SITUATION 1

You are walking on the road and suddenly a car stops, few men grab you and try to pull you in….

If they grab your hands

• Do not get into a push-pull situation as they would be stronger than you and could overpower you.
• Bend down a bit and stand on your side with your legs little wider apart so that they would take more time to pull you in. Do not face them or away from them where you are most likely to lose balance.
• Use your other hand to grab your own fist and push your elbow towards him, twisting your hand.
• After you are free, you can hit him on his face with a closed fist.

If they hold your clothes or purse

• Use your knuckles (like you are knocking on the door) to hit the palm of the person.
• Do not try to hold on to your duppata or purse if they grab it, let go of them and run away.

If they hold you close

• Hit the groin if your arms are caught up.
• Stomp his feet.

SITUATION 2

If the men have managed to bundle you into the car and pin you down…

• Always try rolling to your side so that you will be in a position to kick the culprits.
• Keep kicking and try to crawl out of the other side of the door.
• Use the seat inside the car as the tool to lie down and kick hard repeatedly while look for things like pen, rolled-up magazines or anything hard inside the car that can be used as a jabbing tool.
• Aim for the driver’s eyes or try twisting his head or pressing his nose so that he could stop/slow down the vehicle.

SITUATION 3
When you are walking on a busy street and two men try to grope you.

• Always keep your purse or bag closer to your chest while walking through a crowded street.
• If you manage to catch the person, always shout and scream, but do not hurl abuses at him or slap him else it would just create a scene and you might end up in a worst situation.
• If he is in front of you and you can see a hand approaching, you can immediately use your palm to push against his neck’s cervical esophagus area, which is very soft, which can choke up the person.

SITUATION 4
You are traveling in an auto rickshaw in a secluded stretch and suddenly the auto-rickshaw stops and two men barge in.

• If two men are trying to get in, immediately start kicking one of the person’s knees or groin. Use your hands to jab the other person’s eyes or throat. Use your palm to hit his chin.
• If the auto-driver grabs you from his seat then roll to the side and use your legs to kick his face.
• If they have a weapon, and are asking for money, give them what they want. Do not abuse them and do not plead, beg or cry. Put up a confident front, but don’t try to threaten them.
• Try to isolate these guys and then plan your escape by attacking one of them.

SITUATION 5
You are the last passenger traveling in your call center cab. The driver suddenly stops and pounces on you.

• If the driver grabs you from his seat, then use your legs to kick his face. There is enough space in the backseat of the car for you to lie down and kick with much force. Scream loudly as you are hitting him.
• Lie down on the side which will prevent him from jumping on you.
• If he grabs you, use your legs to kick his groin or knees
• If he’s managed to get on top of you, use your hands to jab his eyes or throat.
• Avoid sleeping in the car. A driver would notice that and would use it one day against you. Avoid calling or talking too much about your personal life — first you are giving away too much information about your life and he might assume few things about you which might not be true and secondly, while talking on phone you are not aware of your surroundings.

SITUATION 6
You are working late in the office and there isn’t a soul around. Suddenly somebody creeps up on you…

• Scream as loud as possible. If he clamps your mouth shut, use your strength to pull the hand down by leaning onto his hand with your body weight.
• Bite hard.
• Bend down slightly so that you can stamp on his feet with the heels of your shoes and then run.
• If he tries to grab you by the waist then or smother you from behind, bend down slightly so that he cannot lift you easily.
• Stomp hard on this feet and then hit him on the groin. When folds up in pain, use your elbows to hit hard on his chin.
• Use any tools you might have like pen, keys or umbrella to hit him in his eyes, throat or ribs. Scream and shout seeking attention from others.

SITUATION 7
You see your friend being dragged into the car by three men…

• Do not try to grab your friend’s hand which would only prevent her from fighting back. Instead attack the guy. Go for his eyes, throat, thumb and groin areas. Do not hurl abuses or try to slap.
• Try to concentrate on the facial features of the attacker like scar, the shape of his moustache and eyes brows. Write down the car number. Avoid crying or panicking as that would erase or cloud your memory. Call the cops.

