Woman Use Martial Arts to Fight Off Attacker

Victim says she was saved by her martial arts training

UK -- A woman in her mid 20's was walking in Cheltenham early Sunday morning when an unknown suspect suddenly appeared from the shadows an attacked her.

She told reporters was punched as she fought off the attacker trying to sexually assault her. The victim said martial arts training helped her.

"I have had martial arts training, so I have techniques to be able to defend myself in this situation. I just ran away after he hit me and he legged it in the other direction. I found some help and called the police straight away."
"At the time I just thought about how I needed to stay in control but afterwards I was shaken. It was very frightening."

Saved by her martial arts training - image from Flickr.com

Rowdy Passenger Treated to Judo Throw

Japan -- Oh how sweet it is to see this rowdy male passenger being treated to a well deserved ippon seoi nage shoulder throw - by a female employee no less! Just frickin' sweet.

Apparently the employee was punched by the passenger when the 34-year-old man refused to pay full price for a train fare.

The woman tossed the man to the floor in self-defense and had police arrest the idiot. Serves him well, and kudos to the judoka!

Read more here: http://kotaku.com/female-train-station-employee-judo-flips-violent-male-p-1220258840

Fukuda Sensei, 10th Dan

California -- Please forget the absurd nonsense of 9-, 15- or 20-year-old "experts" or "masters". Yes, the kids are great and cute and all that, but lets get real. Being a true master or expert takes a life of dedication to an art.

It definitely involves more than being able to perform intricate patterns, kick high, win medals or being handed belts like candy.

One such true master, expert and legend is Keiko Fukuda sensei from San Francisco, who recently received the highest honor of judo. At the age of 98, she has been awarded the ultimate rank of 10th dan. Bravo and congratulations Fukuda sensei!

She is the first woman ever to be promoted to this rank. Not only that, there are just three people before her, all Japanese men, who have reached that level.

Fukuda sensei still teaches at the women's dojo in Noe Valley, and she was reportedly in tears when she was brought the news.

"All my life," Fukuda sensei said, "this has been my dream."

An Amazing Recovery

Arizona -- When Darla Loy, 28 at the time, was diagnosed with 'Mixed Connective Tissue Disease' (MCTD), an autoimmune disorders akin to Lupus, her doctor told her that she needed to take pain medication, anti-inflammatories and steroids - probably for the rest of her life.

The reply from the woman was simply that it was not going to happen, according to sandspringsleader.com.

Rather, the determined woman started her own research and began fighting back - eventually taking up karate at the same place her young son was a student.

Her determination, changes in diet and karate workouts soon helped her begin to lose weight and she found her confidence was restored. She was indeed able to do without the medications to the amazement of her doctor.

After getting a passion for karate, she advanced to aerobic style kick-boxing, before finally going into the ring as a full-fledged kick-boxer.

I urge you to read this truly inspirational story about  a woman with a remarkable fighting spirit.

She Pulled it Off

China -- In Beijing recently, 53-year-old female Shaolin monk Zhang Tingting, shamed several men who had tried, and failed, to pull six cars - weighing in excess of nine tons.

The kung fu master, who reportedly learned the art from her granddad from the age of three, pulled the cars 50ft outside the Tanzhe temple, according to thesun.co.uk.

The picture below shows a visitor attempting, in vane, to pull the cars.

Investigated by Child Protective Service

Indiana -- MTV is running a reality television series about teenage mothers called "Teen Mom". In a recent episode, one of the "stars" lost her temper during a fight with her ex fiancé, according to celebs.gather.com.

This is reportedly not the first time the MMA trained woman has been seen on TV hitting her daughter's father. The two young parents can allegedly be seen almost every week fighting and cursing in front of their baby daughter on the TV show.

As a result, police and Child Protective Services in the woman's hometown are investigating her for domestic abuse.

Criminal Mastermind Wanted

UK -- British detectives have reportedly sent thousands of 'wanted' posters to Pakistan - offering a substantial reward for the capture of a 50-year-old gangster mastermind and martial arts expert hunted over the killing of a female police constable.

The former takeaway boss, who has been suspected of being in charge of the armed robbery which lead to the fatal shooting, is believed to be in hiding in a remote region in the northern part of Pakistan, according to thesun.co.uk.

Three robbers recruited by the wanted man gunned down the 38-year-old police constable on her daughter's fourth birthday.

The suspect reportedly trained kick-boxing and worked as a doorman in Bradford clubs during the 1980s.

Black Belt Great Grandma

Oklahoma -- 74-year-old Jeannie O'Connor form Owasso is know to everyone as "Mamaw". She has seven great grandchildren, holds a third-degree black belt in taekwondo and teaches a beginners taekwondo class in Claremore.

"I saw a picture of Bruce Lee," she said, "and I thought maybe that could help my grandson," according to newsok.com.

"I like the discipline," she says. "And attaining something."

That's So Gay

UK -- A Canadian, petite female martial arts instructor reportedly knocked out a Coldstream Guard for "dancing gaily" during a fracas at a Woolwich Barracks Christmas ball in 2008.

The 24-year-old, 5ft 3 karate instructor, supposedly became enraged at the sight of soldiers dancing in a "gay" camp manner and proceeded to floor a Lance Sergeant with a single punch.

The woman also threw a Sergeant into a sound system and punched his wife.

The woman, who is said to have attended the event with her husband, who was teaching unarmed combat at the barracks, reportedly shouted "[this] should not be allowed in the British Army".

Karate, Supreme Court Justice

Way cool! Tennessee State Supreme Court Justice Janice Holder -- who became historical when she was elected to the post -- is also a 3. dan black belt in karate.

