14^th May 2009 – Day 1

It was the journey we had awaited for the past several months, after hearing stories from Mr. Vicky Kapoor our beloved teacher (Sensei : Mentor/Teacher in Japanese) about his experiences in the land of the origin of Krav Maga, our curiosity was getting the better of us with every passing minute. It had boiled down to 7 people from a starting count of 25 odd, but words can do little to describe our experiences to the people who missed the trip.

We gathered at the international airport at 0230 hours, the flight was scheduled for 0530 hours. We were travelling on Royal Jordanian airlines so we had a short stop over at Amman, the capital of Jordan.

I don’t think any of us (except Mr. Vicky Kapoor of course) knew what to expect; was it going to be war torn? Would there be air raid shelters every where? Will we be walking through streets with exploding suicide bombers? Will we get swine flu? Will our training kill us? The last question wasn’t relevant because we knew we had been trained by the best instructor in the world, and no matter what they threw at us, we would come out winners.

Five and a half hours later, we landed in Amman, in the midst of desert dunes as far as the eye could see (which actually was 20 miles south of the city of Amman, a rather green metropolitan development) . Was this how Israel was to be? Would we collapse from dehydration every day during training? We consoled ourselves by browsing through the duty free shops, eying things needless and necessary, affordable and unaffordable.

The flight from the Queen Alia International Airport at Amman to Israel was short and kept us brimming with excitement. Our curiosity was laid to rest soon enough. We were left with our mouths gaping as we approached Tel Aviv, the capital of Israel. It was a lush green, modern cosmopolitan city, complete with sky scrapers, and flyovers, and beautifully landscaped roadways and cityscapes. This was just the beginning for us to understand how this small community of people had taken what little they had and made it into what the world envied (or at least a lot of their neighbours did!)

The Ben Gurion International Airport was an impressive piece of architecture. It has been rated as the best middle-eastern airport for a few years running now. It has an eventful history with two serious terrorist attacks having been carried out on its premises, a feat that was only achieved by the terrorists hijacking external aircraft and force-landing them at Ben Gurion. Israel’s own security provisions are world famous, and has helped bestow the distinction of the world’s safest airline to El Al.

We were introduced to the nearly-invisible but tight security arrangements ubiquitous over the length and breadth of Israel, especially in public areas such as malls, airports, etc. We were firmly questioned by the immigration officers, smart ladies in security uniforms, as to our intentions for the visit, who relaxed when they learnt we had been personally invited by the International Krav Maga Federation to train in Israel. Mr. Vicky Kapoor pointed out a S.W.A.T. canine agent, also know as a dog, and his handler playing in the luggage area, but alert to any illicit substances that may be hidden in people’s luggage.

Since we were being accompanied by Mr. Vicky Kapoor himself, we were honoured to be personally received by Master Avi Moyal, one of the four global directors of IKMF and his brother Mr Shlomi Moyal, among the senior instructors of IKMF, and this was only the beginning. This was the first time that we met our ‘remote control’ student – Ms Reema, who had been a student over the telephone for the past couple of years and had flown down to Israel especially for the T&T with us. We would share many cherished moments in the days to come.

We started off to Avi sir’s house after stuffing ourselves into Avi and Shlomi sir’s cars. Some where among the suitcases were Udit, Ishan and Gaurav, trying to catch glimpses of Israel over the luggage to little success. We were relieved to be out of the cars and were ready to eat a horse for lunch.

We were pleasantly surprised and extremely grateful to be treated to a lavish Israeli luncheon, personally prepared by Avi sir’s wife. We stuffed ourselves silly, and drank amazing mint tea and fruit infusion.

Mr. Vicky Kapoor gave us a short demo on kettle bell exercises and showed us Avi sir’s backyard, where he had spent several days training with Avi sir, perfecting his Krav Maga skills that had brought him to the level of expertise where he stood today.

We then rode to Netanya, the mother land / birth place of Krav Maga, and the adopted home town of the father of Krav Maga – Imi Lichtenfeld. It was down the very streets of this town that about two decades back, people greeted Imi with a warm “servoos”, which Hungarian for “hello”. It was down the streets of this very town that Vicky Mr. Vicky Kapoor had walked and trained with the very best, when he started on his Krav Maga journey five years back. And we would now experience the same journey for ourselves.

We checked into a new hotel this time; one that had not been frequented by Mr. Vicky Kapoor earlier. A sprightly hotel called ‘Galil’ (a Hebrew word meaning ‘hill’ or ‘boundary’) with a yellow and white façade. The hotel was on a small cliff overlooking the beach and a wonderful view of the clear blue ocean. We knew we were in for the time of our lives.

We had the option of taking rooms on a twin sharing basis, but we decided to squeeze into a single room, yes, all four of us! So , Udit , Gaurav, Ishan and Jaipreet were all set to live with each other and fight over who goes to the toilet first in the morning. We ended up in a nice room overlooking the beach (Netanya has over 14 kilometres of beaches and has evolved into a major tourist destination).

Our first evening was spent with Mr. Vicky Kapoor giving us a guided tour of Netanya. We also got the (rare) opportunity to make our first visit to the Dojo of master instructor Gabi Noah: the same dojo where Mr. Vicky Kapoor underwent his training in the years past. That was a great experience. We saw some students training there, under senior instructor Elyah, who we thought were from Israel. Little did we know that they were IKMF students from France who were also there for the T&T program, and we were going to share the next 8 days together in the same bus, travelling around Israel, and learning from the masters.

Later that night we also met other Krav Maga students from around the world: There were students from Portugal (Big Nuno, not-that-big Nuno and Piedro), USA (Paula, Gail and Dante), Spain (Carlos, Rafa, Luis and OTHER DUDE), Italy (Fabrizzio), and Germany (Juergen Wolf). They had travelled to Israel for the Law Enforcement Intensive course spread over ten days, and they were all instructors and accomplished martial artists from their respective countries. It was an honour to meet them all.

