Savy :: Femme Force

Savvy

July 2004 (New Delhi):

Have you been leached at or groped on the street and are looking for revenge? Time to learn Krav-Maga, says Renu Elizabeth Abraham

Most women have experienced the following scenario: You are walking down a crowded street. A seemingly decent looking man while brushing past you on the street, gropes you and walks away nonchalantly, as if groping were an accepted and common social norm. The woman on the other hand, is left feeling humiliated, but unable to retaliate. Our reaction would be limited to mumbling an inaudible ‘Idiot’ or ‘Bastard’ or at the most screaming a futile, ” Ghar mein maa-behen nahin hain kya ?” Most of us would like to retaliate physically — slap or kick the perpetrator — but are afraid to do so for fear of being overpowered by the man.

Monali Pandit, a 23-year-old MBA student from Delhi, completely identifies with this situation. Says she, “I often finish my MBA classes quite late in the evenings and have to travel home by public transport like autos and buses, which are not so safe here in Delhi. When I face uncomfortable situations or unwanted attention, I stay quiet, as I am terrified of the repercussions if I do react. Just the thought of having to face a journey back home in the evenings gives me the jitters.”

But when Monali, along with 100-odd women, participated in a physical and mental empowerment workshop in Krav-Maga, an Israeli martial art, she felt ready to face any intimidating situation head-on. Conducted by martial arts expert Vicky Kapoor (Vikram), Femme Force, a four-day training programme in Delhi, spread over four weeks, trained women participants in Krav-Maga; Hebrew for ‘contact fight’. The technique combines mental, technical, tactical and physical training, which increases one’s chances of remaining calm and being able to defend oneself in the most dangerous of predicaments. It also increases awareness about situations where women can be subjected to physical attacks and strategies to reduce such attacks. This unique method of self-defence was originally developed by the Israeli defence Forces.

Vicky Kapoor (Vikram) (http://www NULL.vickykapoor NULL.com/) enumerates the advantages of Krav-Maga, “Unlike other martial arts, like Karate and Judo, which take longer to master, Krav-Maga can be perfected by anyone, as the steps are simple.” Men and women of all ages, capabilities and strengths can use the self-defence techniques of Krav-Maga effectively. He adds, “All the Krav-Maga techniques have been thoroughly tested in real life situations, and are applicable to the military, law enforcement and civilian needs alike. Here, we train women to face reality outside the four walls of their homes.”

The programme is systematically organised in four phases. The first deals with mental training, the second in steps and positions of attack and how to handle them. The third phase deals with sensitive parts and pressure points in the human anatomy and how to attack these. The final phase is a psychological session on how to mentally prepare yourself and recognise when aggression is needed and not. Says psychologist Arpita Anand, “Every woman, at one time or the other, has faced harassment. However, one cannot work on the premise that everyone who is uncomfortably close to you is set out to attack you or harass you. One should be equipped to deal with a physical attack or harassment, but it is also necessary to recognize the presence or absence of aggression.”

A ers Amrita Ballal, a Gurgaon-based architect, who was part of the training, “We can’t forever cling to our husbands and brothers for every little problem. We have to go out to work, shop and do a thousand other things. But Delhi being what it is, there was fear every time I stepped out of the house a little late in the evenings. But the Femme Force programme has really boosted my confidence and I feel ready to face the world with my self-respect intact. I feel greatly empowered; if you are equipped, no moron can get away with violating your dignity.”

For 26-year-old Ekta Azad, the training turned out to be a God-sent opportunity when a couple of guys acted nasty with her at a market. “I was on the bike with my husband, and we were moving very slowly as the road was crowded. Suddenly, two guys approached us and touched me blatantly, in a very suggestive way, and walked away. I saw red. I don’t know what came over me but I got off the bike, went right up to the guy and started beating him up. I hurt my hands pretty badly but I gave him a good thrashing. Everyone around me was shocked. But Krav-Maga teaches you to take on guys twice your size.”

Source: Savvy.co.in

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