Elmwood Park Police Chief Saves Mother and Child, Credits His Training to Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts

On a cold February day in 2021, a mom and her young daughter fell through an iced-over river in New Jersey. Only through heroic effort were they saved.

This article explores how Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno’s Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts training helped him save these two people’s lives.

This harrowing story began when 53-year-old Michael Foligno responded to a radio call involving a woman and two-year-old child that had fallen through icy waters in the Passaic River near the Elmwood Park Marina around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 4, 2021.

After the call went out, Foligno rushed to the scene. He wasn’t the first to arrive, but as Chief of Police in Elmwood Park, and with over 32 years serving as a police officer, he led the effort to attempt a daring rescue.

With only minutes until it would be too late for the victims, Foligno grabbed a plastic kayak and struggled to push himself out to where the mother was desperately trying to keep her daughter above water.

The mom kept her head above water by holding onto the ice with one hand while preventing her daughter from being swept away with the other.

Understandably, this young mother was screaming for help as she lost her child’s grip.

Even though Chief Foligno was exhausted and numb from cold, when he reached the pair in the river, he was, with great physical effort, able to pull them both aboard the kayak.

A brave firefighter who worked himself to a position near the Chief helped pull the loaded kayak back to safety.

The successful rescue of this mother and daughter was a testament to both Chief Foligno’s physical conditioning and his heart.

A lesser man could not have completed this extraordinary feat without the same ability and determination.

In reflecting on this incident, Foligno said that the things he learned in Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts training made a difference for him during this event. He maintains that martial arts and combat sports prepared him for that situation.

When you are called upon to act in a way that requires that level of conditioning, you rely on your training from the gym and the job. He told an interviewer after the event, “your training just kicks in.”

Foligno continued, “You know, looking back on that day, I was prepared because of the very strenuous martial arts training I practiced day after day. I don’t think without that level of physical conditioning and mental preparedness; I could have done that. The mental toughness developed through my martial arts training is even more important than physical toughness.”

There are many good reasons to practice martial arts. Developing self-discipline, self-confidence, ability to focus and defend yourself are just a few. In this case, it was fortunate for a young mother and her daughter that Michael Foligno was dedicated to martial arts, or this rescue could have ended up much differently.

About Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts

Established in 1984 by Daniel “Tiger” Schulmann, Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts is the largest martial arts school in the US.

With more than 45 locations in the United States, TSMA has helped thousands of men, women, and children reach their full potential while meeting a variety of personal goals.

With skill levels ranging from complete beginner to professional competitors, Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts teaches the most effective self-defense techniques — a combination of boxing, muay thai, wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

But TSMA teaches more than self-defense. Every one of Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts Schools strives to provide an alternative form of physical fitness while instilling life lessons and personal development.