15^th May 2009 – Day 2

We spent day two on the road. We started our day on a guided tour bus, driven by a gentleman by the name of Ronny (who we discovered later on, used to drive a bus only as a hobby, he was actually a very gifted engineer), and his sister Yail. Yail was to be our ‘running commentary’ provider for the next several days. She introduced us to the rich cultural, architectural and geographical heritage that lay in the tiny but gifted country of Israel.

We started out on the Road 01 which led from Netanya to Tel Aviv. Netanya is famous for its diamond industry, which is only recently getting a run for its money from India. Netanya is also famous for the Wingate Institute, Israel’s national institute for sports excellence. It has produced several national and international level sports persons and also houses a sports training centre for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

Israel houses 5 universities – 2 ‘Technions’, 2 universities in Tel Aviv, 1 in Haifa (Israel Institute of Technology), and 2 in Be’er Sheva. Israel specializes in agriculture in difficult places and adverse conditions (no doubt, they have converted a virtual desert into a green country!). They have fruit trees such as Pecan nut, olives, pomegranate, figs and barley and cotton plantations. They also have other species such as pine, oak, eucalyptus, cherub (which is the symbol of long life) and mimosa dotting the gentle hilly terrain.

While driving through the Ayalon valley we passed the strategic hilltop of Latrun, which has a history dating back to the biblical period. It was at this place that the Israelites, led by Joshua defeated the Amorites. It was also home to a 12^th century fortress built by the crusaders and later held by the Templars, though little remains of this castle today.

Durng the time that Israel was under Ottoman rule (1517 to 1917), a monastery was established at Latrun by French monks of the Trappist order. The monks established a vineyard and today produce a variety of wines. During World War I, the monks were expelled by the Ottoman Turks and the monastery was destroyed. The monks returned in 1927 and built the current building.

It also featured in the six-day war of 1967 when it was recaptured by the IDF from Jordanian and Arabic possession which permitted the reopening of the road to Jerusalem.

Onwards from Latrun, our first stop was the town of Ein Kerem (Ein – spring, Kerem – Vineyard), the town famous from the Bible for being the birth place of John the Baptist. It is also famous for the Hadassah Hospital and medical university. It is built around a small spring which, as history has it, was the same place where Mary cam to visit Zachariah and Elizabeth. This was then (2000 years ago) known as the town of Judah

From the ancient times water was the prime resource that was valued in this area, so springs were important areas that towns were built around. Unlike India where there was an abundance of water and flora and fauna, Israel like other Middle Eastern countries was mostly covered by desert, so water sources were cherished areas. So whoever was in power exercised it. So when the Muslims came, they built a mosque around the existing church, etc.

We then went on to the Yad Veshem (Yad – memory/memorial, like in Urdu, and Vashem – Name), or the “Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority” is Israel’s official museum to the vicitm’s of the Jewish Holocaust.

Designed by the famous architect Moshe Safdie, it is a beautiful building built in limestone (the stone that most buildings in Israel are either made from, or clad in). He is also the architect for the Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex at Anandpur Sahib in the state of Punjab in India.

Located at the foot of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem is a 45-acre (180,000 m²) complex containing the Holocaust History Museum, memorial sites, such as the Children’s Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance, The Museum of Holocaust Art, sculptures, outdoor commemorative sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, archives, a research institute, library, publishing house and an educational centre, The International School for Holocaust Studies.

Non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust, at personal risk, are honoured by Yad Vashem as “Righteous Among the Nations.”[1] This includes the likes of the famous Oskar Schindler whose memorial stone is placed along one of the main entrance paths within the Memorial premises.

After a long walk through the painful history of the holocaust, we ate lunch at the Memorial canteen and proceeded for the city of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem has the distinction of being among the oldest cities in the world, with a history dating back to the 4^th millennium B.C. It has been the holiest city for the Jewish people since the 10^th Century B.C.E., an important religious centre for the Christians, and the third holiest city for the Islamic people. In the course of its history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times according to Eric H. Cline’s tally in Jerusalem Besieged.

We first drove up to the Mount of Olives (among the prominent hills that Jerusalem comprises of), which also has many significant buildings and complexes on it. We halted at a terrace vantage point from where one could see a clear view of the entire city including the famous Dome of the Rock.

We learnt all about the history of Jerusalem, the people who had conquered it, won it back in war, only to lose it back and win it again. It was a fascinating history. We then drove past the famous King David hotel in towards the old city of Jerusalem.

Ronny parked the bus outside the old city’s walls and we headed towards one of the eight famous gates of the city of old Jerusalem (the city had eight gates, namely: Damascus Gate, Dung Gate, Golden Gate, Herod’s Gate, Jaffa gate, Lion’s Gate, New Gate and Zion Gate). We stood in front of the Zion Gate. Bullet riddled walls, defaced during the Israeli war of independence in 1948, menacingly stared us down. The gate led us into the city, adjacent to the Armenian and Jewish quarters.

Yael then led us in through past the Armenian Quarter’s souvenir stores and into the Jewish quarter. Our long stay at the Yad Vashem had cost us good time, since the next day was Shabbat; most of the stores were closing down. Yael showed us some important Jewish symbols such as the Menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum, and the Mezuzah, a little box that is installed on every Jewish doorposts and gates, and explained their significance to us.

We then walked past excavated ruins of the Roman Empire that lay buried under the several layers of the city of old Jerusalem. This site, known as the Cardo, was a 180-meter long street that ran from north to south. It was the main street that housed the major market places and had the houses of the affluent overlooking it. There is a shaft / well in the Jewish quarter which goes down approximately four metres deep and shows the many layers of the city of Jerusalem. The difference in construction masonry shows the period to which it belongs. The arcade is a nicely shaded walkway with thick walls and has shops to pick up souvenirs from.

