At Solace, a 20,000-sq-ft gym in Calcutta, members can choose from yoga, body balancing, Krav Maga and salsa.

Is it a gym? Or a dance studio? Or is it a spa? Or salon? Well, it’s all these and more. Welcome to the exciting world of new-age gyms that are springing up across India.

Fitness centres, once upon a time, were places where you worked out and walked out. Now they are turning into holistic wellness centres, where members are totally spoilt for choice.

Leading the change are international chains like Fitness First, True Fitness and Celebrity Fitness, which have set up shop here, hoping to turn India into a fitness zone. Others like F. Chisel, a gym-plus-spa set up by fashion channel FTV, too are redefining the concept of gyms.

These new temples of fitness have more high-tech exercise machines than ever before — for every imaginable body part. There are private exercise rooms for celebrity guests, and group exercise studios too. And you can chart your way through an exhaustive menu of workouts ranging from famed yoga guru Bikram Choudhary’s Hot Yoga — yes, he of the Madonna and Sharon Stone following — to Les Mills workouts like BodyPump and BodyJam.

There’s more. Wet areas or saunas now look more like spas than utilitarian gyms. And some gyms even have full-fledged spas as an integral part of their services. They’re also revving up service standards by bringing in internationally certified trainers and offering personalised training. They want to offer a complete lifestyle — that means swank interiors with juice bars, cafeterias and recreation lounges.

“We offer the best in yoga, fitness, spa and beauty treatments,” says Nicholas Kraal, assistant business development manager, True Fitness. The Singapore chain’s first centre in India, launched in Mumbai recently, includes a gym, the first Hot Yoga centre in India and its True Spa. By March, it will take a snip at a new business and open Hakim’s Aalim Hair Lounge.

Or take F. Chisel, a partnership between FTV and fitness consultant Satya Sinha, which is spreading the fitness gospel in Bangalore and Delhi. “Ours is a lifestyle product. We want to combine everything under one roof,” says managing director Sinha.

Adds Sanjay Mani, head, licensing and merchandising, FTV Channel: “As a lifestyle channel, F. Chisel was a natural transition for us. Our approach is pretty holistic. We want to cater to the hard-working urban youngster, who also loves to take care of his or her body.”

Indeed, actor Milind Soman, who just opened his gym, Breathe, in South Delhi feels, “The way we work-out has changed. People are constantly looking for new ways of working out.”

Fit to lead

The push in the new direction is being led by a clutch of international chains that have set up shop in India, bringing with them, the latest in international gym trends.

So, you have Fitness First India which exists in 17 countries and which has already opened four centres and plans to add three more over the next eight months. “The indicators were right to start our chain here,” says Vikram Aditya Bhatia, managing director, Fitness First India.

Putting in a range of facilities can be expensive, so you have gyms like True Fitness planning to spend Rs 40 crore in India and which is looking at moving to Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. And Celebrity Fitness’ managing director Steve Franklin says he wants to take international-standard gyms to small-town India.

And yes, size matters. True Fitness’ Mumbai centre is spread over two floors — or 60,000sq ft — of an Andheri mall. Celebrity First’s Gurgaon centre too occupies a huge 38,000sq ft.

So what are the five things to look out for in these new age gyms? Read on.

An exhaustive menu

Walk into True Fitness’ Mumbai centre and you’ll see two large expanses on either side of the reception packed with exercise equipment. There are over 250 machines including 140 cardio machines like cross-trainers and cardio-wave machines (which simulate the skiing motion) and 110 Signature Series resistance machines for different body parts. On one side is a beginner’s station where 10 machines are laid out in a circuit for the chest, back, abs, arms, shoulders and legs. At the far end is a spinning studio and just outside it True Fitness even has 22 cardio-wave machines set in a circle for a high-intensity group workout.

That’s not all. Further down are two private training rooms for celebrity clients. Each has a treadmill, cardio wave and Power Plate machine. Plus, there’s a new cable-based machine, Kinesis, for pulley-based workouts of the upper and lower body and legs.

Then, there’s a 2,500-sq-ft group exercise studio. A floor below is a 2,800-sq-ft women’s workout room, and a Bikram Yoga centre, which has a 2,800-sq-ft heated room for group classes and a smaller one for private lessons.

