Taekwondo family rescues woman from assault

The An family had just started evening classes at their own studio in Cypress, Houston on Tuesday evening when they heard a scream nearby.

At first, they dismissed the noises, thinking someone was just playing around.

However, a piercing "final scream" spurred the family into action, Simon An told NBC News.

Together, Simon, his father, brother and sister rushed to the phone store where the scream had originated and opened the door.

They discovered a man on top of a young woman with his hands in inappropriate places as she struggled to fight him off, Simon recalled.

Simon said it was his father, a Taekwondo grandmaster, who pulled the attacker down and pinned him to the ground.

Simon and his brother rushed in to help their father as his sister helped the woman up and escorted her out of the room, The Independent reported.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Department later credited the family’s actions and skills with saving the woman from an attempted sexual assault.

"Thank you to the Yong-In dojo for your quick action in protecting others," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote in a post on X.

According to ABC13, the suspect has been identified as a 19-year-old man, who is now charged with attempted sexual assault.

Despite having trained in martial arts for years, the An family said that until the incident they had never had to use their skills outside of the studio.