We then walked through the Cardo streets and past the many stores that had closed in preparation of Shabbat, until we came upon the imposing plaza at the Western Wall, also known as the Kotel, also known as the Wailing Wall. From here we could also see the Dome of the Rock.

We waited by the side admiring the smart uniforms of the police and army personnel that patrolled the area, ever alert to any irregularities. Mr. Vicky Kapoor pointed out their special flack vests and how they had camel backs integrated into them, as well as a space to store their helmets. Very cool indeed! Ishaan, Jaipreet and Kiddy ma’am went down to the wall to tuck their pieces of paper with their wishes written on them, into the cracks in the walls. Traditionally, it is said that the pieces of paper with your wishes are removed every three months and buried on the Temple mount of Jerusalem, the most sacred site on Earth for the Jewish people, so the wishes come true.

We then proceeded into the Muslim Quarter of the city and started on the “dream walk of every Christian soul” – the Via Dolorosa (the path of sorrow) or the Via Crucis (the way of the cross / crucifix). The very route that Jesus Christ walked on, bearing his cross, to be crucified by order of the then roman ruler Pontius Pilate. Given today’s status quo it was ironic that the walk started in the Muslim quarter and had several stations there before moving on to the next quarter.

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus carries the cross
3. Jesus falls for the first time
4. Jesus meets His Blessed Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls for the second time
8. Jesus meets the holy women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls for the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
11. The crucifixion
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb
15. (Additional station) The resurrection.

We also learned about the Ethiopian connection with the bible. The Queen of Sheba had traveled to Israel from Ethiopia to meet King Solomon whose wisdom she had heard of. This connection also led to Christianity being adopted in Ethiopia way earlier than the rest of Africa. There is a church, completely run by Ethiopian clergy in the old city, almost on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We then descended through two halls into the plaza / court in front of the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the very spot where Jesus was crucified, removed from the cross by his disciples who tended to his wounds, and then laid to rest in the Sepulchre, before the resurrection. The Church itself was teeming with tourists of all religions. It had a tremendous energy, with hundreds of visitors everyday, traveling to this spot to pray and seek Christ’s blessings, it was a humbling site.

Mr. Vicky Kapoor, Kiddy ma’am, Jaipreet, all our friends from France, Ishan, etc. stood in queue to seek Christ’s blessings inside the holy sepulcher, while we (Udit, Yael and I) waited outside. Our wait was pleasantly interrupted by the evening prayer ceremony. All the people’s voices sang together in harmony, along with the clergy members, a prayer in the name of the Lord.

We them walked our way back to the tour bus where Ronny awaited. En route we happened to see a whole bunch of young soldiers, in great spirits since the next day was Shabbat or their day off. They sat around on the street sides, eating pastries and laughing, some carrying their guns slung over their shoulders. All were at the age when most children in India are busy bunking classes in college and hanging out at the canteens and making plans to party. It really made us feel a sense of deep respect towards the youth of this tiny great country.

Our hotel’s name was the Jerusalem Gate Hotel, with simple but well-appointed rooms. We spent a short time keeping our luggage in our rooms and freshening up, and thinking of how hungry we all were. Yael and Ronny had a treat in store for us: a special Lebanese meal at one the authentic Lebanese restaurants of Jerusalem. We had a hearty meal with our new friends, Laurent, Laurent, Pierre, Nelly, Stephanie and Thierry and could barely move at the end of it. A few tiny cups of Turkish coffee did the trick and we were back on our feet ready to head back to the hotel, and call it a night.

16^th May 2009 – Day 3

We awoke to another morning that we eagerly awaited. We were to head to the Dead Sea this day and see the ancient desert settlement of Massada, on the banks of the Dead Sea, well, almost. We began our drive to Massada, and on route passed several old Second World War vehicles that lay preserved on the roadsides. Apparently these vehicles carried food rations for the Jewish people during the war. Several had been ambushed by enemy forces and that forced the Jews to adopt a tougher but more round-about route to get the supplies through. These vehicles had then been preserved as a memory to those harsh times, and stood as a symbol of the resolve of the Jewish people in times of strife.

Yael pointed out several tents on the outskirts of Jerusalem. These belonged to the nomadic Bedouin people; a tribe that still lived the nomadic life with camels and all. Some tents had old, beat-up cars parked outside them, showing signs that they too were slowly getting seduced by the consumerist ways. Yael pointed out that the Dead sea lay approximately 400 meters (422 meters / 1385 feet) below sea level and is apparently the lowest lying area on earth. Jaipreet decided to test her out by turning on the Altimeter on his wrist watch. The watch confirmed the fact. It was meant for climbing (mountaineering) and not descending (diving) so it gave us a steady declining reading till 1200 feet, and then started complaining; apparently that’s the minimum reading it could give!

We drove past several orange and banana plantations. Eli sir pointed out how in his life time, the waters of the sea had receded by almost half a kilometer, and how the dead sea shoreline was receding further with every passing year.

We stopped at the Masada National Park tourist center. Mr. Vicky Kapoor had told us several days ago that part of the real Masada experience was to climb (read: run) up the hill to the ruins of Masada via the ‘Snake Path’ which was on the eastern side of the hill. It was a 400 meter climb and stretched 2 kilometres in length. It had about 700 steps as a part of the path up and took anywhere between 30 – 45 minutes to climb. It was a challenge that all of us rose up to.

We received our instructions from Eli sir outside the centre: we were to wear caps / sun shades, we were to finish at least one litre of water by the time we reached the top, and we were to run up at our own risk!