Move over to Celebrity First in Delhi and Gurgaon and here the activity chart reads like a menu card. With over 150 group classes a week from yoga to spinning, you can literally hop from one class to another all day. Again, there are separate yoga and personal training studios. “The idea is to make workouts fun,” says Franklin.

It’s the same at Fitness First, which first introduced Les Mills formats like RPM (spinning) and BodyPump (a group weights class) in India.

Now, others like True Fitness are offering these too. Its members too can choose from over 100 group classes a week including Bikram Yoga. “The response to our Bikram Yoga classes has been fantastic,” says Rowena Ooi, who has moved here from Choudhary’s Australia centre.

A 90-minute Bikram Yoga class entails 26 asanas done at 43°C. “There are a lot of benefits of exercising under heated conditions. It improves the immune system, breaks down fat faster and releases more toxins too,” says Ooi.

At Solace, a 20,000-sq-ft gym in Calcutta, members can choose from yoga, body balancing, Krav Maga and salsa.

The new gyms are bringing in the latest machines too. Amatraa Spa has two Advanced Human Performance Studios with high-tech VibroGym machines. Unlike Power Plate, which has a single motor and so doesn’t vibrate the entire body, the VibroGym has two motors for whole body vibration. “The VibryoGym is used by ultra-busy people as you expend more energy in a shorter time,” says Shilpi Tandon, a trainer here.

Tailor-made and personal too

These facilities are backed by world-class service and personalised care. At Fitness First, it starts even before you join. Members undergo several tests and consultations first. The gym assesses their fitness on five parameters: resting heart rate, body composition, flexibility, lung capacity and blood pressure. It accordingly prescribes an exercise regimen.

On joining, there’s a structured assessment programme. At least 15 of the gym’s 25 instructors are always on call. And every member gets two free personal training sessions. “We’re raising the standard and delivering it with consistency,” says Jeremy Cheong, head of fitness, who has relocated from Fitness First’s Malaysia centre.

True Fitness too offers personalised training. Under its basic membership package (Rs 50,000 per annum excluding Bikram Yoga), members get 12 free personal training sessions. There are 48 free sessions under the Rs 5 lakh package (for a couple, for five years).

Celebrity Fitness’s Rapid Result Training personalised workout is based on five elements: aerobic exercise, resistance training, diet, professional assistance and correct protein and vitamin intake. “We follow these elements strictly to ensure maximum results in the shortest time,” says Franklin.

World-class trainers

The new gyms are ensuring they have the best qualified trainers too. For instance, 50 per cent of Fitness First’s instructors have undergone the Les Mills training programme.

“We fly in master trainers from Dubai and Philippines for training, and keep investing in such things to ensure quality,” says Cheong.

Celebrity Fitness puts its level one Rapid Results trainers alone through six weeks’intensive training. And it has got instructors from Malaysia like Kris Malhotra, who takes the spinning class.

True Fitness too brought a four-member team from Thailand to train its local trainers. Its current fitness manager is from Malaysia too.

And at Breathe, Soman and his partner Rahul Dev have handpicked instructors certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. “The more fit the instructors, the more enthusiastic they are,” says Soman.

Wet and cool

At Amatraa gym, you feel like a VVIP whenever you enter the wet room. For as you sit in the sauna or Jacuzzi, an attendant waits on you offering herbal tea, fresh lime sodas and fruits. The gym has one wet area for women and two for men, stocked with specially-made Amatraa body scrubs and oils.

Meanwhile, F. Chisel, True Fitness and Solace have full-fledged spas. F. Chisel offers varied treatments like Javanese, Balinese and hot stone massages, and hydro treatments too. It has eight luxurious treatment rooms manned by international therapists.

True Fitness’s True Spa has nine massage and two facial rooms. The two VIP massage rooms have Jacuzzis for hydrobath treatments in chocolate or milk. Again, there are various treatments like the Balinese deep tissue massage and Royal Sports massage.

F. Chisel’s Delhi centre even offers body sculpting and makeovers. It has an in-house team of nutritionists and beauty therapists. “We’re committed to transforming the total image of our clients,” says Sinha.

Even older players like Gold’s Gym are beefing up their offering. Its Calcutta outlet has two 900-sq-ft wet areas for men and women, where it offers spa treatments. It has a swanky juice bar too.

