What began as a routine walk home from school turned into a harrowing encounter for a 13-year-old Carmel-by-the-Sea resident, who successfully defended herself against an adult male assailant using jiu-jitsu techniques she had learned over three years of training.
“Halfway home, a gentleman was standing in between two cars and he stepped out to punch her in the face,” reported sources familiar with the incident.
The teen, whose identity is being kept anonymous for safety reasons as the suspect remains at large, relied on her training at the Carmel Youth Center under Sensei Michael Blackburn.
“She punched him, she wrapped it, got him in the headlock, kneed him a couple of times, spun him around, threw him on the ground,” Blackburn explained. “And she had stepped on his foot doing all this and when she threw him to the ground, she broke his ankle.”
Following the confrontation, the girl was able to escape to her home unharmed. Carmel police have released a sketch of the suspect and are actively investigating the case.
“We’re doing everything we can to figure out who this person is that’s responsible for what happened,” stated a Carmel police representative. Authorities noted that the “person was acting unusual, like potentially under the influence of something or dealing with some other personal issues.”
Sensei Blackburn expressed both concern and pride regarding his student’s experience. “I told her we were proud of her. She did exactly what she was supposed to do,” he said. “You have to fight in class like you’re going to protect yourself on the street.”
The brave young student hopes her experience will emphasize the importance of self-defense skills for other young women, demonstrating how such knowledge can be crucial in dangerous situations.
Law enforcement officials are seeking community assistance in identifying the suspect. Anyone with information, surveillance footage, or possible sightings of someone matching the police sketch is urged to contact authorities via the email provided by the police department.
As the investigation continues, police have not indicated whether they believe the suspect might attempt similar attacks in the future.
