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Man fights off home invader with replica battle ax

OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A Michigan man who participates in mock fights using medieval weapons put his skills to use when he fought off an intruder using a replica battle ax.

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"I've got a double-headed carbon steel battle ax that was homemade by a gentleman who has since passed," Ben Ball told WOOD. "That's what I call my baby."

Ball, 36, was playing video games and watching "Rick and Morty" when Alex Lavell Rawls, 33, kicked in his door around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, WOOD reported.

"(The) door opened, (I) grabbed the ax, (then) step, step, hit," Ball told WOOD, recounting the altercation. "There was a bloody mess everywhere."

Ball hit Rawls at least once in the torso with the weapon. The two destroyed the apartment in the fight. Rawls then fled.

Police and a K-9 unit tracked a trail of blood and found Rawls. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, then taken to jail.

Rawls was looking for his ex-girlfriend, Ball's roommate, who was not there, when he kicked in the door. Rawls was released from the Michigan Department of Correction in July, WOOD reported.

Rawls was arrested and charged with first-degree home invasion, WOOD reported.

Ball has considerable practice with the ax.

He participates in mock battles using an array of weapons when he is not working at Applebee’s. Video of an event shows a makeshift, roped off ring with two ironclad competitors swinging large swords at each other.

"Well, No. 1, it's not (live action role play)," Ball told WOOD. "A lot of people are like, 'Oh, is it LARP-ing (live action role-playing)?' No. This Band-Aid was actually from filming last night for our newest episode."