Lounge about

The 1,400-sq-ft lounge at Celebrity Fitness could well house your neighbourhood gym. But it’s not just a large space — it has all the features of a pub with its swank décor, psychedelic lights and pulsating music. Plus it has a fresh juice bar. “We’re creating a club atmosphere. You hear the music and immediately feel like dancing. We want people to feel energised here,” says Franklin.

The members’ lounge at Amatraa too resembles a plush bar with leather-and-wood interiors, and a juice bar. “We keep investing on the upkeep as we have high-profile members,” says Amatraa’s Vandana Uberoi.

Meanwhile, Fitness First too has a member’s lounge with coffee machines. It even plans to start a DVD library. True Fitness has a live DJ on the exercise floor and it will open a cafeteria soon. And Solace has a juice bar-cum-lounge.

Clearly, then, the new gyms are ensuring that their members get the best in fitness and that they have a good time exercising too.

Additional inputs by Aarti Dua and Tania Bhattacharya;
Photographs by Jagan Negi, Rupinder Sharma, Rashbehari Das, Gajanan Dudhalkar

Source: The Telegraph

Suddenly, men with bellies are as acceptable as they were in the days when Sanjeev Kumar and Shammi Kapoor were sexy. Jackie Shroff and Govinda are currently seen happily sporting their bellies!

The ‘Bouncing Belly’ it would seem, indicates an ennui with the metrosexual man, who was chiselled to perfection. Even the New York Times reports on how men with shredded abdominals are getting rarer in 2009. We’ve got headlines screaming: ‘It’s Hip to be Round Again’ and ‘Pot-bellies are the new six-pack for men’.

In India, until recently, a man with a belly was regarded as a symbol of prosperity. Then came the super six-pack generation, thanks to Shah Rukh Khan, who altered the body definition of Indian men. Well, that was so last year!

Blame it on the fitness fatigue; the belly has changed its shape again. Now, it’s hip to be round at the belly. Meet India’s first male belly dancer, Queen Harish. He’s done his bit: going to the gym, working out for hours and being on a rigid diet. But, now he has given it all up. He says, “I don’t mind having a round belly. Flat stomachs are so artificial. The six-pack obsession got to me. I just wanted a normal body.

I have a round belly. When I move while dancing, I think it’s sexy. A lot of people look at my round belly when I dance. It’s sensual. When I’m not dancing, I’m happy being myself. Having a belly is sexy again.” 
Perhaps manscaping has been hit by the recession, which has made men go easy on their body image. Crushing and challenging fitness rituals have taken a backseat as laziness creeps in. Fitness experts blame it on the six-pack, flat-abs obsession.

Leena Mogre, Mumbai’s leading fitness guru says, “It’s abnormal to have eight-pack abs. I’ve seen celebrities go without water and food for days before a photo-shoot. It’s extremely unhealthy. Such body definition is difficult to maintain. The minimum workout is three hours. Nobody can continue this fitness regimen for too long. That’s when you let go, after which, you’re okay with the round belly. The moment you stop working out, your body definition changes. Maybe, we’re witnessing a fitness fatigue, which makes it quite okay to have a paunch.”

Actor Rahul Dev, who also owns a gym says, “Most men, after they’ve achieved their six-pack abs target, guzzle down bottles of beer. After a point, men don’t care too much about their bouncing bellies. Especially after years of deprivation.” He adds, “You need endurance, patience and concentration for a perfect body. It’s a punishing regimen. Most men lack the endurance to continue tough schedules to get washboard abs. We’re not saying pot-bellies are acceptable.

But there’s no running away from them either. So, after a strict fitness craze, you’ll have a letting go phase and pot-bellies will be okay.”

So, thin is not so in and belly bumps on men are fine. The look is overall thin, with some extra flab in the middle. In Hollywood, Mathew Perry lost his slim physique for a rather portly shape; singer Robbie Williams has become robust; John Travolta has a bit of a belly and Kurt Russell looks good with a belly. While in Bollywood, Sanjay Dutt has an expanded belly. In fact, websites are flooded with reports of how Salman’s six-pack abs are now replaced by a paunch. Ditto for Emraan Hashmi.

