HYDERABAD: Less of a martial art and more a system of hand-to-hand combat devised by the Israeli defence forces, Krav Maga isn’t for the weak-kneed. The system combines grappling and wrestling techniques with street fighting skills. You learn how to break the stranglehold of an attacker by going for his groin, face or knee. Unlike in martial arts where certain moves are not permissible, the focus of Krav Maga is crystal clear: beware of threats and deal with them as effectively as possible.

How is Krav-Maga different from conventional martial arts? “This is close combat, with no rules. It helps in real street fight, unlike judo or karate that do not allow an all-out fight against the opponent,” says Ajit N, city-based Krav Maga instructor. According to him, it is easy, effective and works in any situation. “You don’t have to be powerful. It just tunes your reflexes to down any opponent.”

“This form of martial art uses elements of physical fitness to tone muscles and help in coordination. You’re burning calories and we incorporate standard calisthenics, but the primary reason people come to us is for self-defence. Toning and losing weight is not the main goal but many women say they see results during the training,” says Ajit.

Krav Maga techniques are practised in simulated, ever-changing situations.

Krav Maga is very aggressive and dynamic in itself. Basically, you work up a huge sweat just doing the motions. You’re punching pads and being grabbed by people. “It’s as real as we can make it.This makes you more confident and capable of handling any situation that may require physical exertion and also helps in dealing with stress under pressure. It is mainly because you are trained to react beyond the normal,” Ajit explains.

The fitness advantages of programmes such as Krav Maga lie in the short, high-intensity explosiveness that occurs in muscle fibers.

“When you are building up kinetic force, you are developing really strong neurological pathways from your brain to your muscle, which helps instincts and reflexes. Any type of really short, intense workout helps elevate metabolic rate and burn more fat,” he says adding, that students practising Krav Maga expend 20 to 30 per cent more energy than during a less intensive activity such as step aerobics.

Source: http://expressbuzz.com/

“Krav Maga is a form of self-defence that deals with realistic scenarios where there are no rules. It deals with prevention from threat, psychological buildup to empowerment, verbal self-defence, soft and hard tactical defence against eve-teasing, groping, molestation and rape. It is an instant realisation and reaction to an action or attack,” says Frank J Wolf, instructor, Israeli Krav Maga Self-Defence in Richmond Town. Wolf is the only Krav Maga instructor in Bangalore.

According to Wolf, this art of close combat was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, a trained boxer and wrestler in Bratislava in order to help protect the local Jewish community during the German military invasion.

Krav Maga trains one to be ready for any lethal situation regardless of age, size, strength and fitness. “The common attack targets in Krav Maga are chin, groin, throat, eyes jaw and knee. If you are attacked from the back and choked, you will not waste time resisting, instead when pushed back you’ll raise your foot to attack his groin,” he continues.

Krav Maga is popular because there are no esoteric martial art techniques that are put to use. Instinctive punches and kicks used in natural self-defence are polished. Krav Maga is an excellent fitness routine and helps in building stamina, confidence and helps to burn those extra calories. Many law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies like the FBI have adopted it.

The Bangalore chapter of Krav Maga has trained around 300 people —among them men, women and children. For Kunga Uuangyal, 28, who is a student at the Krav Maga Academy of Self Defence, this art of close combat has pushed him beyond his limits, both physical and psychological.

“Learning this art form for more than two and a half years has been a huge help in building confidence. I now know how to react to situations that need quick thinking and action,” says Kunga.

“The fitness routine followed in Krav Maga is very intense. The workouts and exercises could be strenuous for a girl but constant resistant practice has equipped me with techniques to defend myself and I’m not scared of walking alone on the roads,” says Urvashi Raizada, 18, another student.

Stephanie Steiger, mother of a five-year-old is amazed to see drastic changes in her daughter Sanara’s attitude. “She is confident, she enjoys it and is ready to startle all the big boys with her defence moves,” says Steiger.

The security set-up of business houses have been a source of concern. Most business houses engage private guards. In order to overcome this problem, more than 50 lakh security guards across the country will now undergo training developed by the Israeli defence forces called Krav Maga.

Ultimate Tactical and Combat Private Limited (UTCPL), a company which also provides training to specialised forces like Tihar jail police and SWAT teams, will train the guards. “One cannot deploy policemen at each and every house but since there are a large number of security guards who are engaged by private business houses, they can be trained to be more professional in case of any attack from terrorists or criminals. They can act as first line of defence,” said Kunwar Vikram Singh of Central Association of the Private Security Industry (CAPSI).

“Krav Maga emphasises training that will enable guards to execute appropriate tactics and defensive techniques in a timely manner with or without the use of force,” said Vikram Kapoor, MD of UTCPL. Experts claimed that the programme has been designed in association with the Security and Protection Training School in Israel and the guards after screening will be trained by Israeli commandos. The training will be devised according to the unit’s operation purpose.

Hyderabad

March 18: Employees of corporate and BPO firms are learning martial arts such as Krav Maga of Israel and Ninjutsu of Japan to deal with possible terror attacks. Security personnel of information technology companies are also picking up Krav Maga, which has become popular among police forces across the world.

