The Asian Age Newspaper :: Women Combat Fear

The Asian Age Newspaper

Shruti Badyal

With crime against women continuing unabated in the city, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, recently appealed to women to join self-defence training courses offered by the government and private agencies. While safety has been a major concern of the Delhi Government, women have started equipping themselves with self-defence training lessons. Experts conducting such training sessions at various places in the city say that the number of women seeking self-defence classes has rapidly increased in the last few months.

[stextbox id="info"]Vicky Kapoor, chief instructor, Krav Maga India, says, “There has been a drastic increase in the number of women wanting to be able to protect themselves. A major reason triggering this attitude of self-safety among women is that they don’t really rely on any security system. They want to be equipped to deal with challenging situations on their own.”[/stextbox]

Jaipreet Joshi of FITCOMB feels that self-defence training includes 90 per cent psychological defence, and 10 per cent physical training. According to Jaipreet, corporate hubs in Delhi and the NCR are encouraging their employees to take up self-defence training sessions. “There is a great demand for these classes among corporate officials. A major reason for this is that the girls don’t think guards and cabbies can really protect them from an unpleasant situation. So they want to be self-sufficient when it comes to protecting themselves. Also, more than the physical training, we focus on the philosophy of psychological safety,” says Jaipreet.

So what is the most common fear that grips girls who seek training on self-defence? “Many girls have gone through some kind of trauma which haunts them time and again. So, when we enroll students, we always ask them to narrate their story and suggest that they share it with others in the group,” says Jaideep.

Some feel, that instead of complicated measures, and encouraging the use of mere gadgets, women should be taught simple techniques to save themselves. “Simple and easy techniques are always taught rather than asking them to depend on fancy gadgets during an attack. We focus on the fitness aspect and building a positive attitude with some simple and workable techniques, which one can use in various circumstances no matter which situation you are in or how you are dressed. For instance, you should be able to defend yourself even when you are wearing a sari or a short skirt,” says Dr Rajnish Jawas, chief instructor with Martial Arts Academy of India.

For others, awareness about physical training sessions is still lacking. “The frequency of these classes should be increased and they should be made available in all schools and colleges. NGOs and the government need to push the need for these classes in educational institutions,” says Rajat Mahajan, a gym instructor.

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