Santa Cruz Surf Fight Erupts on the Stairs as Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Stops Localism Attack (Video)

Sandro Santiago, who just casually happens to be a 6th degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt practitioner, was the one who was approached and assaulted by the other surfer. Bet the other guy wished he knew that tidbit about Santiago's background before things kicked off. Anyway, Santiago posted the footage, and provided this detailed account:

“Saturday, 7:15 AM

“I jumped into the water from the cliff and approached a bodyboarder and a surfer, greeting them with a ‘good morning.’ We talked briefly for a few minutes, and the surfer asked if I remembered him. I told him I didn’t.

“He then said, ‘One day I jumped off the cliff, caught a wave, and you yelled at me.’ I replied, ‘Yes, I probably did, because you’re not allowed to jump from the cliff and take a wave — we have a lineup here that needs to be respected.’

“At around 7:20 AM, he suddenly became aggressive and started chasing me in the water. I warned him multiple times to stay away, but he kept insisting, repeatedly saying he was going to ‘kick my ass.’ He then threw a punch at me.

“At that point, I told him I would meet him outside the water, and we agreed to settle it there.”

The footage then switched from the water angle to the land angle, where we can see the two surfers confronting one another on the stairs leading down to the Lane.

Santiago continues:

“Before he threw the punch, I had already warned him several times, but he continued to escalate the situation. Throughout the entire incident, I did not throw a single punch. Instead, I restrained him and told him to apologize.

“As a martial artist, I don’t train to hurt people. I train to compete, to defend myself, and to teach discipline. Hurting him would not have proven anything. I was fully aware of what I could do, but I chose not to harm him.

“I chose to do the right thing — to show restraint, discipline, and respect, even when it wasn’t given to me.”

Respect, Sandro Santiago. Respect.