We started hiking up the hill side only to be shortly overtaken by the entire French team. We discovered only later that four out of the six members of that team were fire marshals, and underwent intense physical training on a daily basis. Some of our team also joined in the run with them, and some actually made it up to the top along with the fittest two members of the French team, Pierre and Thierry. The time taken by the first bunch was 23 minutes.

The highlight of the climb was Udit, who was in unquestionable physical form, and had to carry Reema piggy back half way up the path. Ishan and Udit took responsibility of ensuring that no one from the Indian team got left back, and they did a great job.

Once we reached the top, we were given a detailed tour of the Palace of the genius but eccentric King Herod. The entire palace premises was designed with extensive granaries, bath houses, sauna and steam bath halls, and gymnasia for the inhabitants. It had an ingeniously designed water supply systems that channeled water to 12 humongous cisterns that could hold a combined volume of 40,000 cubic meters of flood water that flowed through the wadi (valley) of Masada in the rainy season.

The king’s palace was an architectural wonder. It was built on the northern face of the mountain and almost dangled off the rock face. It was constructed on two large stone slabs that almost stuck out of the rock face. The royal Jacuzzi was also overlooking the northern face. We admired the view from the royal Jacuzzi and envied the king for such comfort.

Masada was a natural fortress by virtue of its location. There was no way that it could be conquered. The Romans finally brought it down by storming it from the western face. They built a ramp made of earth, all the way to the top of the hill. The ramp stands as is till date; quite a feat of human effort, and considering that they built it in three months!

After the excursion, we go a taste of the ‘training’ part of the tour and train. Eli sir took a wonderful class on Gun threats from all directions, and showed us in great detail how the techniques worked. It was a double honour for our team, since we were learning from Eli sir, had Mr. Vicky Kapoor with us, as also Pierre, the chief instructor of IKMF in Marseille, France. It definitely was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We descended the hill in 15 minutes flat!

Our next stop was the Dead Sea. Another experience that we could never forget.

Mr. Vicky Kapoor had told us that the Dead Sea was one of the saltiest seas in the world (its apparently called a ‘Hyper-saline’ lake). And that the human body simply floats in the waters without swimming. Now, that’s a little difficult to imagine. But when we got to the Dead Sea, it was a sight to see. The entire water front had tourists just floating. As if they were lying down and relaxing on a bed. They just floated! Now, Eli sir and Mr. Vicky Kapoor had warned us that the waters are so salty that even the tiniest bit going into our mouths or our eyes could land is in a lot of trouble, so we had to be extra cautious.

We quickly changed into our swimming trunks, and headed into the water. It was surprisingly cold for the time, especially since the day had been extremely hot. And as soon as we entered, Mr Ishan, among the youngest Krav Maga instructors of the world, got sea water into his eyes and mouth! It was a hilarious sight and we all laughed as he quickly swam out to the showers and stood there for a while to wash out the salt, then joined us again.

We spent a long time enjoying the waters, and then also tried some cosmetic treatment – the hot sulfur springs on the shores of the Dead Sea, had hot mud that was supposedly good for the skin. So we went to the hot mud pools and like a bunch of happy ladies, applied the mud all over ourselves. Then dried off a bit before going into the sea to wash it all off. We didn’t really see what the big deal was all about!

We wound up fairly late and then changed and proceeded back to the bus. To our delight we also ran into two other Indians from Mumbai who were working in Masada. It was great running into them and chatting with them for a couple of minutes, since that was a rare sight.

On the night of November 26, when terrorists stormed the Taj, in a room on one of the floors, there was one of India Inc’s bright young beacons lying on the floor, alive, but terrified, confused and unsure. Next to him on the floor lay others, some bleeding, others perhaps weeping… A wall away, they could hear the crack of assault rifles, the cries of victims as they crashed lifeless in corridors and rooms and the deafening sound of explosions.

As the acrid smell of the carnage wafted in with the smoke, panic set in. How much longer before the terrorists enter our room? Will they kill us all? What do we do? Questions raged in every head, including the young CEO’s… “We did not know what to do? We tried barricading ourselves inside the room… but it was rather flimsy…” he said on TV, after he was rescued the next day. He thanked providence and his spiritual practice for carrying him through those harrowing hours, for there was little else to bank on.

That same evening, in another part of the hotel, seven South Africans were dining in one of the restaurants when they heard gun shots inside the hotel. When they realised that there were terrorists in the hotel, they spoke to the other diners and told them who they were – bodyguards in the country on an assignment, protecting international cricketers – and explained that they had the training to handle this situation. “People remained calm”, one of them told a news channel, as they moved more than a hundred people out of the restaurant. “…it had a large glass area which could have been dangerous…” They switched off the lights to retain the element of surprise and then the other guests were herded into a conference room which was then barricaded by the South Africans with relatively sturdy objects like refrigerators and heavy tables. The bodyguards had armed themselves with what they could – cleavers and knives and were considering various possibilities when they realised that the building was on fire. They knew they had to evacuate, checked to see if it was ‘all clear’, got word through to the security personnel that they shouldn’t shoot and finally through the fire exit, guided 120 hostages to safety (including an old woman who was carried in a chair, down 25 flights of stairs!)

I heard about both these incidents on the same day and the contrast hit me hard between the eyes. Our young CEO was lucky, but there were many others who stumbled upon their deaths because while they too did not know what to do next, unlike the CEO, the dice just didn’t roll their way. And yet, I have a feeling that if there were a handful of other professionals like these South African heroes – people who had some notion of what could be done to save their own lives and those of others around them, perhaps many more would’ve walked out alive from the Taj.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – we are a people under siege and we’re practically on our own. It took a nine hour long ‘quick reaction’ for our commandos to be brought to location (and that they had to be brought there in ‘BEST’ buses, tells you about India’s ‘most terrorised’ city’s levels of preparedness). You might rant and rave, and light enough candles to pave the Marine Drive with wax, but you can bet your last recession-hit rupee on it that nothing, absolutely nothing is going to change if anybody with a voice (and that’s not you or me) in this great dysfunctional democracy can help it. There could be more terrorists tomorrow, and there could be more bombs; there could be cyclones, tsunamis and earthquakes, but help would only reach once it’s too late for most.

