Musa Abdraim, a 52-year-old retired boxer and father of five, stepped in to save a 21-year-old female security officer from a knife-wielding attacker at Almaty Airport, Kazakhstan—and he did it with his bare hands.
The terrifying standoff erupted at the airport security checkpoint when a 67-year-old man refused to show his ID.
Suddenly, he pulled out a knife, grabbed security officer Botagoz Mukhtarova by the hair, and pressed the blade against her throat. He then claimed to have a bomb, threatening to detonate it using his phone.
Passengers and security personnel looked on in shock. The scene was pure chaos. But in the middle of the panic, one man stepped forward.
Abdraim, who had just arrived at the airport to see off family members, immediately assessed the danger and acted. With no hesitation, Abdraim offered himself as a replacement hostage.
"Take me instead," he told the attacker.
To everyone’s surprise, the knifeman agreed, releasing the young woman and grabbing Abdraim.
This wasn’t just bravery—it was strategy. Abdraim, trained in boxing, martial arts, and kickboxing, understood how to read an opponent. He knew that to stop the attacker, he had to get close enough to strike.
Then, when the moment was right, he lunged at the knife, grabbing it with his bare hands.
A violent struggle broke out as Abdraim fought to disarm the attacker. Within seconds, airport security and police officers rushed in, piling on top of the man and pinning him to the ground.
The bomb threat was a bluff, authorities later confirmed. The attacker, identified as a 67-year-old resident of Almaty, was immediately taken into custody and now faces up to 12 years in prison.
After the ordeal, Abdraim remained humble about his heroic actions.
"I saw that he was going to stab her. I was afraid for her life," he said. "So I just reacted."
Despite not having trained in years, his instincts—shaped by years of discipline and fighting experience—kicked in. His selflessness has now been recognized at the highest level, with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarding him a state medal for courage.
This incident is a reminder that real courage isn’t about being fearless—it’s about taking action despite fear. Most people hope someone else will step in during a crisis. But heroes aren’t made in the moment—they are shaped by years of training, discipline, and a willingness to act when others freeze.
Abdraim did what needed to be done. The question is, would you?