Eyal Yanilov (born in 1959) studied Krav-Maga under the personal tutelage of its founder, Imi Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld), and has served as the Grand master’s closest assistant and foremost disciple since the early 1980s. Active in this field since 1973, he is now its most senior instructor. Mr. Yanilov is the only individual who carries the highest grade ever given by Imi (Master level 3/Expert level and holds the unique “Founder’s Diploma of Excellence” (This diploma was given only to two persons, the other – one of Eyal’s top students, Mr. Darren Levine, Expert level 6, of the United States).

Eyal Yanilov started his Krav-Maga training with Mr. Eli Avikzar (one of Imi’s top students at the time) and soon after- wards began to study directly with the founder himself. At an early age, Eyal was instructing at the training studio that Imi had entrusted to Eli Avikzar, and on many occasions assisted and substituted for the Grandmaster in lessons and preparations with students who were to be tested for grades of expert level. At a later stage, when Imi appointed him Head of the Krav-Maga Professional Committee, Eyal was responsible for preparing and updating the Krav-Maga curriculum. In this capacity Eyal had the task of imparting the new developments and accumulated knowledge, changes in techniques, and the latest training methods to the other senior instructors.

In 1984 Grandmaster Imi Sde-Or placed Eyal in charge of preparing the complete and comprehensive series on the Krav-Maga discipline (of which this book is a part). Since then, and until the system’s founder passed away in January 1998, the two were deeply engrossed in the task of writing down the principles of Krav-Maga and clarifying its various techniques.

Since directing the first self-defense instructors course for American citizens, in 1981, Eyal Yanilov has been teaching a large number of Krav-Maga and self-defense instructors courses in many countries around the world, under the auspices of the Israeli Ministry of Education and the International Krav-Maga Federation (IKMF). Eyal, together with his most advanced students who serve as local directors or chief instructors in their countries, are the key force in spreading Krav-Maga teaching throughout the world. Mr. Yanilov is currently serving as Chairman and Chief Instructor of the IKMF, and heads the International School of Krav-Maga. In this capacity, he is in charge of the development, definition, and dissemination of the system.

Mr. Yanilov is a graduate of the School for Trainers and Instructors at the Wingate Institute for Sport and Physical Education, and also holds a degree in Electrical Engineering. He has spent years training fighters of elite units and members of special anti terrorist squads, while teaching at colleges for physical education instructors.

Since the early eighties Eyal has been training different groups, in various seminars and courses: ordinary civilians coming to learn self-defense, military units, police units, executive protection personnel, special units, SWAT teams, and other security-oriented groups in Israel, Europe, South America, and the United States. Within this context, he specializes in improving the fighting skills and general abilities of members of these groups.

Mr. Yanilov’s main objective now is to educate future Krav-Maga instructors around the world, and he always enjoys promoting any such initiative in this direction.

The 40 hours duration “Fighter 1″ module imparted hands on training in defence and attack against

• punch
• kicks
• head locks
• knife attacks
• stick attack
• baseball bat attack
• iron rod attacks
• handgun threat
• defence with or with out weapons
• dealing with falls etc.

to the participants

The police say the number of attacks is declining, but there are still hundreds of cases every year.

New Delhi has long been considered India’s crime capital. Over 1,000 rape and assault cases were reported there last year. Not surprisingly, many parents are encouraging their daughters to join self-defense classes.

“Every single day you read the paper – you pick up the paper and you’re reading about rape here, rape there, 18-year old raped by two taxi guys,” says Anuradha Patni, mother of a young girl herself. “Every day! So I’m not saying that it will happen, but I’m saying that I need to be sure that we’re prepared for it, that’s all.”

Combat studios offer women self-defence training for $50 a month. With classes three times a week, Ultimate Tactical and Combat studio offers Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art which specializes in hand-to-hand combat.

“It gives people confidence to deal with threats. They’re educating themselves, because the police or people or parents cannot be with the girl, or child or women all the time,” says Vicky Kapoor, the Chief instructor of Krav Maga India.

The 22-year-old fashion merchandiser Avantika Chandra has been training for over a month. Now she finds her reflexes have improved, along with her confidence. Knowing that she can take care of herself allows her to live life without having to constantly look over her shoulder.

