Watch: How to defend yourself against attempts to drag you out of a plane
You do not want to try this at home. Or against an official.
United Airlines is becoming an object of ridicule by the day. The ire that was initially stirred on social media is now turning into dark humour.
As other airlines issued sarcastic ads and promised better services, while the incident of a passenger being manhandled by airlines staff and left bleeding was recreated with airport clips from pop culture, the embarrassment forced CEO Oscar Munoz to issue public apologies twice.
The first official statement was lambasted as Munoz described the passenger as “disruptive and belligerent”, who shouldn’t have been “re-accommodated”.
That last word intrigued brothers Rener and Ryron Gracie so much that they decided to play around with it, using their talent in MMA – Mixed Martial Arts, which they changed to “Mixed Martial Accommodations”.
The Gracie brothers were referring to “beautiful arm, leg, and neck accommodations” in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a combat sport system. In the video above, the certified black belt trainers demonstrate six ways to defend yourself against attempts to evict you from a plane.
You may not, however, want to try this at home or against an official.
Another video taking on United Airlines mashes up its own advertisement from 2013 with the disturbing footage of the passenger being dragged out of his seat, as the voiceover says: “Performing together with a single United purpose: That’s what makes the world’s leading airline flyer-friendly,” and “Every thought, every movement, carefully planned, coordinated and synchronised.”