"We had this guy like a pretzel on the ground," said Nestor Bustillo, instructor for the Florida International University team, which was in town to teach a self-defense course.

Tyrone Jermaine Hogan, 20, was arrested Sunday for investigation of felony carjacking, kidnapping and robbery, police Sgt. Allen Hamilton said. He was being held in lieu of $1.2 million bail.

Police said that before Hogan tangled with the judo team, he had attacked another driver six blocks away, punching him in the face and pulling him out of his car, then driving away with the driver's wife still in the passenger seat.

Hogan tried unsuccessfuly to steal the woman's purse, then shoved her out of the car, police Sgt. Karlene Gibson said.

He allegedly drove to a service station where the judo team had stopped to get gas for their rented minivan before heading to the airport for a flight home to Miami.

A club member told police that Hogan harassed another couple before making eye contact with him. Hogan asked a student for money, then allegedly reached into the van to take the keys, and the scuffle broke out.

"The boys are punching him in the face, and I wanted to go around for a choke, to choke him out, but I didn't want to risk getting punched in the head, so I started pounding him from the back," said club member Christina Baldacci.

At one point, a gas-pump nozzle broke off, dousing some students, Bustillo said.

The attacker found out whom he was dealing with, Bustillo told NBC's "Today" show on Tuesday.

"Christina managed to tell him that while his face was on the floor," Bustillo said. "She kept telling him, 'Are you stupid? Don't you realize you were attacking my instructor?"'