Brittney Richardson, pictured with her mother, Barb, knocked down a would-be abductor - a man in his 30s. "She did what she was taught," said her instructor, Amanda Christensen.
Posted on 04/30/2006 6:18:49 PM PDT by Graybeard58
WESTMINSTER - Brittney Richardson didn't have to think about her next move when a stranger reached out to grab her last Friday.
She'd been through the motions a hundred times before in karate class, but this was the first time she put them into action.
"Leave me alone," the 14-year-old yelled as the man's hand closed around her small wrist, pulling her toward him.
Instinctively, Brittney swung her right hand and landed a fist on his cheek.
"I heard him thump and (moan) 'Ugh,' " when he hit the ground, she said. "I think it was the fastest I'd ever run."
For two years, Brittney has practiced martial arts at Mile High Karate in Westminster. She's done well. In that time, she's earned a brown belt.
"She did what she was taught," said her instructor, Amanda Christensen, who has a black belt. "And she did it almost step by step."
Brittney was aware of her surroundings, verbalized her warnings, stayed calm and attacked only until the danger was gone. Those are the lessons Christensen has tried to teach her students.
In response to the incident, all eight of the Denver-area Mile High Karate locations will offer a free self-defense class to women over the age of 14 on May 17.
The incident occurred near dusk as Brittney was walking home from the grocery store. On the way to her house near West 92nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, she cut through an apartment complex to shorten the walk.
A white man in his 30s with bleach-blond hair and "really perfect teeth" beckoned to her. As she got closer to him, he started walking beside her.
Then he grabbed her.
The self-described "girly girl" kept her cool as she fought off her would-be abductor, who tried coaxing her with promises of "you'll have fun." Instead, she said, "I punched him in the face ."
After Brittney got home, she and her mother reported the incident to police, who were unable to find the man.
"I'm very proud" of Brittney, Barb Richardson said. "I'm thankful that she had the skills."
Every child should be taught to kick, gouge, scream, run like hell, do whatever it takes to not be a victim.
Good for her!
Every would-be child molester should get even worse than what this sicko got. Great job girl.
Misread once and it's over...better to keep pulling the trigger until the noise stops.
She should have stayed a moment more and given him a karate kick to the groin, and then maybe the police would have found him.
I'll bet that guy got the surprise of his life. Won't see him in the neighborhood again.
misc ping!
She is to be praised.
I only wish you could have killed him after he hit the ground.
Brittney Richardson, pictured with her mother, Barb, knocked down a would-be abductor - a man in his 30s. "She did what she was taught," said her instructor, Amanda Christensen.
Impressive. . .at 14, already aware of what most adults will never learn: that self-defense is a fundamental, moral duty. . .
A 14 yr old girl normally isn't going to be packing heat. This was probably the best thing for her to have done.
Good girl! Way to go!
Is that before or after the matter gets referred to the security council? :)
I hope my daughter has this much wherewithal when she gets this old.
Brittney: "I'll have fun kicking your butt and making sure you spend the rest of your days drinking dinner through a straw."
Color me incredulous. She was defending. He attacked. She was not attacking. Ever.
I hate journalists.
/johnny
Good catch, I skimmed right by that.
It's the journalist's knee jerk lib mentality at work.
The libs may find this successful act of self-defense to be a threat. It's not in their nature to accept it when innocent people prevail over the guilty.
I won't be surprised if the libs begin a push to regulate martial-arts schools in the same way they practice gun control.
Thanks for the photo. Now I have something to aim my admiration at.
I wonder, do you think her dad's intimidated now?
...in the local emergency room. LOL
So police are now looking for a white man in his 30s with bleach-blond hair, who is currently spitting "really perfect teeth."
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