An Australian man has recalled the terrifying moment he was almost kidnapped as a child – and urged parents to equip their children with self-defence skills.
Sydney-based comedian and social media personality Jamie Zhu shared the chilling story in a Facebook post, describing how he narrowly escaped a stranger who tried to lure him away after school when he was just seven years old.
Jamie said he was waiting at after-school care near his school in Sydney‘s north shore in 2001 when a man approached him and his friend.
‘I saw a man in the distance wearing an orange and navy striped jumper walk towards us. He had blond hair and wore transparent glasses with a silver frame, and he was staring at me and Joshy as he approached us,’ he recalled.
The stranger raised his hand and called out to the boys.
‘Come on, I’ve got a surprise for you,’ the man said, signalling for them to follow.
Jamie said he immediately thought of his mother’s caution and alarm bells started ringing in his head.
‘This must be what my mum had always warned me of,’ he remembered thinking.
Sydney-based comedian and social media personality Jamie Zhu recalled the terrifying moment he was almost kidnapped as a child
Jamie said he was waiting at after-school care near his school in Sydney’s north shore when a man approached him and his friend
‘As my body started shaking, adrenaline ran through my veins. I had to run. Fast.’
Thinking quickly, Jamie pretended to walk towards the man before bolting in the opposite direction and racing inside the pavilion to get help from a carer.
By the time staff rushed outside to investigate, the man had vanished.
What unsettled Jamie most was how calm his school friend Joshy was throughout the ordeal.
While Jamie’s instincts told him to run, Joshy appeared ‘completely oblivious’ to the danger and later brushed it off despite saying the man had chased him.
The thought of what could have happened if both boys had followed the stranger still haunts Jamie.
He admitted only his quick thinking – and his mother’s early warnings – may have saved them from a grim outcome.
‘The man was never found that day. And thank the Lord me and Joshy were safe,’ Jamie wrote.
Jamie said he was grateful his mother had instilled a ‘healthy fear’ of strangers and taught him to be vigilant from a young age
Weeks later, Jamie heard reports of a disturbing incident at another after school care nearby involving a naked intruder.
Years on, he believes it may have been the same man.
Jamie said he was grateful his mother had instilled a ‘healthy fear’ of strangers and taught him to be vigilant from a young age.
But looking back, he wishes he had been given even more tools to protect himself.
‘If there was one thing I wish I had learned as a kid, it is self-defence skills,’ he said.
Now in 2025, he believes the world is even more dangerous than when he was a child.
‘With the rise in the adult film industry, violence, war and unrest… it’s even more important to keep our kids safe from these potential predators that co-exist alongside us in the communities we live in,’ he said.
Jamie urged parents to make self-defence training non-negotiable for their children.
Experts say children can begin learning basic self-defence skills from as young as five, with classes tailored to age and ability
‘To all parents out there, we live in a pretty dark world now so I would highly encourage you to enroll your kids in a self-defence program. I know I will be doing that when I have a son,’ he said.
Experts say children can begin learning basic self-defence skills from as young as five, with classes tailored to age and ability.
At this stage, it’s not about fighting, but about building awareness – teaching kids how to recognise unsafe situations, use a strong voice, and create space to get away.
By seven or eight, most children are ready for more structured programs such as judo, karate or taekwondo, which emphasise discipline, respect, and practical techniques for escaping grabs.
Parents are also encouraged to role-play scenarios with their kids, reinforcing simple safety rules like staying visible, keeping a safe distance from strangers, and always telling a trusted adult if something feels wrong.
Self-defence coaches stress the goal is confidence, not combat – giving children the skills to trust their instincts and act quickly if they ever find themselves in danger.