Prometheus.

Don Attilio, as his athletes call him, is the most successful Italian fencing coach in history: appointed from 1973 to 1994, his students won more than 450 medals in all categories, including 19 Olympic (7 gold).
Meanwhile, the media and social networks admire the courage and level of physical fitness of the coaching legend of Italian sports and literally demand that Senor Attilio be awarded not just a valuable gift, but certainly an order.

 

[SageRock]

Another article with different details. Fair use cited.

Elderly Italian fights off migrant robber in Milan - The Press United

Attilio Fini, the former coach of Italy’s national fencing team, says an Algerian held him at gunpoint An Algerian national reportedly attempted to rob an elderly man in Milan earlier this week, according to Italian news outlets. However, the thief, despite being armed with a gun, was quickly...

thepressunited.com

Elderly Italian fights off migrant robber in Milan - The Press United

Attilio Fini, the former coach of Italy’s national fencing team, says an Algerian held him at gunpoint

An Algerian national reportedly attempted to rob an elderly man in Milan earlier this week, according to Italian news outlets. However, the thief, despite being armed with a gun, was quickly knocked down by his would-be victim, who turned out to be the former training coach for Italy’s fencing team.

The 93-year-old Attilio Fini shared his story with the Corriere news outlet, jokingly stating that his attacker “didn’t know that I ate the livers of many referees on the platform.” Fini led Italy’s national saber team for nearly 30 years between the 1970s and 1990s and helped the country score a number of victories, including gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

Fini said the incident took place on Monday evening at the Piazza De Agostini in Milan, near his home. The former coach says he was coming back from a walk when he was stopped by a man who attempted to rob him. “I realized he was pointing a gun at me. At that moment he ordered me: ‘Give me the money or the watch’.”

Instead of complying, Fini says he immediately reacted by attacking the robber. “I punched him in the face, then struck his hand which made his revolver fly away and then pushed him. He ended up being stuck between some scooters,” the coach recalled. After that, some young people also stepped in and apprehended the criminal while waiting for police.

Fini stated that his attacker turned out to be an Algerian national who was wanted in his home country for murder. “Not a little thing,” Fini noted.

The former coach stated that his past experience had helped him deal with the situation, as the decisions and reflexes he used were the same that were needed on the platform in fencing. “More than anything it was an attack on the opponent’s time. As in saber, when you have to burn your rival on the sprint,” Fini explained, noting that his instincts told him to act “immediately.”

However, the coach admitted that he was later reprimanded by his family, who suggested that he should have given the robber what he asked for instead of risking his life. “Maybe they are right, but I’ll tell you one thing: it’s the first time I’ve experienced something like this and I hope it never happens again,” he said, noting at the same time, that if it were to happen again, he would probably not act any differently.

Fini noted that there is “too much evil around” and that safety has become a problem. “Once upon a time there were neighborhood police. Today, to defend yourself, you have to fend for yourself.”

 

[Housecarl]

Bravo maestro!

 

[SAPPHIRE]

Great training pays off.....no matter what age....good job!

 

[Gitche Gumee Kid]

93 yo

 

[anna43]

At 93 you really have nothing to lose in fighting back. One way you'll die for sure and the other means you walk away. Good work Mr. Fini!!

 

[Squib]

This just goes to show that the mind is the weapon…as the Jar Heads say,

“One mind, any weapon.”

Someone can have the tool set (weapon), and even the skill set (training), but if they lack the mindset (warrior’s attitude), then chances are they won’t fare well.

 

[SageRock]

Attilio Fini has a lightning-fast OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act) honed from his years of fencing and coaching, and he also still has the physical ability to take the decided action. He blew away the OODA of his much-younger assailant, hands down. Warrior training pays off!

 

[TheSearcher]

Don't F*ck with a Fencer.

 

[Bumblepuff]

Don't F*ck with a Fencer.

"I swear I didn't carry a gun, honest! I had a stick of gum. The chewy stuff that blows bubbles. Some words were lost in the
translation when I tried to explain. I guess he thought the shiny wrapper was metal. I'm afraid street gangs are gonna toss
spaghetti at me while I'm stuck. Hey, come back! Don't leave me for the Camorra! Their hearts are colder than spumoni!"​

 

[TBonz]

LOL. Poor attacker. Wait'll he goes back to jail and they find out he got his @ss handed to him by a 93-year-old. He'll never live it down.