It is always better to be safe than sorry. There is heightened awareness among people about self defence mechanisms, and the rise in the different institutes teaching such martial arts just proves the point.

However, apart from defence and fitness, people choose to learn martial arts for other reasons too.

Says Muthappa, a taekwondo trainer, “A lot of people come here for physical fitness. We have many people who prefer this to a regular gym session. Learning any martial art helps not only in building muscles and toning your body, but also improves your entire system and flexibility.”

But it is not only the fitness factor that counts. What is important is the fact that martial arts help calm the mind. Says Asha, who has been learning Kalari, a martial art form from Kerala, “Initially, it was I started learning it because of the fitness regime. But throughout the learning process, I have noticed is that it helps you emotionally as well.”

Muthappa agrees, “It improves one’s confidence levels too and helps in concentration. We have many school children who come here and they themselves have said how it has helped improve their concentration.”

For many, it is a way to acquaint themselves with different cultures too. Asha adds, “I always had an interest for this art form when I was in Kerala. So when I got to know about the classes here in Bangalore, everything just fell in place.”

Another person Kripa, who learns Aikido, a Japanese art form says, “I know karate so self defence was not the reason why I started taking this course. It was mainly because I love learning new things and this is a good way to know about the culture of other countries.” But one needs to know everything there is about the different martial art forms.

Says Frank, who teaches Krav Maga in Bangalore, which is an Israeli form of self defence, “In all types of martial art, the basic requirement is that you should have good fitness level, strength and flexibility. And learning any art will require a minimum of six to seven months. So this is not practical if you confront a tough situation during that time. And there other constraints too. You cannot perform some tactics in confined spaces or if you are on the heavier side. So one should know what martial art suits them and how effective it is in reality.”

Gaurav Pawar, student of Bhavan’s college Andheri, never ended up going to the gym. “Working out in the gym is synthetic, monotonous and individual,” he complains.
Pawar is one of many college students that have taken to newly introduced fitness techniques in Mumbai that have travelled from different parts of the world. Disguised as self-defence techniques, dance forms and sports, these systems present exciting group cardio workouts that have various health benefits.

“These alternative fitness techniques are picking up among college students for two major reasons,” says Shweta Iyengar, nutritionist and healthcare expert. “One is that a gym workout is mindless and monotonous and young people tend to get bored with the lack of variety. Alternative forms offer many variants and levels, which makes the workout more exciting. Secondly, the body stops responding to a type of exercise once it gets used to it, which happens with several gym-goers. For a college student, the alternative forms are highly evolved, and teach them much more than fitness. They work to strengthen the mind, endurance capacity, stamina and concentration as well, while helping to battle depression and frustration.”

Krav Maga
Originally a self-defense and combat system created by the Jews to combat the Nazis, Krav Maga developed in Israel. Hebrew for ‘contact combat’, the martial art is less rigid than karate in terms of the form. “Krav Maga builds on your reflexes, not on a set of rules,” says Sadashiv Mogaveera, Krav Maga instructor. “It’s recently evolved from a combat system to a modern fitness regime, with an emphasis on the cardiovascular system.”

Krav Maga uses hand-to-hand contact with kicking-punching combinations, and teaches you basic disarming techniques. “In our classes, we take on modern day issues and teach students how to disarm knives, sticks as well as guns,” says Padmaj. “In this day, you never know when you may have to encounter a terrorist.”

Gain: Weight-loss, sharpened reflexes, cardio workout, self-defense. Especially recommended for people with obesity, blood sugar and blood pressure problems.
Contact: Sensei Sadashiv – 9892121542
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Krav Maga has finally arrived to Goa on request of many residents to our Chief Instructor Mr. Vicky Kapoor,

Days: Mon and Wed

Time: 7 pm to 8 pm

Alto Porvorim Sports & Cultural Club

B B Borkar Road, Alto Porvorim (Near Panjim)

Bardez, Goa

Fees: Rs 1400/- per month for 8 sessions

Registration Fee Rs 500/- (one-time fee)

Contact: Elroy Vaz  Tel: 9820059070  &  9821273715

Email: elroyvaz(@)hotmail.com

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This is a presentation created by Krav Maga India team to explain how Krav Maga system of Self Defence is effective tactics on giving you the best option from easy & fun learning to short and to the point effective tactics under stress of real life combat.

