Martial arts instructor speaks out after SF beach fight
Sep 11, 2026
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The video of a fight at Crissy Field Tuesday has been viewed online hundreds of thousands of times. KRON4 followed up with one of the men involved at his San Francisco martial arts studio.
It was the right place, right time for James Hidalgo when he took down a man at Crissy
Field’s East Beach. He describes the man he fought with as the aggressor, threatening him and other beachgoers.
“He came in and tried to punch me, so I pinned him to the ground until the cops got here,” said Hidalgo.
What the other man involved in the fight didn’t know is that Hidalgo has taught classes at Infinite Martial Arts in San Francisco. Classes are offered for professional fighters and students as young as 3-years-old.
Many of those students, including Yelena Ostrovsky, recognized their instructor when he was on KRON4 news in the fight video.
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“Honestly, he’s always like this; this is not the first time he’s doing it. He protects his community; he protects his kids, and by his kids, I mean all the kids that attend his classes,” said Ostrovsky.
The video of the fight on Instagram has been viewed more than 200,000 times and has more than 500 comments.
With so much attention, KRON4’s Rob Nesbitt signed up for a self-defense lesson from Hidalgo. Taking lessons in how to block a punch and take down an aggressor, the same way Hidalgo did at Crissy Field.
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KRON4 reporter Rob Nesbitt learns from James Hidalgo some martial arts skills at the instructor's studio, Infinite Martial Arts, on Baker Street. (Photo: KRON4)
“I always think that learning a little bit will get you a long way,” said Hidalgo.
According to U.S. Park Police, the other man involved was arrested for assault, but as of Friday, no court date has been set.
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