Japanese Chef Defends Against Bear Attack Using Judo Techniques While Preparing Ramen Despite Injury

A ramen chef from northern Japan has become an internet sensation after demonstrating incredible bravery during a bear attack. He managed to fend off the animal using a judo move and returned to work even with blood streaming down his face.

This remarkable incident took place at Tenya, a ramen workshop located in Sannohe Town, Aomori Prefecture. The incident occurred around 5 am when the 57-year-old chef was preparing ingredients in the back of the shop. Suddenly, he noticed a “black thing moving” before a one-meter bear lunged at him.

“It suddenly turned toward me and attacked my face, ” he recounted in an interview with Japanese media. The bear’s claws inflicted a deep cut near his right eye, leaving him stunned and unsure of how to respond.

After being struck on the face and seeing no effect from his attempts to fend off the bear, he sought a more effective strategy.“No matter how many times I hit it, it wouldn’t budge. My hands were really hurting, ” he remarked, indicating that conventional methods were not sufficient.

The chef was preparing ramen when the bear attacked.

A Judo Move Saves the Day

Despite his injuries, including gashes on his face and nose, the chef returned to work and continued preparing ramen. When the shop’s manager, Sasaki, arrived shortly after, he was taken aback to find his employee still working with blood dripping from his wounds.

“I told him, ‘You need to go to the hospital, ‘” recalled Sasaki.“He replied, ‘It’s nothing. The shop must open.’”

An ambulance was called, and he was taken to Hachinohe Municipal Hospital, where doctors stitched a 10-centimeter laceration near his eye and discovered a fractured rib. Thankfully, he is expected to recover, although he is currently on sick leave.

japanese man after bear attack — Supplied

The bear showed little effect from the chef’s punches.

This incident has catapulted the chef into the spotlight as a national hero. Notably, he has no martial arts training and transitioned from a medical career to working at the ramen shop.

Since the attack, his phone has been inundated with messages.“My daughter called me saying, ‘Dad, I saw the news. That’s you, right?’” he shared, adding that friends and even the mayor visited to check on his well-being.

The chef also remarked on bear attack protocols, saying, “People advise playing dead or crouching down, but you don’t have time for that. They can attack your face in an instant.” He emphasized, “I was lucky it was a cub. If it were a mother bear, I’d be dead.”

Source & Images