“Candice, who was visiting her family in San Diego, was walking on the trails headed back home about 10:30 a.m. that Sunday when she passed a man walking the other way, her mother said.
She thought it was weird he was wearing jeans, but she said “hello” to him, and he nodded back.
He then body slammed her to the ground and asked for money.
When she screamed, he told her to “Shut up.”
She responded, saying “You’re going to have to kill me first,” and he said “That can be arranged,” the mother recounted.
The assailant, who she described as football-player big, then pulled her up and started shaking her by her shoulders, and Candice elbowed him in the nose and ran. She thought she might have broken his nose. She stopped at the first house she found, banged on the door and called 911.
Officers showed up moments later to begin a search of the area, and a police helicopter broadcast the man’s description to residents.
Lorie and her husband, who live nearby, heard the helicopter and decided to take their dogs down to the park, she said.
As they were walking, they didn’t think for a second that their daughter had been the victim, even joking that if he’d come across Candice, she’d kick his butt.
When the couple returned home later, they found their daughter with bruised shoulders and evidence that’d she’d been in a fight for her life.
Candice has been taking martial arts training since she was little, thanks to her father, a kickboxing champion, Lorie said.
“I’ve never been so grateful for that training in my life,” she added.”
Candice made it out of this situation alive due in a large part to her martial arts training. “You never think anything like that could happen here,” said Jill Leff, a retired state employee walking her dachshund. “I always feel very safe here.” I now understand why my parents were so paranoid and I am very thankful for that. I am thankful that I was never in a situation where I needed martial arts training as a child, and today I am even more thankful that I have it!
As my father used to always say, “you control the controllables”. And since it is not logical or practical to keep children locked up in a room all day, this is my plea…
Prepare your children for life, get them some sort of martial arts training that will not just boost their confidence and discipline but actually give them the tools they need to defend themselves in a situation should it ever arise.
And if they never need it, THANK GOD!
This is not the first story, and I am sure it will not be the last, where an assailant’s plans were foiled by an innocent looking child or a small statured woman with martial arts training. Studies have shown that the majority of attackers, whether for robbery, assault, or worse, are looking for easy victims; people that won’t put up much of a fight, or make too much noise, and can be easily and quickly intimidated. That is why you don’t often hear about the 6’2” man being attacked. Sometimes all that is needed is the victim mentality which is caused by a lack of self confidence. The martial arts has boosted my confidence by leaps and bounds as I have seen it help many others. I do not feel meek or helpless, I feel empowered and confident. That does not mean I am going to put myself in a situation purposefully where I would have a problem but when I walk, I hold my head up instead of looking at the ground, and I am much more aware of my surroundings.
My heart goes out to Chelsea’s family… I can’t even imagine the pain that they must be enduring over their terrible loss…
So I am writing this because it is the only thing that I know could possibly have an impact on someone’s life. If this impacts just one person that would not normally take martial arts, if it helps one family avoid an atrocity like this, then I have served my purpose.
Take care of yourself and take care of your family!
Sincerely,
Brooke Velazquez
Assistant Instructor
Authentic White Tiger Kung Fu
858-695-1630