But we can’t remain helpless, at the mercy of the guy with the gun, whichever side he might be on. Just like the South Africans, instead of letting ‘terror’ paralyse us, surely, we too can prepare ourselves for such an eventuality. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do if I was stuck in a burning building with ruthless gunmen on the prowl? Is there anything we could do to hold the fort and save lives (including my own) until help finally arrived? Turns out, yes, we can…

I asked two of India’s most well known security consultants and martial artists – SWAT and Krav Maga Chief Instructor (India) and veteran Karateka Vicky Kapoor and Shaolin and Police Kung Fu and Kali Master Kanishka Sharma – the same question: what can a lay civilian can do in a 26/11 scenario? Apparently, conscription helps. A country that has had to fight insurgency almost since the day it was born would obviously do well if every citizen was also a soldier. “…it builds a sense of nationhood… makes you more aware as citizens”, says Kapoor. Well, but that’s not an option for now… what else?

“Be aware!”, echoed both masters. Here, it would be pertinent to note that both have been responsible for giving extensive close quarter combat (CQC) training to various law enforcement agencies, the military and some of its elite units. It seemed a generic directive, but as the South Africans proved, it was the one trait – being aware of one’s environment (moving away from glass areas, fire, checking for exits, and finding resources for barricading an area) that saved more than a 100 lives.

“Secondly, you should always stay low – you might escape both bullets and heavy smoke”, urged Vicky Kapoor. “Krav Maga (used by the Israeli Defence units) was designed to counter hostage situations”, he elaborated, as he showed us how he would’ve handled armed hostage takers even if handcuffed “and while most Israelis would’ve made difficult hostages because they’ve served in the army and trained in CQC, most of us Indians are neither trained nor aware. Even if you can’t get army training, every school, RWA and organisation should run programmes that run basic first aid. Doctors trapped in one of the hotels saved the lives of a wounded few with basic first aid techniques. Perhaps many others could’ve been saved. Teach people what to do in case of a fire or an earth quake. Offices have fire extinguishers but who knows how to use them? In case of a fire or explosion, more might die in a stampede. Simple evacuation drills could save lives. Martial skills could be infinitely useful, but the rest is basic and should be mandatory training for each and every Indian. Wake up, and take charge of your lives. No one else would do it for you”, he concluded. Incidentally, Vicky Kapoor has been training security teams in some prominent hotel chains in the aftermath of 26/11. Kanishka echoed the same thoughts. “We’re usually too busy walking like zombies to notice our surroundings. Why is that man so nervous? Whose bag is that? Where are the exits? Which is the closest hospital? I’m not saying you should be in a state of paranoia 24/7, but be aware of your surroundings. And be careful before you start a self defense course to prepare yourself for hostage situations. They work…” he said as he demonstrated how even an unarmed hostage could, at the right moment, “with the right training”, disarm an armed assailant and get out alive “… but you must understand that combat martial styles, like Kali (a martial art used by the Filipino Marines) begin where most martial sports (Tae kwon do and sport Karate are sports which’ve banned lethal techniques, focusing instead on scoring points) end. Their aim is to train to finish the opponent (even if armed), not score points and this distinction is very important when you choose a martial art for self defense. Presence of mind, common sense and even the ability to engage hostage takers in a conversation, a negotiation, could save your life. If that fails, train the mind and the body with self defense skills and you might still come out alive.”

I know what you’re thinking? What good are martial skills in the face of a bullet. Well, if someone wants to shoot you, he will and there’s nothing you can do about it. But in a hostage situation, escape if you can. And if you can’t, wait. There might be a moment when the terrorist comes close enough for you to act. I hope such a day never comes, but if it does, you might as well be prepared… See you in the dojo then… PS Mr CEO(s), do remember to organize fire safety, first aid and evacuation drills in the office. It might save more than just one life…

Source: Thesundayindian.com

Companies could be the next ‘trophy targets’ of terrorists. Those that don’t rush to build adequate cover, whatever the cost, may not live to regret it

Corporate India has just realised how vulnerable it really is. And it is terrified. “If we pool in our resources,” says Mazumdar-Shaw, “such a force can get common training from an international training agency from Germany or Israel.” “In Israel, it is compulsory for all buildings to have bomb shelters,” says Vicky Kapoor, a security expert who trains special forces and heads the Indian Krav Maga Foundation. “How many Indian companies can claim to have one?” Counter-terrorism has not been a priority so far. Now it is. Corporate India has just realised how vulnerable it really is. And it is terrified.

Team OLB

When terror bared its fangs in Mumbai, it triggered an emotion that corporate honchos rarely experience—raw fear. Less than 48 hours after the first murderous shot was fired in Colaba, seven directors on the board of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), led by Chairman and Managing Director RS Sharma, were sitting in a hastily convened meeting at the company’s Bandra office. The presence of a few senior officials of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard made it seem like a war room, not a board room. ONGC directors feared for hundreds of its offshore installations spanning across nearly 10,000 square feet into the Arabian Sea—basically, process platforms such as Mumbai High, rigs, wells and individual exploration sites. Mumbai High has a full-fledged defence system—coast guard to patrol the seas; surveillance by the Air Force; even an in-house radar (thousands of fishing vessels ply the seas there). “Even this is not enough,” says BC Nayak, the Executive Director responsible for security at the Rs 60,137 crore corporation.