Increasing attacks on women employees of BPO firms are another reason for their taking to martial arts. Experts say that Krav Maga is not just meant for self defence but will also enable learners to stay fit. “Some instructors are arriving on March 23 to conduct more classes,” said Mr Frank J. Wolf, the civilian instructor for Hyderabad of Krav Maga International Federation.

Krav Maga is based on natural human reflexes and uses everything possible for self-defence, said Mr Vikram Kapoor, the Indian chief of Krav Maga International. “We have already conducted three corporate workshops in Hyderabad for IT sector to teach self defence,” he added. “It is useful in close combat.” He added that all possible scenarios had been envisaged during the training. “We have taught them how to defend themselves in a night cab,” Mr Kapoor said.

Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/

February 12, 2008

There are no second chances in real life. Concentrate on your moves,” Avi Moyal barks out as one of the students, practising in the mirrored basement of the Krav Maga centre at Saket, misses a chop. It’s part of the 42-year-old Israeli’s annual visit to the Capital to instruct enthusiasts about the techniques of the close combat that has now garnered a huge following in India.

Moyal, though, is very particular about the focus of Krav Maga, the martial art technique improvised by the Israeli military. “I don’t like it when people term it as a sport. It’s a self-defence technique that uses the body’s natural reflexes. It’s a serious art,” says the gaunt six-footer, who is a co-director of the International Krav Maga Foundation that has its headquarters in Israel.

His own experiences can vouch for that. In his career spanning three decades, Moyal has specialised in VIP protection, training personnels of the Israeli Prime Minister’s office among other things. In 1996, when Israel was beseiged with numerous homicides and attempted hijacking and robbery of taxi drivers , Moyal was roped in for a project to instruct taxi drivers in self-defence techniques. Likewise, in 1998 when Tel Aviv saw crimes against women by the infamous rapist Beni Sella, Moyal was called on to impart Krav Maga lessons to women. “In real life one needs to respond to the moment. There’s no time to plan out actions,” he says.

Moyal’s job has taken him across the globe — from sensitive cases in Israel to managing unruly crowds at basketball games in the US — it’s been an eventful journey. For someone used to handling terse situations, it comes as little surprise that Moyal found his stint as the head of security for Madonna and Michael Jackson, drab. “It was rather boring working for Madonna, particularly the interminable parties and promotional tours. Michael was a nice guy, gentle and quiet. In both cases, we had to work in a way to ensure they had maximum exposure, without compromising on their safety,” says Moyal.

One of the things that he has imbibed during the course of his travels to various countries is how to assemble elements from each place. “India teaches you how to handle big crowds easily, without being impolite. I’ve learnt that if you want to make sense of a big crowd, keep making them move. You have to be open to cultural influences. Too bad Angelina Jolie’s security personnel did not know that. Otherwise, the hullabaloo over them ill-treating people in Pune would not have happened,” he quips.

Source: expressindia.com

Express India

Karate and kalaripayattu are passe. A Delhi woman has kick-started the craze for Krav-Maga, the martial art practised by Israeli soldiers

Namita Kohli

New Delhi, February 22, 2007: She can kick butt like Jennifer Lopez in the 2002 film Enough. Or throw a punch like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. While these glam dolls may have given Krav-Maga — the self-defence system that has been battle-tested by Israelis — a celeb quotient, Delhi-based instructor Nirmala Bhanu hardly has glamour on her mind. “It is not a sport,” she says. “My mission is to train as many women in this technique as possible. They need to come out and know how to defend themselves, especially in this city.”

The 29-year-old, arguably the first woman Krav-Maga instructor in India, has been teaching at her studio in Saket for a year. She is also a black belt in karate and has taught action heroes Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Vinod Khanna a kick or two. “They are all masters. But it was great fun teaching them. I learnt from them as well,” she says with an impish smile.

How is Krav-Maga different from conventional martial arts? “This is close combat, with no rules. It helps in real street fight, unlike judo or karate that does not allow an all-out fight against the opponent.” Also, says Bhanu, it is easy, effective and works in any situation. “You don’t have to be powerful. It just tunes your reflexes to defend against an opponent.”

Krav maga was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld in the 1930s to help Jews defend themselves against the Nazis. It was adopted by the Israeli army and it eventually evolved into a highly specialised defence technique. What is taught to the civilians is, however, a simpler and easier version. “Students are taught to defend themselves against an attacker wielding a knife or a gun,” says Bhanu. A blow on the nose, a kick below the belt and the job is done. “You just have to look for the weak spots like the nose, eyes.”

A system that works on human reflexes rather than brutal attack, krav maga, says Bhanu, is custom-made for women. A one-hour workout can even burn 800 calories. “That is like killing two birds with one stone,” says Bhanu. Other than the 20-odd women who have enrolled at her Saket studio, Bhanu also teaches at the Army Wives Welfare Association.

Are women eager to join the Krav-Maga club? “Initially they were shy to try this out. Many do it to lose weight rather than for self-defence,” she says. A native of Manali, Himachal Pradesh, she has fought her way through various karate championships while her father wondered yeh kya thod-phod karti rehti ho (what’s this business of breaking things?).

Is action-packed Bollywood on her mind? “Yes, I would like to do that. Right now, they are using special effects, not the real thing.” Perhaps it is time for an action heroine.
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Source: Express India