SHELBY TWP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Two years ago, Alexis Schings found herself in the fight of her life. Today, the 5-foot-tall 17-year-old is proving one terrifying moment doesn't get to define the rest of her life.
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At Mada Krav Maga and Jiu-Jitsu, Schings trains a unique combination of martial arts — and the transformation goes far beyond the mat.
"When I first stepped through the door, I was so intimidated. Like I thought I would not be able to do any of it because I used to just be a really self-doubting person," Schings said.
"Now when I walk in, I feel that I can take people down like twice my size," she said.
On August 13, 2024, police say 23-year-old Shelby Township resident Endi Bala tried forcing the then-15-year-old into a vehicle while she was walking home from a park in Clinton Township. Investigators say a nearby neighbor helped save her.
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Two days after the attempted kidnapping, Schings described the moment she was rescued.
"That felt like I was being saved by God honestly," she said.
A year ago, coach Adam Munzing watched Schings walk through the doors of his gym carrying that trauma.
"I was like, wow, that's her. I've heard about it. I take my daughter to this park right here, the same park, you know, all the time. And so I really wanted to help," Munzing said.
Munzing said it didn't take long to see Schings begin to change.
"It wasn't long before you could see it in her eyes. She starts making more eye contact, her head's up more, walking around more confidently," he said.
Schings said she is close to fully reclaiming the sense of freedom that was threatened that day, though the road has not been without difficulty.
"I'm very close to getting there. I am extremely close. I still get moments where I'm outside. I'm... I get all in my head that, like, if I see someone looking at me for too long, I get weird," she said.
Munzing said the gym has given Schings more than just self-defense skills.
"A smaller person can overcome a larger threat. It's leverage. It's like a science," he said.
For Schings, the experience has shaped a message she wants other young girls to hear.
"I just want them to know that they can be strong," she said.
And for anyone who has survived trauma, she offered this:
"You can bounce back from the trauma. It will stay with you, but you can manage it. You can grow with it. You don't always have to be in the dark. You can gain your autonomy back," she said.
When asked what she would say to her assailant if given the chance, Schings did not express anger.
"I would tell him that I feel sorry for him," she said.
The man accused of trying to take her freedom remains behind bars. Bala has not entered a plea in the case. He is scheduled to be back in court on August 24th.
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