Attacks could come by way of air, land and sea. There are no armed guards at the offshore installations because of the presence of huge quantities of inflammable material. Then, there are a number of unmanned wells in the sea that can be used by terrorists as hideouts to launch an attack. In short, Mumbai High could easily have been a sitting target for the terrorists, en route to their assault. A strike there would have been spectacular for the terrorists and incalculably costly for ONGC and the nation.

Nayak did much of the talking at that meeting. Never before had he had so much to say in a board meeting. He made many recommendations to spruce up security. He then put in an urgent request to the Ministry of Defence for more cover in the offshore area.

All shook up

Elsewhere in the city, CEOs had already reached for the panic button. “In the last 24 hours, I have talked with board members of 40 companies,” says Raghu Raman, CEO of Mumbai-based Mahindra Special Services Group, a subsidiary of the $6.7 billion Mahindra Group that provides security-related services to corporates such as the Aditya Birla Group, British Telecom, Citibank and Mahindra & Mahindra. “They wanted to know what they can do to secure themselves.” The Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA), which represents the $14 billion pharmaceutical industry, has called an emergency meeting on December 19 to develop counter-terrorism strategies. “It would be disastrous if terrorists find a way into our companies or production lines,” says BN Singh, President, IDMA.

The paranoia spread like wildfire beyond Mumbai, even into cities like Bengaluru. Are These Buildings Safe?

Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai is just one cluster where several companies are headquartered. The following offices are some that are located in the buildings seen in the picture:

• Axis Bank
• Bharat Shell
• Council For Leather Exports
• Dena Bank
• Engineering Export Promotion Council
• Export-Import Bank of India
• Federation of Indian Export Organisation
• Forbes Infotainment
• Hawkins Cookers
• IDBI Bank
• IDBI Gilts
• Indian Institute Of Banking & Finance
• ICAI
• Mafatlal Enterprises
• Manugraph India
• Maratha Sahakari Bank
• Mecklai Financial & Commercial Services
• MVIRDC World Trade Centre
• Nuclear Power Corp. of India
• OTC Exchange of India
• Oriental Bank of Commerce
• Rama Newsprint & Papers
• SBI Capital Markets
• SBI Securities
• Shapoorji Pallonji Power
• Standard Industries
• Stanrose Mafatlal Lubechem
• Taj President
• Tata Consultancy Services

CEOs began speculating about the worst possible scenarios, unimagined ever before. “If 20 guys arrive with AK-47s and move into the shop floor, there will be mayhem,” says Shekar Viswanathan, whole-time director of Toyota Kirloskar Motor. Its car plant in Bidadi has 2,560 employees. “We can’t make any assumptions that the corporate sector will not be hit (by terrorists). Currently, we are checking all employees’ cars at the gate for explosives, etc.” Bengaluru’s well-oiled corporate networks are in full flow. Prominent figures like Biocon Chairman and Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Infosys’ Director-Human Resources TV Mohandas Pai and Ficci President Rajeev Chandrashekar are in touch and are exploring the possibility of creating an anti-terrorist force—a veritable private army. “If we pool in our resources,” says Mazumdar-Shaw, “such a force can get common training from an international training agency from Germany or Israel.” CEOs are fast learning the combat language. (‘You have to stay one step ahead’- Alan Orlob, Marriott International)

In New Delhi, Nasscom, the $64 billion Indian IT services and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry’s representative body, immediately started work on evolving a roadmap to address counter-terrorism. “We have been talking to members, have met as an industry at the executive council level and are now meeting across cities,” says Vice-President Sangeeta Gupta. “Counter-terrorism has not been a priority so far.”

Now it is. Corporate India has just realised how vulnerable it really is. And it is terrified.

It has never had such a close encounter with terror, at least not since 1993, when bomb blasts shook the length of, what was then called, Bombay. When terrorists stormed the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi-Trident hotels last month, Yes Bank Non-Executive Chairman Ashok Kapur was felled, the entire board of Unilever was trapped for a few tense hours, and several CEOs heard the sound of bullets whiz past them for the first time in their lives. A few businessmen saw the terrorists face-to-face, and fortunately lived to tell the tale. Yesterday, none of these shots were specifically aimed at them. But tomorrow, they may be deliberately targeted.

We can put together a corpus that will support measures local authorities need to take for better security Pramod Bhasin, CEO, Genpact

Terrorists are growing in intelligence and sophistication, and have access to greater resources—both cash and weapons. Simultaneously, governments are building better security at public places—airports, embassies, government offices, etc. And as terrorists search for new and vulnerable ‘trophy targets’, companies and business establishments could soon come in their line of sight. The current state of corporate security—a few bored-looking unarmed guards, mock checks on visitors and a few surveillance cameras with cobwebs on them—is totally unprepared for the next strike.

Grenade in the boardroom

Rude shocks are sometimes good for business. The war-like violence in south Every city needs a crisis management centre to coordinate with agencies that combat terrorism Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CMD, Biocon

Mumbai—guns reverberating through the night, grenades exploding, choppers hovering menacingly close to the buildings, fires raging and truckloads of soldiers—all in the heart of the city’s business centre, has yanked managements out of their old notions of security. Without this shock, companies would have been unwilling to give up many outdated ideas and embrace the new, advanced mindset needed to counter terrorism. “This attack is unprecedented and unsettling,” says Infosys’ Pai. “There is a definite need to re-look security, both at a national and corporate level.”

Earlier, company security meant hiring an ex-service man who would also double up as the facilities manager. “They can make your company very secure, it’s just that you can’t do business anymore,” says Bob Hayes. Managing Director, Securities Executive Council (SEC), a Washington DC-based organisation for security and risk professionals that develops research-based solutions to help companies evolve security programmes. Slightly evolved companies may appoint a security agency, a flourishing business these days. But corporate security needs specialised skills. “It is more useful to provide an overall secure environment without creating a panic situation,” says Mahindra SSG’s Raman. “Companies have to bring security into their DNA, and this can only be done through human re-engineering.”