Smitha Nair was returning home from work in an autorickshaw last month, when the driver turned around and asked her, “What do you think about sex?”

The Bangalore-based graphic designer didn’t reply. Instead, she whipped out her mobile phone and made a mock call. “I don’t care if your mother is in hospital,” she shouted into the phone. “I want those designs when I get there. I will be there in 20 minutes. Is that understood,” she yelled. After hanging up, Nair asked the driver what he had said. He didn’t reply and quietly dropped her to where she was headed.

Terrorism has also heightened insecurity. Lawyer Pankaj Kumar (not his real name) was supposed to meet a friend for dinner at Mumbai’s Oberoi Trident Hotel on November 26, two years ago. He couldn’t make it, but his friend was killed by militants that night. It changed Kumar’s perspective on personal safety. “I decided that if I were ever to be in such a situation, I would be better equipped,” he recalls.

Kumar joined a KM course. “Now, I can fight and disarm anyone attacking with a gun or a knife,” he claims.

Not everybody believes that such fear is justified. Social scientist Shiv Vishwanathan, in fact, feels that fear is spreading a sense of insecurity and anxiety among the urban population. “The insecurity is targeted at the general other — which means, every stranger is perceived as a terrorist or a rapist. This is a recipe for turning into a paranoid society,” warns Visvanathan.

But for some people, self-defence courses are the way to conquer fear. Not surprisingly, the number of young professionals joining the KM course conducted by Krav Maga India (KMI), a private group affiliated to the International Krav Maga Federation, Israel, increased five-fold after the 26/11 attack, says Sadashiv Mogaveera, chief instructor for Maharashtra. “A wide mix of people — including flight attendants, businessmen and housewives — want to learn how to fight,” he says. KMI conducts courses in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi and has held workshops for companies.

From alfa, posted by Ikmf Ulimate on 8/11/2010 (17 items)

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Vicky Kapoor is driven by three goals. Propagating Krav Maga as a weapon against terrorism, a fitness regimen and a system that is equally good for kids.

His organisation has made packages specific to these goals. Besides security personnel attached to Government organisations, Vicky’s team works increasingly with the hospitality industry. Vicky considers Krav Maga most relevant to situations in hotels, because it sharpens a practitioner’s mind and trains him to size up people.

Vicky calls Krav Maga a holistic health solution and is excited by its growing popularity among corporates whose work-force is largely deskbound.

His third goal of reaching the system to children often leaves him frustrated. “Krav Maga is not a sport, but a system. Schools don’t show interest in anything that does not lend itself to competition.”

A fter gruelling drills in the dojo, Vicky Kapoor sits his students down for a talk. With that, the curtains come down on a two-day session of Krav Maga in the city; Vicky is now more of an older friend offering general advice than a coach cracking the whip. He tells his students to be greedy for knowledge. “Knowledge is one thing that can’t be stolen from you.”

During the free-wheeling interview that follows, he explains how infected he is with this form of greed. “In August, I’ll complete 36 years in martial arts,” says 46-year-old Vicky. “I have learnt quite a number of martial arts and done many fitness courses, but I have not lost the appetite for knowledge. Only recently, I completed the Spinning Instructor Certification course offered by the U.S.-based Mad Dogg Athletics.”

For Vicky, Krav Maga provides the opportunity to synthesise a diverse range of marital arts and fitness regimens. When Vicky makes Krav Maga packages for specific problems, he consciously or unconsciously runs through techniques of Okinawan gojuryu karate, judo, taekwondo, akido and kubudo. He also draws upon his experience as a fitness trainer.

“While devising defence techniques based on Krav Maga, we have to assume that the attacker is trained in all the traditional martial arts. Our techniques must be effective in combating threat from such a person.”

