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A 13-year-old California girl courageously used her jiu-jitsu training to defend herself when she was attacked by a crazed man while walking home from school, according to a report.
The quick-thinking teen skillfully took down her unwitting assailant after he emerged from between two cars and attempted to strike her in the face — a blow she successfully blocked, her sensei told ABC News.
“She punched him, she got him in a headlock, kneed him a couple times, spun him around, threw him on the ground,” Sensei Michael Blackburn said of the harrowing May 6 incident in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
“She had stepped on his foot . . . and when she threw him on the ground, he broke his ankle.”
The youngster then ran home as her battered attacker — who remains at large — lay on the ground.
Blackburn, who has taught the teen the Brazilian martial art for the past three years, said he was devastated his student was ambushed but relieved she had the tools to protect herself.
“I told her we were proud of her, and she did exactly as she was supposed to do,” Blackburn told the outlet.
“You have to fight in class like you’re going to protect yourself on the street.”
Local police still have no leads but believe the roughed-up brute may have been under the influence or struggling with personal issues when he aggressively charged at the gutsy warrior.
Authorities — who commended the resilient teen for her bravery — have since released a sketch of the suspect and are seeking the public’s help as the investigation continues.
“You don’t see it very often where a juvenile is brave like that,” Carmel Police Commander Todd Trayer said, KSBW reported.
“To have that type of self-confidence, that awareness, to be a quick decision maker and make a decision that’s going to keep themselves safe.”
The determined young fighter — who did not want to be identified — hopes her story will inspire women and other girls to learn the skills that could one day save their lives.
English (US)