A stroke and cancer survivor who says she was attacked by a man after a minor car bump, managed to defend herself using her newly-acquired tai chi skills.
Karen Milson, 55, who is only 5ft 5ins tall, was involved in an argument with a 6ft male driver when she asked him to apologise for clipping her car as he pulled out in front of her at the BP garage in Marsh Road.
The mother-of-one, who has only been learning tai chi for about four weeks, thought he was about to punch her, but managed to block the hit and punch the attacker so hard she says it knocked him out.
Karen said: “He was extremely verbally abusive towards me, I was absolutely petrified. He went to punch me and it was like it was going in slow-motion –I suddenly remembered the moves my instructor Zoe Loke had taught us and I managed to block his wrist and punch him at the same time. I punched him in the face and knocked him out. He was slumped against his car and I was shaking like a leaf. I know I shouldn’t have done it but I was so scared, my instincts took over.”
A nearby driver who witnessed the incident on March 28 helped Karen get back in her car and dealt with the injured man.
Karen, who lives in Leagrave, does not usually go out on her own since she had her stroke.
She said: “The cancer and stroke have left me very weak and vulnerable and my confidence is low. This was a rare time I ventured out on my own and now I feel even worse. I couldn’t stop crying and shaking. In hindsight, I think; “Yes, go for it girl!” but at the time I was frightened.”
Karen started Tai Chi classes with Zoe at Storm Gym in New Bedford Road to help strengthen her muscles and improve her balance after the stroke.
She said: “Zoe is a fantastic teacher and I was so pleased I’d been able to use it to defend myself. Everyone should take classes - just not men!”
Tai Chi instructor Zoe, 27, said: “Tai Chi is mainly for health benefits so it’s like a slow martial arts, but is also does have martial application as well, although it’s uncommon to use it. Karen was very brave and I am proud of her for defending herself.”
A Beds Police spokesperson said: “We would always ask members of the public to report incidents of assault or other matters of this nature to the police by calling the non-emergency number, 101.”