The piercing scream, like a sound from a horror film, triggered taekwondo instructor Simon An to draw on his years of martial arts training.

Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, shortly after the doors of his family-owned and -operated studio in Texas opened for evening classes, An and his father, his mother, his older sister and his younger brother heard shrieks coming from a neighboring business.

The family of five, each with a fourth-degree black belt, run the Yong-in Taekwondo studio in Katy, outside Houston. They initially ignored the sounds, assuming they came from employees playing around in their break room. But then a piercing “final scream” prompted the family into action, A said.

His family ran to the store and opened a door. There they found a man on top of a young woman with his hands “in [in]appropriate places” as she attempted to fend him off, A said.

An’s father, Hong, yanked the attacker away by his shirt and pinned him to the ground. An’s sister, Hannah, grabbed the girl and rushed her out of the room while An and his brother helped subdue the attacker.

  • Lettuce eat lettuce
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    716 months ago

    The guy assaulting the women was lucky he wasn’t turned into ground beef by that family, Taekwondo is no joke.

    Great to hear they were able to help!

    • Deconceptualist
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      656 months ago

      I’m sure that would have happened if it was necessary. But what’s amazing about highly skilled martial arts practitioners is that they have incredible self control and extensive training on how to de-escalate a situation with the minimal force. They understand anatomy and reaction speed and pain and even the legal consequences of using their abilities for harm.

      It still boggles my mind that it’s not a requisite for western police.

      • Echo Dot
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        146 months ago

        It’s not required for US police because in the US the police are essentially militarized and have an accompanying attitude. They are not interested in de-escalating the situation they’re only interested in seeing if they can hurt someone. That’s what happens when they draw their guns in every single interaction including traffic stops.

        • Deconceptualist
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          06 months ago

          That’s somewhat hyperbolic, though it’s a worthy concern. I live in the US and none of my encounters with police have been like that whatsoever, but then again I’m white and midwestern and not financially underprivileged. I’ve seen cops thoughtfully de-escalate or give genuine selfless help firsthand.

          I would still say ACAB, but that’s moreso due to the very abusable powers and excessive undue protections that political states give them. It’s a systemic problem, but not proscriptive of individual encounters.

      • @[email protected]
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        -46 months ago

        Fucking hell.

        No they don’t.

        These are things they try to sell you when you walk in the door. I’ve been a martial arts instructor. It was my first job. The only qualifications for martial arts instructor are a: kinda knows the dance moves good. End of list.

        Some of these guys may embody what you’re talking about.

        The vast majority are dude bros who think punching is fun, and their particular variety of punching is the best. They’re not mystic monks, gracefully handing down wisdom of the ancients. They’re wannabe tough guys who either bought the lie, or know full well and are willing to sell it to you. It’s no different than any sport, and they won’t actually teach you how to defend yourself. They’ll teach you dance moves and maybe a few of the people that learn them will be good at self defense too.

        It’s a joke. It’s all a joke.

        • @[email protected]
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          6 months ago

          So, you were a shit instructor who had barely started teaching at a shit school so that must be how they all are?

          Just like everything, you’re going to have a range from great to awful. You sound like you were on the awful side of things. Must suck.

          Sincerely, a martial arts instructor.

              • @[email protected]
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                06 months ago

                You know, I almost forgot about the shitty attitudes and tribalism incumbent in the idiots that make dance fighting a big part of their personality. These guys, you included probably, love to preach about their enlightened state because they are just so devoted to dance fighting, and then do shit like you’re doing here. Do you really think trying to insult some random guy online because he dared to criticize the industry you’re a part of is really becoming of the type of person you advertise yourself to be?

                Also. Just so you know, the scenario you fantasize about where you get to save the day with your dance fighting isn’t going to happen. At least not organically.

        • @[email protected]
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          86 months ago

          It’s probably a spectrum. You’re at one end, replying to someone at the other end.

          My experience, though limited, are teachers who genuinely wanted to help people with self defense.

          Note: am Canadian who’s glass is half full…

          • @[email protected]
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            -36 months ago

            Believe me, we were squarely in the middle. There are a few decent schools, good lock finding them through the thousands of shitty ones

        • Deconceptualist
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          6 months ago

          I guess I can only speak from my experience. Most of the instructors and blackbelts who taught me were working on advanced academic degrees as well and actually cared about their students learning all aspects of the art. No meatheaded dudebros whatsoever. They would never even consider promoting that type of buffoon.