Many senior executives were trapped for many hours. Some like Tata Sons Executive Director Alan Rosling (in picture) spent a lot of time on ground zero, anxious to know the fate of those held hostage inside
The spotlight is now on the need for a chief security officer (CSO). “Companies need a CSO in a powerful position,” says Nitin Bhatt, Partner, Advisory Services, Ernst & Young. If there was one learning American companies absorbed after 9/11, it was the role of a chief security officer. In India though, this is a glaring gap in the security apparatus of even large corporates. Only about 10-20% of companies in the so-called vigilant BPOs and banking and financial services sectors have CSOs, says a consultant who wished to remain anonymous. But even they don’t have enough authority or access to the CEO.

Typically, such CSOs reports to the CFO. That is perhaps not the best model. But exceptions are rare. “I report directly to Anand Mahindra, and there is a briefing with the top management every month,” declares Raman. Abroad, though that is the norm. “I have personally seen CEOs extensively engaging in security discussions in European companies,” says Navita Srikant, Partner & National Leader, Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services, Ernst & Young. “That sets the right tone.”

It is important that the CSO has a dotted line relationship with the CEO. Equally For many CEOs, Mumbai is their den and the Taj Mahal Hotels their lair, Never had they imagined that it could be stormed and almost destroyed. Nothing could have driven home the need for security better
important is that the board needs to make security a routine agenda, including assessing the cost of security and its impact on profit margins. None of that happens now. Says Hayes: “The process that your companies (in India) need to go through is risk and threat assessment, develop a mitigation strategy, align the strategy with the rest of the business partners, provide the security options that you can choose from—guards, electronic surveillance, etc—and then calculate the cost to do that and manage the residual risk.” Also, it is not enough to have all of this on paper. Much of it would need to be tested, monitored and perhaps re-drafted all over again many times till it is near perfect.

It’s time to redefine the role of security. “All these years, security was considered as a support function,” rues Ravindra Kishore Sinha, CMD of Security and Intelligence Services (SIS), which provides security solutions. “Now, managements have realised that security is an important mainline function just as marketing or finance.” SIS claims it has about 3,000 clients, 35,000 employees and revenues of Rs 1,600 crore. (Read R K Sinha interview: Government will have to trust private security agencies)

Finally, counter-terrorism has to be embedded into every business process. Entry and exit of employees is one example. “Background checks on employees will become more stringent,” says Infosys’ Pai. But there is more to it. Private airlines have retrenched hundreds of employees at all levels in the past few months. Have they considered the possibility that former staffers—jobless, disgruntled and broke—could be a source of vital inside information on airports or even a probable source of unauthorised entry into them? Post-employment or post-layoff follow-ups are unheard of in India. (Read The Power of Practice)

Many such basic fears are now beginning to gnaw at CEOs. The IDMA, for instance, Security costs are going to eat into already declining profit margins. But companies can’t cut corners. It is better to be safe than sorry

is worried about even basics such as ensuring that harmful ingredients don’t enter the drug production line at the raw material procurement stage. It would seem elementary that most pharmaceutical companies would have attended to this as a matter of process, rather than as a security issue that needs to be addressed now. Or take the instance of Toyota-Kirloskar, which has 50 expatriates on its rolls but beefs up security arrangements only when overseas visitors travel to the company’s premises. “That should begin now for all our key personnel. We have very little in place,” admits Vishawanathan.

“In Israel, it is compulsory for all buildings to have bomb shelters,” says Vicky Kapoor, a security expert who trains special forces and heads the Indian Krav Maga Foundation. “How many Indian companies can claim to have one?” Perhaps none, except one—Reliance Industries. It has a bunker at its Jamnagar refinery (capacity of 33 million tonnes per year) that can withstand a nuclear attack. “It is big enough to host key individuals. Critical parts of the plant can be controlled from there,” says a source who has worked closely with the company for many years. “It is nothing like you have ever seen before.” Not all companies need to build nuclear shelters, but there are several small counter-terrorism measures they need to integrate into every corporate activity.

The price of safety

This attack is unprecedented and unsettling. We need to re-look both national and corporate security TV Mohandas Pai,
Director­-HR, Infosys

“If you had done a poll with CEOs two weeks before the attacks and asked them two questions: one, is security a board issue? Nine out of 10 would have said, yes,” guesses Raman. “Then, ask them the second question: what is the biggest hurdle to security? Nine out of 10 would have said the budget.” When IT services and consulting firm Capgemini India deputes employees on assignments to the Middle-East, it puts them through a three-hour programme imparted by its security partner, International SOS. It trains staffers on how to react in emergencies, including terror attacks. The cost: Rs 1 lakh per head. That’s how expensive even basic security resources can be. “You can’t measure the cost. It is compulsory,” says Pramod Bhasin, CEO of Gurgaon-based BPO firm Genpact. Alkem Laboratories, a Rs 1,200 crore pharma company that currently spends a few lakh on security, expects spends to increase anywhere by Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 20 crore depending on the steps it decides to take now. “Security costs may go up to 0.5-2% of sales,” says managing director, BN Singh. That will eat into its net profit margin of about 8%.

The IT-BPO industry, possibly among the highest spenders on security in terms of It will be disastrous if terrorists find a way into our production lines. Security costs may go up to 0.5-2% of sales BN Singh,
President, Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association

disaster recovery plans and business continuity, apart from data and information security, doesn’t yet have an estimate on how much it would incur in additional costs for physical security.

Also, given the fact that such costs would need to be woven into the business plan of the company, firms would need to factor in the impact on profitability over a long term, perhaps a 8-10 year period. Slowdown or not, this is one area where companies can no longer cut corners on.

