Jagmeet Singh Said His Martial Arts Training Made Him Feel Safe When He Was Threatened

Recently an altercation in Canada's capital was caught on video when Jagmeet Singh was verbally threatened while walking down an Ottawa street, but the event did not make the NDP leader feel unsafe.

During a September 28 press conference, Singh addressed the incident and said that he felt comfortable due to his "years and years of martial arts experience."

He continued saying that he used to compete and that he felt like he could "take care of himself."

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I felt very comfortable in making sure I could take care of myself.

Jagmeet Singh

Singh took up martial arts at a young age before moving on to be the captain of his high school wrestling team and later winning the Toronto championships in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, according to CBC News. 

The NDP leader acknowledged that not everyone would feel the same way in that situation, though, adding that having years of physical training should not be the standard for walking down the street.

"For a lot of people, what happened would be very intimidating," he said.

Singh noted that he believes there is an increase in this type of incident, and that elected officials shouldn't have to feel afraid or intimidated.

At the same time, he praised Canada's "culture of openness," saying that the ability to approach politicians is important, but that there should be a balance between that and their safety.