Says Vicky Kapoor, fitness expert and owner of Ultimate gym in Delhi, “The psychology isn’t about being paunchy and slouchy. Till recently, men with pot-bellies looked so middle-aged. They had a complex about their growing bellies. Now, we’re just saying looking good shouldn’t be a stress. Neither should having a pot-belly give you anxiety.” That’s something stylist Sylvie agrees with, “Men are much more conscious about their bodies. But there’s a lack of consistency. Men get bored with fitness regimes, like they do with everything else in life. Especially, after marriage, men develop a paunch. Until recently, it triggered off a fierce reaction. This year, I guess I am seeing men who’ve been working out, have let go. But they don’t look ugly with pot-bellies. That’s the new body definition. A fit body is taking a holiday, that’s how I would interpret it.”

We’re witnessing the rise of real, super macho men, not metro sexualised, starved men with washboard abs. So, the “burgeoning potbelly,” as Guy Trebay writes in the New York Times, may be here to stay with men not trying too hard to battle the bulge. Says Gurpreet Kaull, of Clubxcell in Delhi, “We’ve reached a burnout stage. The hurrah of six-abs has whimpered away. Men don’t want to try too hard. They seem to be at ease with their belly bulge.”

“Twist and turn …straight punch” — an instructor barks out these orders in a room full of women learning to kick and punch their way out of trouble.

It’s a place where young female professionals are undergoing training in Krav Maga, the lethal Israeli martial art. With an alarming rise in crime against women professionals, many firms have started offering self-defence training courses to their female employees.

The trend is more pronounced in the BPO industry where women often have to work on the graveyard shift. As more and more women swipe into offices, harassment is one of the issues they encounter as they step out of their homes.

Manisha Bedi (name changed), a 24-year-old executive, is thrilled about a session organised by her employer where she discovered the technique of how to kick, strike a blow and get out of an attacker’s grip.

Crimes against women, including sexual harassment and rape, have gone up 93% and 40%, respectively, in 2007 compared to 1996, according to National Crime Records Bureau and Home Ministry. A significant number of women are employed in the services sector — IT-BPO, airlines, hospitality, hospitals and retail.

Over 35% women comprise the workforce of the $60 billion IT BPO sector. A few years ago, the rape and murder of a call centre executive had rocked the industry, underscoring the lapses and loopholes in corporate security practices. To safeguard women’s interests, companies are conducting self-defence workshops on the campus.

A power-to-telecom corporate has arranged a post-lunch 90-minute session for its women employees to practise fist-to-face moves. Such initiatives help in promoting women empowerment and gender inclusiveness, said industry observers. At these  workshops, women are not only given training in the physical aspects of warding off an attack but are also taught to be mentally alert.

New Delhi, December 14, 2009

Abay Deol learning Krav Maga

Interestingly, Akshaye Khanna was to play the lead in the film initially, when director Navdeep Singh was to direct it for Nikhil Advani’s production company. But the two parted ways due to differences and Deol stepped in to back his director ofManorama Six Feet Under.

Deol is so fascinated by Krav Maga that whenever he got time off  between shots while filming Aisha with Sonam Kapoor, he’d practise it with his trainer. Basra, which sees Deol in the role of a RAW officer, has extensive action sequences. And Deol wants to ensure that he does his stunts perfectly. Singh is planning to start the film early next year with a schedule in Iraq.

Indiainfo.com

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 10:48 [IST]

Mumbai: The different Deol boy, Abhay, is going all out to prepare himself for his home production Basra that will see him do action for the first time in his career. After Hrs has learnt that the actor has started training in the Israeli hand-to-hand deadly combat tactics Krav Maga. By doing this he joins Akshay Kumar, the only hero in India who can perform the art and international faces like Angelina Jolie, Michelle Yeoh and Keanu Reeves.

This deadly skill will see Abhay hit a variety of fast crippling attacks to vulnerable body parts of his enemies. He has to go through a mixed aerobic and anaerobic workout and has to also use heavy pads to protect his body from damage while training.

“The film will see me fight like a street fighter and I’m learning really fast. It is fun and I have to learn many things if I have to convincingly play an action hero. Plus, it’s my home production, I cannot take any shortcuts,” Abhay told DNA.

Sources close to the film reveal that the young actor has also set up a training area where he would look to challenge his body reactions and defense skills through simulated attacks. This will make him faster and agile at offense and defense. Abhay has been called a perfectionist by many critics and this clearly shows his diligent approach to cinema.

“I always believe that you have to know something to perform it with ease and convince people. Nobody buys a fake and if you are not good at something you are doing, it always shows. I know I have to perfect myself in action because that’s never been my USP,” he says.

