Hero blue belt describes subduing terrorist

Childhood friends Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, and Anthony Sadler were on a train from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday, when a man armed with an AK-47 rifle with nine magazines, a handgun, and a box cutter started attacking passengers.

Sadler is a college student. Skarlatos is an Army National Guard specialist stationed in Afghanistan. Stone is an Air Force airman stationed in Portugal, who trains at a Gracie Lisbon branch, where he earned a blue belt.

The trio attacked the terrorist, taking him down and disarming him, before Stone was able to choke him out. Stone sustained non-life-threatening injury when the terrorist cut him on the hand with a box cutter.

An Englishman also aided their efforts.

At a press conference, Stone explained what happened.

“I woke up from the middle of a deep sleep,” began Stone. “My friend Alek was sitting next to me. Anthony was across to my right side.”

“I turned around and I saw he had what looked to be an AK-47. It looked like it was jammed or it wasn’t working and he was trying to charge the weapon. Alek just hit me on the shoulder and said ‘let’s go.’

“Ran down, tackled him. We hit the ground. Alek came up and grabbed the gun out of his hand while I put him in a chokehold.

“It seemed like he kept pulling more and more weapons left and right. Pulled out a handgun; Alek took that. Took out a box cutter; started jabbing at me with that. We let go.

All three of us started punching him while he is in the middle of us. And I was able to grab him again, while Alek was hitting his again with the pistol or rifle, I can’t really remember which. But that’s pretty much what happened.”

Stone at Press conference.

Stone and proud mama.

Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, and Alek Skarlatos.

Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler.

The BJJ Kid, in Portugal

Stone on bottom defending a Kimura attempt.

Stone (black gi) training in Portugal.