Woman uses TKD in real confrontation

[Tom Yum]

Martial-arts mama gives thugs a thumpin'

Uses taekwondo to fend off attackers

By CARY CASTAGNA, POLICE REPORTER

Two thugs picked the wrong lady to mess with. A 40-year-old woman used her expertise in taekwondo to fight off two men who confronted her Monday night after she got out of her car in an Osborne Village parking lot.

"It's fortunate that she did have that training because it certainly helped her in this incident," said Winnipeg police spokeswoman Const. Shelly Glover.

The veteran martial artist was retrieving golf clubs from the back of her vehicle in a parking lot in the 100 block of Gerard Street about 11 p.m., when a man grabbed her by the neck from behind.

When the woman turned around, she saw a second man.

Using her self-defence techniques, the taekwondo expert backhanded the first man and then delivered a roundhouse kick to the stomach of the second man, Glover said.

The two men apparently had enough and took off.

The woman, who suffered a bruised hand while slugging her attackers, immediately called police.

Investigators were unsure whether the attack was sexually motivated.

Flirtatious comments

During a brief verbal exchange, the suspects made "flirtatious" comments toward the woman, Glover said, adding there was also a possibility they wanted to rob her.

The first suspect is described as white, in his mid-to-late-20s and about 5-foot-9, with an average build, dark hair and a thick moustache with a goatee.

He was wearing dark clothing and a dark baseball cap.

The second suspect had a similar build and was wearing blue jeans.

In the wake of the incident, police were warning citizens in the Osborne Village area.

"Strength in numbers -- it's always best to be using a buddy system when you're walking in areas late at night," Glover said.