When not fighting in the arena, Abhay is traveling the world visiting film festivals in Venice, Toronto, Cannes, Tribeca where he has also lectured on cinema. The actor is ecstatic that even though he has not done the so-called Bollywood masala movies, he has managed to rub shoulders with Hollywood icons like Martin Scorsese, Robert de Niro, Jodie Foster, Matt Damon among others.

“Hollywood is very excited and appreciative of Indian cinema. Whenever I have met people who are greats in their own rights, they have been very inquisitive about our industry. This just shows that Indian cinema has a global presence and it is a huge achievement. There is scope for everyone to get the spotlight even if you are not a traditional Bollywood movie star. That’s a healthy change for our industry,” he ends.

Age: 30 yrs

I first heard about Krav Maga from Ajit sir and Paul Devassy.

I would like to thank them and the Mumbai Krav Maga team to have given me a chance to fulfill my childhood dream of learning some kind of Martial Art form. I had almost forgotten about that for the last 20 years, but have always been fascinated by the thought of techniques to use one’s body as a weapon.

I have always been athletic by nature, but it is during the classes that I understood how much more fitter I could make myself. It’s a huge kick to surpass your own physical abilities.

Also, to learn some basic facts about our body’s natural movements, like all-round and 360 degrees defense, freeing oneself from chokes or executing perfect punches and kicks which can be fatal or atleast can shock the opponent.

I have always been a person who would like to stand my own against wrong doings and unfortunately some of that may lead to fights as well. But just the righteousness is not enough to defend. Now I know that I’ll be able to stand up for my beliefs and fight it out if need be. Conditioning of my body will surely help in self defense or rather a counter attack full of stamina would help me spring a surprise over the attacker.

I had read that Krav Maga was different from other forms of Martial arts. But now I know how effective it is, in it’s quick, minimal and lethal implementation.

Once again a big thanks to dedicated trainers and participants of this team. I see everyone in my class as a teacher and they help me learn something new each week.

Every chance I get, I would suggest my friends and relatives to learn and practice Krav Maga for the benefits that it offers.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi police have set up a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team as part of their renewed counter-terror measures. Created some months ago in the wake of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, the team has been participating in mock security drills being carried out in the city as part of its training.

The unit at present comprises about 40 young recruits, mostly in their early 20s.

The SWAT commandos have undergone rigorous training in handling of sophisticated weapons and most have been armed with AK assault rifles.

The SWAT members, who will be armed with sophisticated light-weight weapons in future, are also being trained in hostage and crisis negotiation techniques. They are being taught ways to access a target, conduct searches and rescue operations and carry out close combats. In the recently conducted mock drills in the city, the unit headed most of the operations.

It is learnt that the unit members are also being trained in Krav Maga technique of hand-to-hand combat that focuses on tactical defence skills. It is expected to prepare them for threat neutralisation through simultaneous use of offensive and defensive moves in real-life situations. The technique was first introduced in Israel for providing combat training to security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

“If required, the unit members will also be trained by National Security Guard (NSG),” said a senior police officer, adding that details of the components of the SWAT unit are yet to be finalised.

Another police officer suggested that the specialised unit can be exposed to the experiences of the SWAT units of other countries. “They need to interact with SWAT teams from other countries to know more about their tactics while carrying out operations on the ground. Joint exercises should also be carried out for practical knowledge. They should be apprised of details of previous operations against terrorists to enrich their experience,” said the police officer

Apart from the specialised unit, newly recruited and young constables from all the districts are being imparted 45-day commando training at the Police Training College as part of the counter-terror initiatives. A 10-day refresher course in commando training is also being conducted for others.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/

Photos: Krav Maga Photos Gallery Swat Police training in Krav Maga

If there is one martial arts that does not require perfect fitness, upper body strength, and ability to learn complex nitty gritties, it is Krav Maga. The Israeli based technique is useful under a sudden violent attack and stressful attack when our minds shut down. Krav maga is a practical and tactical system that teaches how to prevent, deal and overcome all kinds of violent attacks” says Frank J., senior instructor of the Hyderabad institute in Abids.