          Sorry to hear your experience wasn’t the same.

    • @[email protected]
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      126 months ago

      Yeah, especially with five of them. You’re not escaping or fighting back. Any of them could have probably put him down with a single kick.

      • @[email protected]
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        106 months ago

        Yeah, my higher belt tests had us fighting two or three people at a time. It’s only for two minutes at a time, but holy fuck you feel like you ran a marathon afterwards because it’s exponentially harder than fighting just one; You can’t let yourself get pinned down or cornered, and have to constantly stay moving. You only throw the occasional punch or kick when you can find time to fit them in between all the dodging and running. The goal isn’t even to win the fight; It’s simply to avoid losing too badly. I can’t even imagine fighting five at once and coming out anywhere near the top.

        Real fights aren’t like a video game where enemies circle around and attack one or two at a time. They all rush you at the same time, and if you get grabbed you’re done.

        • @[email protected]
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          26 months ago

          And to your earlier point, if you grab or focus too much on one of them you’re just as fucked as if they had gotten ahold of you themselves.

  • @[email protected]
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    456 months ago

    Imagine stopping a sexual assault as a family, what a bonding activity!

    In all seriousness, what great story. I hope they’re business improves enough to open a second location from this!

      • @[email protected]
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        -16 months ago

        No you’re reading it wrong. Op wasn’t saying imagine like you are imagining yourself sexually assaulting someone and getting your ass beat. They’re just saying it like to imagine the comical situation where some idiot is sexually assaulting someone and then a whole ass family shows up and kicks their ass.

        Here’s a better more generic example.

        Imagine talking shit in a video game and then losing.

        Hope this clears it up

        • @[email protected]
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          16 months ago

          I don’t really get why you’re saying that because both your example and what OP said are from a first person perspective.

          • @[email protected]
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            56 months ago

            It’s an English quirk.

            Mostly that first person perspective is meant to humiliate the person who committed the act, in this case the sex offender mentioned in the post. It doesn’t matter if they’ll ever read it or not, either.

  • @[email protected]
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    336 months ago

    That is super dope. Glad for my home county to have people that compassionate as well as skilled.

  • fmstrat
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    6 months ago

    Given their training history, they are most likely immigrants. The complex they are in is already diverse, and while this situation is terrible, I hope this is a story that spreads into the classic Texas population in a good way.

    Ref: https://www.taekwondocypress.com/about-us

  • Whirlygirl9
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    166 months ago

    Of course this didn’t actually happen. Gov. Piss Baby Abbott said that abortions didn’t need to be legal because they were going to stop rape in the state of Texas…/s. Ew, I threw up in my mouth a little typing that…

  • @[email protected]
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    6 months ago

    People, this is what bravery looks like… Not walking around Walmart with an AK 15 and a Sons of Anarchy shirt

  • @[email protected]
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    156 months ago

    The guy assaulting was lucky it was a Tae Kwon Do family and not Krav Maga. Krav Maga dont take hostages.

    • @[email protected]
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      6 months ago

      For those who don’t know

      Krav Maga is the martial art of eye pokes and groin kicks and it’s what the IDF train with

    • @[email protected]
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      6 months ago

      Even if Krav Maga teaches more attacks and more “leathal” attacks. i would hope 5 of them at the same stage as these individuals, 4th degree black belts and instructors, would be able to restrain 1 individual without permanent damage.

      When i think of someone that is that well trained i think they are trained in more than just the moves. Going through my martial arts training we were taught the fighting mentality and spirit as well as just the moves.

      Edit: I’ve never been through either of these training styles so I’m making assumptions and may be wrong.

      • @[email protected]
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        66 months ago

        My first martial arts lesson the instructor told us that as white belts, if we manage a good hit against a black belt, that’s a good white belt. If a black belt fully hits or kicks the white belt, that’s a bad black belt.

        • @[email protected]
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          26 months ago

          I’m merely talking about the martial arts and their capabilites. not what i think should be done to cunts who can’t keep their hands off other people.