080 Magazine [Bengaluru], 044 [Chennai] & 040 [Hydeabad]

April 5th, 2008

Krav Maga, the official self defense technique of the Israeli Defense Forces is gaining popularity in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and other metro across India.

“Have you ever been in a street fight yourself”? questioned my colleague Poornima, of , Frank the Krav Maga trainer who heads the South India chapter and has been personally training his students since Mid-December.

Before could print his cards. he had 30 enrollments from the IT sector, business and the advertising fraternity. “No, never”, Frank said , his eyes never leaving his students fighting dirty on the terrace floor overlooking a picturesque graveyard in Richmond Town (Location credits – coincidental), “for I know I can do serious damage. I have seen pain, I have broken my ribs, I had painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicines…(eyes now pinning his newest enrollment, Namath, a techie). I would do it only as a last resort.” Deadly! We like you already, ,” we chorused as he explained how we women can learn to defense ourselves! trained under Vicky Kapoor who heads the Krav Maga scene in India, in Delhi.

Frank quickly demonstrated a skillful manoeuvre to victimize an eve teaser in a jiffy. All one has to do is to hold the fellow’s wrist, twist his arm, exert one’s full body weight inflicting pain in his helpless offending appendage to set the violator scampering away. Sounds simple but have yet to take a class. What we saw was serious street fighting amongst the males.

Frank can make you love yourself, for he can teach you to tackle an armed six and half foot man single handedly. Game?

Four assailants attacking you on the floor as you fend their punching bag blows with your kicks. Round and round you go like a turntable elbows prancing above your face, shielding it from their padded stick, with mock-real intentions to hurt you, they keep at it. (Props: www.ultimategears.com)

Finally, they get you on your feet only to strangle you from behind and thrust a dummy knife in your back. You are half dead and barely able to stand or see. Now, learn to come out of that corner, fighting with the Krav Maga moves. Don’t bother with heroism, for the attack will be simulated live for you in the three hour sessions, every weekend morning.

Also simulated will be real gory road rage happenings from the newspaper or hearsay. The will to come back (almost from death) and fight against all odds is what will look for in you.

Meet Venkatesh, also a techie, who interest made him search the net for Krav Maga in India and made him excited enough to hasten and chase the commencement of this class. He wanted to learn Krav Maga for his safety and to be prepared for a real life situation.

“We learn the moves and practice them repeatedly till they are written down in our muscle memory”. Does that mean they become almost mechanical? “Yes”. He also worships the warm-up, the cardio and the strength training they do at the class. “It’s made me lose a lot of weight since I enrolled two month ago, as we burn up to 800 calories an hour. Another IT youngster, Anoop realized that it was too late at his age to pick up martial arts. “Krav Maga is comparatively easy, it borrows from all other forms of martial arts and teaches you the practical approach. We take out the week’s frustrations in this class, on our classmates and on the punching bags.”

Major Vijay from the Indian Army is learning to achieve his self-goal. He was searching for a Krav Maga class for few years. You can see compassion in his eyes, for one learns to conquer and harness anger and rage during the lessons. “The para-training I undergo at work is tough too but Krav Maga is more realistic. We disarm a person and reverse the attack.

Abinanth, an Art Director with a leading ad agency wanted to learn for sheer self-defense. “We acquire mental strength too. I had researched about Krav Maga, it interested me enough to keep track of it in India. I lost weight and in inches.” Says Smith, an Operational Manager in Bengaluru , “When you go out with your girlfriend knowing Krav Maga makes you feel more protective. Yes, It is aggressive and dangerous.”