On its suitability to youngsters, Frank says that its techniques are easy to learn and retain and help improves fitness while training. Also KM is performed naturally and intuitively using body reflexes so it can be learned in a lesser time than other combat techniques. The technique that originated in Israel is growing in popularity in India, especially among the youth. “We have more than 12 centers around India, cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai etc. What strategies the instructors following to popularize the techniques amongst youngster in Hyderabad? In 2008 Mr. Vickram (Vicky) Kapoor Director and Chief Instructor of Krav Maga has organized a series of workshops in Hyderabad to a select group of individuals and corporate staff members. Now I am regularly coming to Hyderabad to teach Krav Maga in a simple training center in Sujata High School, Chapel Roads in Abids. We will introduce Krav Maga in others locations of Hyderabad soon says Frank, the senior instructor.

Krav Maga adapts to the fitness level of the beginner. The learner also understands that since the tactics & techniques are based on reflex actions, its easy for his/her to learn and retain under pressure of the assault. Lastly the modern methodology of training Krav Maga breaks away from the usually boring monotonous method of conventional martial arts or fitness training program as it incorporates a lot of games & drills along with realistic scenarios which gives the student a feel of the real thing and once he uses the techniques to get out of the problem, he learns to appreciate and respect the techniques of and it helps him/her to grow confident.

What is unique about Krav Maga? The techniques lends itself to modern pattern of training, incorporating of games along with drills, realistic scenario based training, techniques adaptable to fitness level, inculcating open mindedness in upgrading itself as well as teaching methods.

Elaborate on the technicalities involved and tactics
fighters need to employ during self-defence? Frank says “The idea is to survive & escape. We are not there to prove who is better or exact revenge. Every techniques is based on this idea. There are no ground rules. So anything goes, from throwing mud into his eyes, smiling and talking to him to await a better opportunity to defend, biting his arm or poking his eyes etc…”

Says one of his trainee, “Nearly every technique of Krav Maga starts and ends with hitting the vital & venerable target areas like groin, chin, knees etc. if the blow is taken under surprise, we are trained to respond with 5-8 blows aiming to these vital spots within few seconds and escaping from the location to avoid further attacks.” In mounting organized and calculated attacks, Krav Maga is helpful to a great extent in physically and psychologically hurting the assaulter. An assaulter plans or observe his attacker prior to the attack. He
will stands where he will give maximum surprise element in his attack.
He is not looking to fight his opponent hence he will use maximum
violence to overcome the victim or use a weapon as a threat factor to
shock the victim into submission. And he will use any unfair method
like having multiple attackers to stabbing or shooting to get to what
he requires.

To combat this level of threat, the defender practices these attacks
under carefully controlled and organized attacks to give maximum
exposure to the realist attacks as safely possible in training. Under
these real-time attacks, the students learns to appreciate the
battle-tested and practical techniques of Krav Maga which over-powers the assaulter physically and psychologically damage ten folds.

How useful do women (esp. employees working in night shifts needing to travel in the night) find learning Krav Maga? Many women still think that they required the same or more upper-body
strength as a man who will attack them in order to defend themselves.
Second they are so psychologically traumatized by the concept of
assault that they freeze in fear during any attack. Krav Maga uses
natural strength of women hips and empowers them to defends against
any stand-up and ground assaults. Plus to overcome the fear of
attacks, it uses realistic scenarios training drills to build the
confidence of the women and show them that they can defend against
most of the assaults with practice and techniques of Krav Maga.

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.

The terror attacks in Mumbai have sparked new fears, and new business opportunities, in India’s outsourcing capital.

By Saritha Rai – GlobalPost

India — During the week, Anoop Ramakrishnan, 25, an engineer in a Bangalore-based outsourcing firm, provides technical support for telecom networks in Canada and Europe. On the weekends, Ramakrishnan joins a dozen others learning to dodge a flying grenade during a terror attack, to escape a shootout and to block a punch from a street mugger.

Bangalore, a throbbing Indian city with 8 million residents, is known as the world’s hub for outsourcing. On its streets, the names of General Electric, Microsoft, Yahoo and Google adorn tall, gleaming buildings. In its far-flung suburbs, engineers and back-office agents toil in endless 24-hour cycles for companies such as AOL and Citibank.

Now, Bangalore’s profile as a global outsourcing center is making it vulnerable. Six top outsourcing companies in the city received multiple emailed terror threats in the last few weeks. India’s intelligence agencies have warned that outsourcing companies could be the terrorists’ next target after Mumbai.