Since Krav Maga is a highly flexible combat system, Vicky has licence to constantly innovate and evolve new techniques or refine old ones. Krav Maga India, which Vicky heads, is credited with creating a technique that could be used when an attacker places a knife under the victim’s nose. “This technique was shared with the Krav Maga bodies in other countries. A Krav Maga technique evolved in one part of the world is shared with practitioners in other parts,” says Vicky. “Krav Maga is a dynamic system with a wide scope for improvement. A solution to a problem leads to a new problem. There is constant research and learning.”

Vicky says he has many options in life, but chooses to stay dedicated to Krav Maga because the system constantly challenges the student in him. “Not only Krav Maga, anything that challenges me to keep going further draws me. I can’t resist a challenge.” Tasks that seem impossible attract him more.

As a mountaineer, he has scaled an impressive number of peaks in the Himalayas. He undertakes four-wheel drive expeditions in this massive mountain range. And, he is into power lifting for the sheer difficulty of the sport.

Now you have the answer. It is the popular Israeli combat technique Krav Maga, blended with effective workouts, that is keeping these celebrities fit and trim.

Not only the ladies, suave Abhay Deol has resorted to this combat workout to look fit in his upcoming venture.

Krav Maga, a form of close-range Israeli combat, was once a form of street fighting and has now evolved into a full-fledged workout which is practised across the world.
Vicky Kapoor, director and chief instructor of Krav Maga India, explains, “Krav Maga helps you burn upto 800 calories per hour. Another variation uses various power drills, which help strengthen the joints and muscles. Apart from that, it helps in toning muscles and strengthening bones. In short, it strengthens and tones every part of the body.”

Regular practice of Krav Maga ensures cardio endurance, muscle endurance and improves the natural reflexes. It not only makes you physically strong, it also prepares you mentally.
“This form of combat makes you more confident and ensures that you are capable of handling any situation that may require physical exertion beyond regular usage and also helps in dealing with stress under pressure. It is mainly because you are trained to react beyond the normal,” says Vicky.

As the drill optimises the natural reflexes of the body, one has to be careful about certain factors during the workout. “Make sure that you do it under the guidance of an experienced trainer who takes care of all the safety norms to ensure that there are no injuries. If you have any weakness, don’t hide it from the trainer because as the level progresses the combat exercises become more intense,” explains Vicky.

Like any other workouts, warm-up and cool-down sessions are a must for this form too.

TIPS TO NOTe
Do’s

• Maintain safety during the training ensures an injury-free regime.
• Drills take advantage of natural reflexes
• Learn defence and attack in the minimum time required.
• Use the human body’s vulnerable spots.
• Use the body’s natural weapons as well as ordinary objects that may be close at hand.
• Inform the trainer about any injuries or weakness.

Don’ts

• Wear clothes or footwear that prevents ease in training. For example, don’t wear clothes that are too tight or too loose.
• Train without hydrating the body properly or not drinking. enough water.

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

Krav-Maga

Less 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-willed. 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: be aware of threats and deal with them as effectively as possible.

Trust us, this ends up giving you as good a workout as any. “Krav Maga improves your cardiovascular strength to the highest level,” says Vicky Kapoor, chief instructor of Krav Maga India. “It also increases your muscular strength.” Apart from improving your coordination and flexibility, Krav Maga also helps you burn calories. “Each workout is an hour-long and can help you burn nearly 800 calories,” he says. A stress busting workout that makes you think on your feet? Now that’s what we’d call a win-win situation.

Interested in learning?

Delhi: Krav Maga India, 011-41764207

Let’s face it it is easy to tire of workouts. Running on the treadmill every day or following the same weight-training routine for a few months can become boring. It also ceases being challenging when your body gets used to it.

To mix things up a bit, take up a martial art. It’s a great workout that tones your body, jogs your mind, and also sharpens your reflexes, keeping you safe on the streets. Not only are there plenty of options to choose from, but you’ll also never have a dull moment in your workout.

Whether you pick a “soft” martial art like t’ai chi chuan, which focuses less on combat and more on holistic health, or a “harder” martial art like karate that teaches you how to protect yourself in everyday situations, you are certain to reap health benefits.

