WATCH: Man uses martial arts to thwart attempted kidnapping

MANHATTAN: A martial arts expert became an unexpected hero when he stopped an attempted kidnapping at a park in New York City.

According to the details, Brian Kemsley, 33, used martial arts to thwart the kidnapping bid at Madison Square Park.

 

He maintained, “I saw this man playing tug of war with a baby stroller, telling everyone it was his baby.” Kemsley was in the park with his girlfriend and stood back as others tried to pry the man from the stroller.

“Once they peeled his hands off the stroller, the mom could make a break for it with the stroller… it was then that I thought ‘oh this is not going to go well right now.”

He used a ‘jiu jitsu’ move called a rear naked choke.

“I used that to get him down and transitioned to a seatbelt grip, I wrapped my legs around him,” Kemsley added.

After about nine minutes, park police reached there and handcuffed the man who was ultimately transported to Bellevue Hospital for a psychological evaluation, Eye Witness News reported.

“There was a point I felt when I was holding onto him it wasn’t just to keep him away from the mom and baby, it was to help him too,” Kemsley said.

Later, the grateful mom returned to the scene to thank Kemsley.