Re-Posted on [cref get-defensive VickyKapoor.com]

Learning self defence tops any girl’s to-do list. And it needn’t be the hardest thing in the world. In fact, being the victim may not be such a bad thing…Baisakhi Roy attended a Krav session and came out learning more than how to get out of a choke hold

Not a martial art
Be it the Brazilian Jujitsu or the Filipino Kali, there are a set of rules and traditional moves that you need to remember and practice. Krav, on the other hand, teaches you to hone your instincts and be fearless. “There are no limitations in Krav. Whatever be the mode of attack, whatever be the size of the attacker, and whether he is armed or otherwise, Krav teaches you simple and effective split-second responses,” says renowned Krav Maga instructor, Rob Ferreira, who learnt to fight under Darren Levine, one of the highest ranked instructors in the United States.

Better than the gym
Krav teaches you how to strengthen muscles that you actually use and not just the functional muscles that are worked upon at the gym. The arms and shoulders need to be strong if one is up against a much stronger adversary. Thighs and legs have to be strong enough to put the two-headed approach to practice. This approach is about being able to cause damage to the face-eyes area and the groin area simultaneously, causing serious hurt.

Ideal for women
So why is being the victim good? The element of surprise! Women are perceived to not hit back, be afraid, and either give in or try to escape. The last thing they are expected to do is fight. When they attack the attacker, it comes as a surprise! Women have to capitalise on that one moment of shock to attempt to release themselves, counterattack, and flee.

Feeds aggression
Krav pumps up the primal gene in you to thundering heights. But anger is good if channelled and better still if used to defend oneself. “Everyone, man, woman, child, should have a fighting chance. Krav teaches you deadly moves that are very easy to learn. We feed the killer instinct in you by putting you through harrowing sessions of physical endurance,” says Ferreira. Krav is the official self defence system of Israel. This form of combat was developed for use in the street, the body being the only deadly weapon.

Don’t focus on weight loss
“A lot of women read about assault against women and other crimes happening in our society/environment. They realise that it is very important to learn some form of self defence for their own safety. However, once they join self defence classes, their attention shifts from self defence to either weight loss or fitness,” says Kapoor.

Krav is a full body workout, thanks to the endurance exercises that are taught before combat training. The focus is on constant practice and repetition, the most effective defences against surprise attacks and instinctive use of force under stress.

A history of Krav
Krav Maga is Hebrew for “contact combat”. In this system, a person is encouraged to adapt techniques and their special abilities. The system was originally developed by Imi Lichtenfeld during Israel’s War of Independence. It is taught in various Military and Law enforcement facilities all over the world.

Principles
To avoid injury
Devise drills that take advantage of natural reflexes
Defend and attack in minimum time required
Use of the body’s vulnerable spots Krav Maga teaches defence against punches and kicks, bear hugs and chokes, knives and clubs, guns, and multiple attackers
The only rule: no rules

Source: http://spotlight.femina.in/full-story/go-on-get-defensive

“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 Bengaluru.

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 Bengaluru 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.

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

Amrita Gupta finds out how one of the city’s self-defence coaches is training citizens to tackle the threat of terrorism.

Ashish Puri, an employee at Cisco, is pragmatic about surviving a terror attack. “In a situation involving terrorists, regular self-defence skills won’t help, because the basic premise that the opponent will be afraid of getting hurt or losing his life becomes irrelevant,” he said. “It’s definitely not the time to be bold. Instead we need to be practical: look for exit routes, notice opportunities, know how to react.”

To equip himself with the tools needed to remain practical, Puri, like several other Bengaluruans, has turned to Krav Maga, the Israeli system of self-defence and combat tactics. “Unfortunately now, problems aren’t only at the borders, they’re happening in our cities too, so civilians have to rally together,” he said, adding that large corporations should seriously consider corporate workshops on surviving terror attacks.

“We realised regular citizens need to be equipped against the very real threat of terrorism,” said Frank (he goes by only a first name), who heads the Bengaluru chapter of the International Krav Maga Federation, and has been teaching people the self-defence method for five years now. While the IKMF, headquartered in Delhi, is responsible for instructing military Special Forces and law enforcement agencies, Frank is conducting a series of Basic Anti-Terror and Hostage Survival workshops to prepare people for terrorist attacks.

“The problem is that people think ‘It’ll never happen to us’,” he explained. “Incidents in other cities are still news, the deaths are still statistics. But why wait for something to happen before getting mobilised?” Post-Mumbai’s terrorist attacks, as dissection and analysis come in strong from every quarter and SMS warnings and mails do the rounds, people in the city are clamouring for less conversation and more action.

Venkatesh Rammohan, a Krav Maga practitioner agreed that now, more than ever, “we have to ask ourselves how we can help”. “We can’t just blame the system, point fingers at the government and not enable ourselves,” added Frank. “Sure, training needs to be upgraded, weapons need to be invested in, security needs to be pumped up, but we need to do as much as possible to take responsibility for our own lives.” Rammohan agreed that courses like the one by Frank are a starting point, and that people must realise what their options are. “How we respond can help control the situation or make it worse,” he explained. “Also, it’s important in times like these to become mentally tougher. When there are factions aiming to create fear, we need to get together, not cower down,” he said.

Frank’s workshop aims to prepare people so they react well under pressure. In a crisis situation, a person’s reaction is either to freeze or panic, explained the trainer. The session will begin with an awareness talk, with an introduction to “the tools of terrorism” and a talk about the motives of terrorists. “To have a solution, first we need to understand the problem,” explained Frank. His next point of focus is on survival and rescue tips for different scenarios. The session will address the procedures for evacuation, negotiation techniques and crowd control. “These may seem to be common-sense measures,” added Frank, but preparation is key, as “[being] tied up or at gunpoint, you won’t have a lot of options.” There will also be talks on things for people to remember, in the event they end up as witnesses.

Frank emphasised that the modules caution against trying to take the law into your own hands. “It would be stupidity to try to be a hero,” he said. “The aim is to prepare people so they can become more helpful, not make situations worse with some kind of vigilante behaviour,” he added. Among other things, Frank will teach people techniques on how to ensure minimum injury to themselves and others – “how to fall, where to hide, what to do in case of a fire, a stampede, a hostage takeover, an explosion – and basic first-aid and emergency care, “which can mean the difference between life and death”.

No matter how often people do a fire drill that doesn’t make them fire-fighters, added Frank. The point of the drill is that if a fire breaks out they won’t panic, and that they will know what to do. “People must always remember that terrorists are highly trained, and they aren’t afraid to kill. To provoke them, or try to disarm them, should be left to the military forces.” The trainer was adamant that civilians need to be proactive and learn how to deal with situations correctly, “because it’s not going to go away”. Apart from instructions for a worst-case scenario, the workshop will also deal with how to be more alert during everyday activities. “If there’s an unclaimed object, people should know to raise an alarm, and if something seems unusual they shouldn’t ignore it,” explained Frank.

“We can’t prevent terrorist attacks but we can be prepared for them,” said Anoop Ramakrishnan, one of the enrollees at the workshop. “Ultimately, a prepared approach can bring down the number of casualties,” he said.

Source : Time Out Bengaluru ISSUE 12 Friday, December 26, 2008

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