This is according to an article in commercialappeal.com. She has reportedly been training karate for 18 years.

Grandma Ninja, 71

Nebraska -- 71-year old Dorothy Fugate, a North Platte resident, have received her second-dan black belt in ninjutsu, according to northplattebulletin.com.

The widower -- who also is an avid runner, in addition to dancing two or three times a week, riding her bike and rollerblading -- said she has no plans of stopping her training.

Age, you said? That is just some sequential numbers my friend - doesn't mean a thing :-)

Jessica Really is Incredible

Holy cow, what an amazing young woman this is; do read this story!

Arizona -- According to ktar.com, despite being born without arms, 25-year-old Jessica Cox from Tucson has only stopped herself from doing one thing only - and that is to use the word "can't."

She's a black belt in taekwondo and she holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Arizona.

Now, this determined woman has done something almost unbelievable in becoming the first pilot licensed to fly using only her feet. She uses one foot on the controls and the other guiding the steering column.

Her Sport Pilot certificate qualifies her to fly a light-sport aircraft to altitudes of 10,000 feet.

Accused of Sex With Student

Florida -- A 26-year-old female karate instructor has been arrested for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old student. Police investigators said the woman was in love with the teenager, according to wftv.com.

The instructor is reported to live with her parents in east Orange County. She is alleged to have driven to Apopka to hook up with the young student.

Police said the inappropriate relationship developed over sparring at the martial arts school in Apopka. The female instructor apparently took a liking to the juvenile student. Reportedly, she later confessed that she knew the relationship was being inappropriate.

Wudang Kungfu

China -- Watching Zhao Jianying teaching young and old alike at the park, it's quite common to think she looks great for a woman in her 60s. However, the martial arts master -- acclaimed as a "living fossil of Wudang martial arts" -- is 84 years old, according to chinadaily.com.cn.

As she demonstrates Taiyi (taiji) Wuxing Quan, a form of Wudang kungfu, the moves are graceful - slow and relaxed. But she also uses lightning fast hits in mock fights against even young men.

She's been practicing Wudang kungfu for over half a century, and says this is the reason she's still strong and agile at her advanced years.

In 2007, She was named a "Key Inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage" by the State General Sports Administration and the Ministry of Culture in China.

This is an interesting article about someone who has clearly lived an eventful, long and healthy life!

A New Lease on Life

Florida -- Two-time cancer survivor, 62-year-old Shary Pittman was met with skepticism when she took up martial arts a while ago in High Springs. In fact, her 7-year-old grandson told her outright "(...) you're too old and you're too fat to do martial arts."

Mrs Pittman turned a deaf ear, and she intends, in her own words, to go "all the way" - meaning: She is already set for a black belt.

Reading about this survivor and ready born fighter, I don't doubt her for even half a second. She will make it!

"I won't quit for anything. You look in the mirror and you're old, and you're embarrassed because you're overweight. Then you punch the lady in the mirror and say, 'Keep going! You don't have to lay down and die; get up and FIGHT!" she said.

The inspirational woman has credited her martial arts classes with giving her strength, saying she's gotten more limber and healthier.

"It will work you through the pain, and you'll work through it with a smile," she said. "By the second class, my energy level tripled," she said. "You'd be amazed even for an older person at how fast your body responds."

Read the whole story at highspringsherald.com.

Another Karate Gran

UK -- 73-year-old Barbara Dyson from Methley is a great-grandmother ... and a black belt in karate, according to pontefractandcastlefordexpress.

The fit senior citizen, who has been working out four times a week for ten years, promised her husband, Desmond, who died in 2007, that she would continue until she achieved the coveted belt.

"I would encourage anybody to take up karate - especially older people," she says. Adding that it keeps you fit, gives you a lot more confidence as well as makes you feel safer.

Gran Master in Karate

Dolores Pearson from Portarlington in Australia is a 78-year-old black belt in karate. After training since 1994, she is soon to test for her fourth dan grading according to geelongadvertiser.com.au.

Together with her daughter Rhonda Wright, 49, the fit senior have been training up to 6 times a week to prepare for the test.

Way to go, ladies - way to go!

"Binh there - Dinh that"

Vietnam -- In August, 20-year-old Bui Thanh Thao was reportedly crowned Miss Martial Arts on Sunday during the Tay Son-Binh Dinh festival in Quy Nhon (a costal city).

"The 20 year-old student looked fantastic in her traditional white dress, an improvement over her look in the semi-finals last weekend," according to a report.

Female Karateka Fought Back

Italy -- A 29-year-old four times karate champion was recently assaulted in a central part of Rome, according to the telegraph.co.uk.

A man approached the woman in broad daylight and asked for a cigarette. She told the man she did not smoke, and that's when he reportedly grabbed her around the neck.

The karate black belt and prison officer immediately knocked the man down with a couple of punches to the attacker's face, according to media.

Taekwondo Pays Off

Florida -- A church self-defense/taekwondo class has proved valuable for a 55-year-old woman. The 5'2" mother was recently targeted by a would-be mugger in the Middleburg church parking lot, according to news4jax.com.

After one of her classes, a man reportedly accosted her in the parking lot - asking is she had any money. When the woman told him she hadn't any, the man attempted to take her purse as she turned to open the door to her car.

"I side-kicked him and then punched him, the woman said," adding that she tried to hit the man's chest but probably ended up hitting him in the face. The man ran from the place empty-handed.

The woman told how has always had been interested in martial arts. About a year ago she took up tekwondo for self-defense and to gain self-confidence.