Bangalore’s army of young Indian technology workers is naturally nervous.

Like Ramakrishnan, dozens of techies are flocking to a self-defense course in an Israeli combat technique called Krav Maga. “The Mumbai attack victims were helpless,” said Ramakrishnan, clad in black sweat pants, a T-shirt and protective gear for the lesson. “I want to be well-prepared.”

After a grueling two-hour combat session consisting of jumping, pummeling, rolling on the floor, kicking and throwing punches at imagined opponents, Ramakrishnan wiped off the sweat streaming down his face. The course was tough, he admitted, but “the real world is tougher.”

Fellow trainee Mrinal Khamboj, 30, an employee at the Indian unit of Oracle Corporation, said the practical, no-holds barred tactics would serve him well in any hand-to-hand combat situations. He had never faced any sticky situation so far. “The one time I almost got caught in a fight, I ran away because I’m a marathon runner,” he confessed.

Many outsourcing companies, including Khamboj’s employer, have sprawling, lush campuses and modern buildings with glass facades where vigilance comes in the form of metal detectors, camera surveillance and even physical frisking of employees and visitors. Some campuses have electric fencing around their perimeter.

But all this is hardly foolproof, for instance, against a suicide attack.

Morever, the world outside these establishments is a different place. The companies’ buildings and campuses abut crowded neighborhoods. Overworked and underpaid policemen patrol these neighborhoods carrying nothing more than a thin stick of bamboo, a lathi, to enforce the law.

Admitting the meagerness of the security arrangements, the chief minister of Karnataka state, where Bangalore is located, has repeatedly petitioned the federal government to set up an anti-terror commando force in the city.

For many like Shyamanta Phukan, a dimunitive 25-year-old software engineer with Alcatel, the security is simply not good enough. “A Mumbai can happen anywhere,” he said. Last weekend, Phukan signed up for his first Krav Maga lesson.

Meanwhile, Bangalore’s outsourcing companies are stepping up security. Some are providing employees with GPS-tracked vehicles and setting up command centers to kick in moments after a terror attack. Campus guest houses are stocked with essential supplies. In many ways, Bangalore’s technology companies are doing the best they can.

Still, Krav Maga trainer JW Frank has been inundated with inquiries from anxious employee techies ever since November’s terror attacks in Mumbai. “People want to be better prepared to protect themselves, their family and their community,” Frank said. Two or three new students are signing up for the lessons every weekend.

Ashish Puri, a manager at Cisco Systems India, enrolled for the classes some months ago when he felt that war had landed at his doorstep. Neither the police nor the army commandos could be counted upon to take care of every situation, Puri said, and the training made him confident about tackling critical situations. “It changes the equation between the attackers and me,” he said.

In recent weeks Ramakrishnan, the telecom engineer, has learned many tricks at the self-defense course — how to have a low profile during an attack, how to fall to the ground and roll off to a corner in a shootout, and what to do during a bomb explosion.

He does not know about facing off with terrorists. But Ramakrishnan is confident that he is well-equipped to handle at least two of Bangalore’s lesser evils – muggings and road rage.

Source: http://www.globalpost.com/

Live Mint Magazine

An Israeli hand-to-hand combat technique is finding more takers in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

New Delhi: There were many in Mumbai on those three nights it was hostage to ten terrorists who would probably have prayed for knowledge of some sort of self-defence. The Israeli technique of Krav Maga or Hebrew for Contact Combat, teaches how to fight off an armed kidnapping or defeat a potential rapist and even counter terrorists. It’s a technique that sharpens reflexes and reduces reaction time. The practical approach to a potentially violent situation, has suddenly seen more takers for Krav Maga.

Says Vicky Kapoor, director of Krav Maga India, “urban warfare is totally different, thinking is different, fight is different. You are not fighting regular soldiers, you are fighting only a surprise. So you have to prepared for everything.”

Learner Nitin Bhasin says, “it mentally prepares you to be aggressive in situations that demand you to be aggressive.” However, be warned that Krav Maga cannot help you survive bullets indiscriminately being fired at you.“If I am standing 10mtrs away from you and then I start randomly shooting, then there is no solution. But if somebody is only pointing a gun at you and is asking how many people are inside, and is holding you very close then Krav Maga is the ideal solution for that”, Kapoor says.

Source: LiveMint.com