Karate instructor stops would-be kidnapper after woman barges into his studio pleading for help

A suspected kidnapper got more than he bargained for after chasing a woman into a Karate studio in north Charlotte, North Carolina.

August Williams, 46, was trying to force a woman into his vehicle last Thursday around 9 p.m., according to WSOC.

Fortunately for the woman, she escaped and ran into the nearby Bushiken Karate Charlotte Dojo where the head instructor, Randall Ephraim, was straightening up.

Ephraim narrated the events to CNN, saying:

"There were still some kids in the dojo being picked up by parents and a couple of adult students cleaning up when a young lady came through our doors and stated that someone was trying to harm her."

Not long after, a “big male” came into the studio, but the teacher assumed he wanted to inquire about classes.

"I asked how I could assist him, and he stated that he was there for the lady,” Ephraim added. “She insisted that she did not know him and tried to kidnap her.”

Ephraim said he then he asked the man to leave, but he refused and attempted to get forceful. "He then tried to force himself further into the dojo, aggressively pushing and swinging," the instructor recalled.

He added:

“I then went into action defending myself and got him out of the dojo. Once outside he attempted to attack again and was dealt with accordingly.”

A TOUGH BATTLE

Although Ephraim was able to subdue Williams eventually, the martial arts expert admitted that it wasn’t the easiest thing to do.

"He was very strong; very, very strong,” he said of the suspect. “He weighed at least 200 (pounds) and some change, under the influence -- very strong powerful individual.”

Williams also tried to assault the police officers before he was arrested and Captain JD Thomas of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told WSOC:

“It’s a great thing the people in there were able to help defend her, extremely lucky that it was a karate studio and usually you don’t see a suspect act like this.”

The police also said that Williams, who was on drugs at the time of the assault, has also been previously arrested multiple times for drugs and assault.

Williams was wheeled away in a stretcher and taken to the hospital to treat injuries inflicted on him by Ephraim in self-defense.

KARATE TO THE RESCUE, AGAIN

Only two months ago, another criminal got more than he bargained for when he tried to steal a phone from a young woman.

22-year-old Sabrina Leites was approached by a thief demanding for her phone, but the soon-to-be flight attendant/jiu-jitsu apprentice swung into action and wrestled the thief to the ground, holding him in a steady grip while he screamed in pain.