Remember this…
Dr B L Gangadhar, HOD, Psychiatry, NIMHAMS and krav-maga instructor Frank J ‘Wolf’ say:

• When you are being attacked, scream and create a scene to attract attention.
• Instead of screaming ‘help, help’ scream, ‘rape, rape’. The latter invokes more sympathy of the bystanders.
• If someone grabs you, you can’t (possibly) beat them with strength, but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker between the elbow and armpit or the upper inner thigh.
• After the initial hit, always go for the groin.
• When the guy puts his hands on you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure.
• Take a crash course in self-defence, martial arts or boxing. Carry pepper spray.

Profile of a rapist
When women are attacked they face moderate or high levels of involuntary paralysis during the assault, as it happens suddenly. It is violent and very stressful to her, thus shutting her mind down. “To some of the assailants, this action acts as an acknowledgment of consent from the woman,” says Ottilie Anban Kumar, Psychological Counsellor, Life Coach and Motivational Speaker. Assailants can generally be grouped into following categories:

POWER ASSERTIVE
Around 44 per cent of all accused are in this category, where they will use a weapon to ensure the victim’s co-operation.

ANGER/REVENGE
Here perpetrator is actually out to punish women as they hate women in general. Around 30 per cent of them belong to this category.

CRIME-RELATED
This is done in conjunction with another crime such as burglary, robbery or kidnapping. Around 10 per cent.

DANGEROUS MOTIVE
The most vicious type, this type of culprits want the victim to be hurt or killed after rape. Fortunately, only five per cent fall into this category.

Israeli self-defence

The setting is somewhat similar at Ultimate Tactical and Combat studio in Saket. It offers Krav Maga – an Israeli form of self-defence and combat tactics – training, engaging young women, clad in black, in hand-to-hand combats.

In Saket, portraits of the famed Israeli Krav Maga trainers and a poster that reads ‘personal protection is not an option, it’s a responsibility’, serve as sources of inspiration.

Another poster, of Jennifer Lopez in Enough – a film in which Lopez learns Krav Maga to take on her abusive husband – is also another motivator.

“Recently, we trained a woman who was struggling to tackle her abusive live-in partner,” says Vicky Kapoor, director, Ultimate Tactical, and the best known trainer of Krav Maga in the country.

“She finally managed to drive him out with the help of Krav Maga. We have trained 200 women as per their requirements in the last two years.”

Unsafe city

Not surprising, considering the level of danger a woman faces in the national capital. Among 35 major cities in India, Delhi accounted for 31.2 per cent of total rape cases and 34.7 per cent cases of kidnapping and abduction of women in 2007.

Numbers don’t lie. Most women who practice at these studios have stories to share.

“Last year at a bus-stand near Gargi College, I was groped by a middle-aged man,” says Minakshi Bhardwaj, 22, a student of St Stephen’s College. “I cried for help, but no one came to my rescue. Today, I feel more confident on the streets.”

Mary Kurkalang, 31, who works in a publishing firm said, “Men have grabbed me from behind so many times on the streets. The training has really helped,” she says.

Street fights

The studio lessons are also practiced on the streets. “The idea is to give practical lessons in dealing with various situations that they might face in real life,” says Kapoor, who normally receives 10 inquiries in a day from women who want to know how Krav Maga can help them defend themselves.

Women also get tips on how to use things like mobile phones, hand bags, pens, and even duppttas as weapons.

“Physical drill teaches women to use quick reflexes to attack assailants’ soft spots like throat, groin and nose,” says Shihan Nawal Datta, a martial arts trainer. This new breed of laptop-wielding trainers say many parents are encouraging daughters to join classes.

“My daughters are learning martial arts. One is even building muscles. Martial arts training has instilled discipline and confidence in them,” says Manjari Sharma, a teacher.

April 5th, 2008

Krav Maga, the official self defense technique of the Israeli Defense Forces is gaining popularity in Bangalore, 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 Bangalore , “When you go out with your girlfriend knowing Krav Maga makes you feel more protective. Yes, It is aggressive and dangerous.”