An EMS Nightmare Scared Me Into Self Defense Training

Dave Heuthe - American Kobe Jiu Jitsu Federation Certified Trainer

One night I was forcefully confronted with my need to receive martial arts training. While working as a paramedic in Jamaica, NY my partner and I responded to a call of a man having an asthma attack. When we arrived at the scene, all we found was a dark deserted street corner.

Suddenly, out of the darkness a man appeared, yelling and banging on my door. He then pulled my door open in his raging. Alarmed, I jumped out of the ambulance while my partner called for backup. Within 5 min. 2 police cars, 2 ambulances and 1 FDNY lieutenant arrived on scene.

Fortunately, through talking and coaxing, I was able to calm the patient down before back up had arrived. I realized then, had I not been able to soothe this man’s violence, I could have been seriously injured. As fast and responsive as the backup was, it would have been TOO LATE.

Shaken by the incident, I began my search into the martial arts for self defense training. I was 46 years old, I wasn’t a gymnast, and I wasn’t big or particularly strong. Only, what style of martial arts would be the fit for someone like me? I concluded that Jiu Jitsu was the answer.

Jiu Jitsu doesn’t rely on size, strength or athletic ability, but on using an attacker’s energy against him. It would not be long, in my line of business, before I found out that I had made a wise decision.

Sometime after I began my training I was again placed in a dangerous situation. One night my partner and I were sent to a home for a person complaining of chest pain. On the MDT (computer terminal) it read that the patient had been smoking crack and drinking for 2 days.

When we arrived on scene we found the firemen holding the basement door shut. Ever 5 minutes you’d hear a person bang against the door. I asked the firemen what was going on. They told me that the patient was in the basement with his pit bull and they were concerned that the dog might get out and attack them. Finally the wife was able to remove the dog.

The next time the patient ran up the stairs the firemen opened the door and the man slid into the room. I approached the patient and stated,” My name is Dave; I’m a paramedic. I understand you’ve been having chest pain.” The patient got up and charged me. Instinctively, without thought, I applied the principles of Jiu Jitsu to avoid personal harm.

I first took a half step forward with my right foot, and as he approached, I raised my hands, placed them on his shoulders and stepped back with my left foot. This movement caused him to become off balance and fall. Once on the floor I applied a finger lock, which stopped him from fighting against me. By that time, the firemen (who were across the room by that time) jumped in and we held him until NYPD arrived.

That incident happened so fast that it took me awhile to reconstruct the event. The one thing I did know was that this time, because of Jui Jitsu, I was able to GO HOME SAFE. That is why I believe that everyone, especially EMS personnel, should be trained in self defense, and particularly in Jiu Jitsu.

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