“It does build a lot of confidence to deal with the most common attacks,” says Avantika Chandra, “They teach you a lot of simple stuff. You just work on your reflexes and that will help anyone.”

More and more women in Delhi are choosing to protect themselves with self-defense training. With many young women now working long shifts and finishing at all hours, such classes will go a long way in making them feel secure in their own city.

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.

Hyderabad

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

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

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

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

With terrorists getting bolder and carrying out audacious attacks in Mumbai and Lahore, the Special Protection Group (SPG), established in 1985 after the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi, is training in Krav Maga, a martial art devised by the Israeli Army for hand-to-hand combat.

New Delhi: They are representatives of the people, for the people, and by the people, but they have been advised not to go very close to the people.

The Special Protection Group (SPG), the elite force that guards the country’s top politicians, has asked them to avoid coming in close contact with people while campaigning for the Lok Sabha election. The advice comes in the wake of terror attacks in Mumbai and Lahore.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh and the Gandhi family, including son-in-law Robert Vadra, are among 23 top personalities guarded by the SPG. Though BJP veteran LK Advani is not an SPG protectee, he gets special cover because of the high threat perception to his life.

The SPG advice may keep these leaders away from roadshows and rathyatras — tried and trusted formulae to drum up election hysteria.

The SPG has expressed the fear that roadshows would be an “unmanageable security risk as protectees come into close contact with a large number of people”, a source said.

Instead, the star campaigners have been asked to confine themselves to public rallies and “sanitised” smaller meetings.

“Of course, it is ultimately a political decision whether the roadshows will happen, but our view has been that these are unwieldy and difficult to handle,” said the source in the force. “For example, Rahul Gandhi, during his tour of Orissa, went off on his own during the night to visit a tribal village. So, we can only express a view.”

Though the campaign details of SPG protectees have not been made public, most of them seem to be following the SPG advice. Rahul Gandhi has been largely meeting small groups or addressing large rallies, like the one in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. Advani, who abandoned a series of rallies a year ago because of the enhanced threat perception, has also avoided roadshows so far.

With terrorists getting bolder and carrying out audacious attacks in Mumbai and Lahore, the Special Protection Group, established in 1985 after the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi, is training in Krav Maga, a martial art devised by the Israeli Army for hand-to-hand combat.

“We have also started an assault group which is trained to take on attackers while one group will whisk away the protectee from the troublespot,” said a source in the SPG. While most SPG personnel carry small arms, the assault group will carry Pavor 21 assault rifles.

The SPG has about 3,000 personnel, mostly drawn from the ranks of various police forces and the elite National Security Guard.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/

Photo source: RAVEENDRAN/AFP/Getty Images Flickr

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/

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

By Asit Jolly

Chandigarh

Jan. 5: The Punjab police is now seeking to better its anti-terrorist skills by re-training its commandos in advanced martial arts and equipping them with state-of-the-art weaponry.

Police commandos on chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s 1,000-man security detail in Chandigarh, as well as others at the Punjab Armed Police academy at Jalandhar, were recently given live demonstrations of Krav Maga, a Czechoslovakian-Israeli unarmed combat technique employed by special forces across the world.

Staged by experts from the International Krav Maga Federation (India), the demonstrations were a precursor to identifying physically and emotionally suited personnel to undertake advanced courses supervised by Israeli instructors.

“The idea is to arm our men with specialised skills that could prove far more efficient than pistols and AK-47s in the protection of VIPs,” said a senior police officer. He admitted that many Punjab police commandos constituted more of a threat than any security to the people they are supposed to protect. “There is always the possibility that motivated intruders could snatch a PSO’s weapon and use it on the protectee in crowds or other close-protection situations,” the officer said.

Mr Vicky Kapoor, who runs IKMF-India, insists “unarmed combat skills are the only solution on the street”. “Yes, a good weapon is important but even more critical is the man behind that weapon,” he said.

“As soon as we have a formal request, IKMF will commence an advanced Krav Maga course for a hand-picked group of Punjab police commandos,” Mr Kapoor said.

The police department has also initiated the process to acquire state-of-the-art weapons from a leading European vendor. Though still a very closely guarded secret, sources tell this newspaper the CM’s security detail could soon be brandishing new machine pistols and sniper rifles.

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