The English would describe them as "hard"
Here's a phrase rarely heard: "Don't screw with that guy. He's from Wichita, where you gots to be strong to survive!"
Well, reading this story, it might come up more often.
So should we expect the Bolshoi Ballet to take on the Martha Graham troupe next? Wonder what the body count will be like from that one. I'll bet the Russkies have all kinds of Soviet surplus hidden in their tights and skirts. Their packages aren't really that big, they're just packin' heat.