We encourage large companies to help mentor smaller businesses in the area of security planning Erin Streeter, Director, Ready, Department of Homeland Security, US “Our security budget is in crores…and this (the Mumbai attacks) will increase it further,” says Biocon’s Mazumdar-Shaw. “Though the actual numbers and percentage would vary from company to company, many MNCs are set to double their security allocation in 2008-09),” adds SIS’s Sinha, who works with firms like Coca-Cola and Volvo.

Another lesson from the post-9/11 environment is working effectively and So far, security was a support function. Now, managements realise that it is mainline like marketing or finance Ravindra Kishore Sinha, CMD, Security and Intelligence Services proactively with government agencies. “This has been a very serious wake-up call. Every city needs to have a crisis management centre, which would coordinate with security agencies that are involved in carrying out operations of combating terrorism,” says Mazumdar-Shaw. Most companies realise they cannot counter terrorism on their own, and having armed guards is not the easy and simple answer. “We’re prepared to put together a corpus that will support any measures that the local authorities need to take to ensure better security,” says Genpact’s Bhasin.

More than a fortnight after the last of the crazed gunmen was eliminated at the Taj Mahal Hotel, CEOs are still outraged at what happened in Mumbai, a city they consider to be their den. But they are also afraid that companies could be the next target. That fear is not such a bad thing. It will ensure that companies build their defenses, whatever be the cost. Fast.

(With inputs from Snigdha Sengupta, Ashish Gupta, Kunal N Talgeri, Sebastian PT, Rajiv Bhuva, Sudipto Dey and Dhruv Rathi)

Source : http://business.outlookindia.com/

“Our country needs pro-active awareness and training from the grass-root level. Our people, staff and society itself is the first line defense by being aware & provide constructive surveillance & be prepared in any kind of crisis management, hostage evacuation or to dodge terror hostage takeover like Mumbai 26/11.

Vicky Kapoor”

Indian Express Newspaper

Sweta Dutta

Posted: Dec 07, 2008 at 0309 hrs IST

New Delhi Hotels give staff combat training

Following the Mumbai terror nightmare, several hotels and corporate houses in the Capital are training staff to deal with hostage situations and bomb blasts. A city-based tactical and combat training institute has been flooded with calls for training modules post 26/11.

The training institute, Ultimate Tactical and Combat Pvt Ltd in Saket, claims three five-star hotels and as many prominent BPO firms have hired its services to train staff.

“Beefing up security arrangements will not help, so a number of hotels and corporate houses which are potential targets nowadays are gearing up to face threats by training their staff on coping with blasts and hostage situations,” said Vicky Kapoor, managing director and chief instructor of the training institute. The five-star hotels are based in Central Delhi. Right from the basics of first-aid and fire fighting to minimising blast impact, the module has it all.

“Even if the staff is unarmed, they can dodge terrorists just by using certain tactics. Usually when terrorists strike, they are know they may not survive and so try to kill as many people as they can. The psyche of the terrorist is analysed in detail,” explained Kapoor.

“While the impact of blasts can be minimised by opening up all air flow inlets, the key to dealing with hostage situations lies in predicting the terrorist’s next move. Hostages are usually huddled together or locked up in a room or tied up. So in the beginning, we teach trainees to fight,” Kapoor added.

The module also trains hotel staff to deal with panicky guests and the injured. “First aid is crucial an can save lives. Several people die because they are not lifted in the right manner after sustaining injuries,” he said.

Batches of 50 are taken in and mock sessions are held for the entire team to work in tandem. “It is difficult to train the entire staff at one go as hotels have to cater to guests. So we arrange the training in shifts. Once it is over, mock sessions are conducted,” Kapoor told the Newsline.

The training institute has tie-ups with two Israeli training schools, International Security Academy and International Kravmaga Federation, both of which specialise in tactical combating with suicide bombers and hostage situations.

Several other MNCs and five-star hotel chains in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai have also hired the services of the training institute, authorities said.

Source: Indian Express

“Hi all, here we have complied down some basic yet important points which should be given out to everybody regarding Anti-Terror & Hostage Survival. Kindly, print the notice pamphlet given here and paste it around your office, restaurants, hotels, bus stops or any other places or people who might read it. Or you can email it to your friends. Hope this helps.

Vicky Kapoor”

Hostage Takeover:

Lock the door, turn off the lights, grab the phone & get down on the floor. Hide wallet & identification. Stay in bathroom, away from door & windows.

Grenade Attack:

Watch its landing, if its not rolling, run & jump away with your head pointing away. Overlap your legs, close them & close eyes along with ears with hands.

Containers / Car bomb:

Do not rush to the window to see what happened. Seek cover against a secondary explosion. Get on floor & stay away from cars & containers.

Public Transportation Bomb:

Raise alarm if you find backpacks, luggage, or packages in or around your seat. The “safest” place to sit is the rear of a train or bus. Avoid busy hours.

Suicide Bomber:

Terrorist may display nervousness, profuse sweating, constant scanning for fear of being discovered, a distance stare or even appear to be under the influence of a drugs to numb his or her natural sensibilities. Of course visual indicators will be things such as a person wearing bulky clothing that conceals the device, clothing that is buttoned or zipped up tight, clutching onto or nervously handling something in hand or pocket (like a detonating trigger or mobile phone), or a disguise that doesn’t look quite right (perhaps a military or police uniform that is not worn correctly).

Rescue Attempt during Hostage Crisis:

Get under desks, behind chairs, or behind any large object that provides protection. Avoid being near doors, windows. Do not move, you might be handcuffed, searched, and possibly gagged and/or blindfolded until everyone is positively identified. Cooperate fully with them, write down everything you can remember: guard location, weapons & explosives description / placement, or any other info that might help rescue forces.

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