Apart from offering a vigorous cardiovascular workout, most martial arts also increase your muscle strength, improve flexibility and strengthen the core. Thanks to the complex interplay of muscles involved in a martial art, you get a thorough full-body workout.

As Arjuna Awardee and Olympian judoka Cawas Billimoria says, “A martial art demands so much of you that you can’t really get bored of it.”

Karate

Most of us likely took karate classes in school. One of the most widely practiced martial arts worldwide, karate is not just a way to stay safe, but is also a great overall workout.

While there are slight variations in the katas or sequence of movements taught by the different schools of karate, they all emphasise the use of punches, kicks, locks and throws.

Since karate mainly involves striking and sparring with the hands, it makes for a great upper body workout. “Every punch and lock requires different sets of muscle groups,” says Rajeev Sabharwal, founder of the School of Shotokan Karate-Do in Delhi. “With time, your whole body becomes conditioned.”

Some styles like the gojuryu incorporate specific weight-training techniques called hojo undo that strengthen the wrists and forearms.

Most styles incorporate stretching exercises and breathing techniques. “You start with stretches and move on to punches and kicks,” says Sabharwal. “You don’t get bound to one kind of workout.”

Judo

For a martial art that means “the gentle way” in Japanese, judo features a lot of grappling, wrestling and knocking opponents to the ground. But the Olympic sport is safe enough for people of all ages to practice.

Unlike other martial arts which focus on using force to strike or spar with an opponent, judo hinges on using the opponent’s own strength to dislodge or topple him.

Naturally, judo both demands and contributes to a high level of physical fitness. “It is one of the most complicated sports to practice because it requires both power and muscular endurance,” says Billimoria. “Normally, when your power increases, your endurance decreases and vice versa. This training makes you very strong mentally and physically.”

T’ai chi

T’ai chi is for those who prefer a steady, unhurried pace of exercise, as it is made up of a slow sequence of movements that emphasise correct posture, better balance and coordination. Infused with balletic grace, these movements are also said to improve lymph and blood circulation. Since the movements focus on using the full range of motion of your joints, you can avoid creaky joints as you age.

Although t’ai chi does have a basis in self-defence, it is mainly practiced for its numerous physical and mental health benefits. “T’ai chi conditions your heart, liver, kidneys, lungs and spleen,” says Rakesh Menon, director of Flowing Wheel, an institute that offers training in t’ai chi.”It is also a very good stress buster,” adds Menon.

Interested in learning?

Capoeira

At first glance, capoeira looks like an infectious combination of catchy beats and freestyle dance with a bit of football thrown in for good measure. There doesn’t seem to be anything aggressive about this fluid martial art that originated in Brazil. But once you start swaying to the rhythm too you simply can’t resist you will realise that capoeira is an efficient yet engaging way to stay fit.

All the elements of capoeira are geared towards strengthening your core and making you faster on your feet. Take the basic side to side movement or the ginga. According to Mumbai based capoeira instructor Reza Massah, “That movement itself is like doing a 1000 situps”. The 72 basic moves of capoeira incorporate dance moves, stretches and breathing exercises. Since most of these moves are done standing, you’re sure to get a great workout for your legs. In addition, the back flips and high kicks will improve your balance.

More than combat, reacting fast and avoiding injury is the focus of capoeira. “Capoeira teaches you to outsmart your opponent. You learn to protect your face, avert blows and fall better, without any strain on your knees and ankles,” says Massah.

Taekwondo

The Korean martial art taekwondo is one of only two martial art forms that features in the Olympics, the other being judo. In Taekwondo, the leg is the most important weapon of combat. You learn a number of kicks, including jumping, spinning, skipping and sliding kicks.

Apart from being an excellent lower body workout, taekwondo also improves your agility, speed, balance and stamina. It is both an aerobic and anaerobic workout, and stretching exercises on the ground form an important part of the training. Even if you don’t want to break wooden boards a test of prowess and mental discipline used in advanced training taekwondo is sure to give your fitness regime a kick-start.