Hit back at the times of terror

Times of India, Bengaluru Times Newspaper

The Israeli army’s self-defence tactics for civilians are a fave among IT professionals

Did you watch helplessly as goons mugged you and took off with your valuables? Frustrated that you didn’t know what to do as you were pinned to the ground? How about learning to fight back? Well, a bunch of city-based professionals have done just that and what’s more, they are even equipping themselves with skills required during a terror situation. It is Krav Maga — Hebrew for contact combat — the Israeli military’s effective, easy-to-learn system of unarmed self-defence and combat tactics that has caught their fancy.

“Krav Maga training is about recreating realistic scenarios and relying on the instinctive reactions of human reflexes. It calls for mental agility, attitude and confidence, enhancing the natural strengths of your mind and body. There are no rules in this form of fighting, so striking the groin, eyes, or other vulnerable parts of the body is the key,” says JW Frank, an international Krav Maga instructor.

And his clientele, says Frank, is predominantly young software professionals seeking defence modules against mugging — the single largest crime affecting this community. Pramod Vyasarao, project manager at an IT firm, who’s been training for just over a year, says the combat form has given him a new sense of confidence. “Unlike normal martial arts that take years to master, Krav Maga is very practical and easy to learn. I know I can tackle an attacker and prevent injuries if he has a knife or gun,” he says. Pramod adds that his training has equipped him to deal with terror situations. “There are evacuation drills, do’s and don’ts for hostage situations, gunfire and explosions. For example, we’re told that if an explosion happens nearby, to run away from it, close our ears and keep our mouths open to avoid injuries to the eardrum due to pressure,” he adds.

The anti-terror module, adds Frank, is currently the hot fave among his clients. “They don’t want to be caught unawares and vulnerable when an attack happens,” he says. Women opting for a training module are still few and far between, says Frank. “Women believe that Krav Maga relies on strength and think that may work as a disadvantage for them. But that’s not the case as the combat techniques rely on tactics and mental agility,” explains Frank, adding that there are gender-specific moves. And those women who come in often ask for modules against eve-teasing. Says software professional Laina Emmanuel, who’s been training on and off in Krav Maga since last September, “I enrolled for self defence classes after I was attacked by eve-teasers on the old Airport Road once. Though I managed to fend them off by slapping one of them, the incident scared me. I have since been learning how best to defend myself in such a situation,” she says. prathibha.joy@timesgroup.com