A Colombian armed robber evidently not au fait with martial arts is recovering in hospital after ill-advisedly targeting a karate school, Reuters reports.

The attempted blag took place in the nothwestern town Bucaramanga, and local police commander Colonel Julio Cesar Santoyo simply told Caracol radio: "An individual entered a martial arts school with a firearm but they managed to react, put their knowledge to use and disarmed him."

In "putting their knowledge" to use, the students apparently gave the ne'er-do-well a bit of a slapping, hence the need for medical attention. ®

Further non-members of the league of master criminals

• Armed robbers target Oz biker shindig (29 February 2008)
• Ninja she-devils rob Pennsylvania gas station (25 September 2007)
• Robber held up bookies with vibrator (21 August 2007)
• ATM blagger cuffed after artificial leg falls off (12 April 2007)
• Bank robber exposed by exploding trousers (6 September 2006)
• Bank-robbing witch foiled by magic dye pack (1 November 2005)
• Wheelbarrow blagger cuffed after 2mph pursuit (9 September 2005)
• Eight CCTV cameras bust 'Mr Stupid' (28 August 2005)
• Chav burglar collared by webcam (17 February 2005)
• Mobile fingers UK's thickest armed robber (30 November 2004)