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

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

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

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

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

Hindustan Times Newspaper

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

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

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

Krav maga

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

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

Interested in learning? 
Delhi: Krav Maga India, 011-41764207

Krav Maga is a form of martial arts that is used by some of the top defence agencies around the world. Find out how Bengaluru’s taking up this latest fitness fad.

Krav Maga, a form of martial arts from Israel is attracting a lot of attention in the city. With only one centre located in Richmond Town, people from all over the city, irrespective of age and gender are thronging the center to learn Krav Maga .

The techniques used in Krav Maga are derived from street-fighting, and makes the most to enhance one’s reflex action. Frank J, a Krav Maga instructor says the Israeli martial art is different from any other kind of martial art as it involves more real-life situations. “Krav Maga teaches you on how to use your muscles in the most efficient manner, using your own reflexes to fight back. Our body responds to all kinds of external attack, and it’s in our subconscious mind. The right utilization of your own reflexes can save you from a lot of danger.”

Frank feels fear can put one in a lot of danger. “When you have a tight working schedule, all throughout the week, you tend to follow a different lifestyle; it was the same with me when I was working for an I.T. company a few years ago. But then, it was after having met few officers from Indian Air force, who educated me about this free-form martial art, that I decided to work on it, which I thought was more productive than what I had been doing then,” said Frank.

It’s after six years of rigorous practice and hard work today Frank masters the art, and has been avidly working as a trainer at his institute in Bengaluru for almost two years now. He says, “I am really grateful to the officers from the Indian Air Force who made me acquainted with Krav Maga. I also thank Vicky Kapoor, Chief Instructor from International Krav Maga Federation, India, who had helped me to understand about this art of fighting.

Krav Maga Israeli Self Defense in Bengaluru

Krav Maga Israeli Self Defense in Bengaluru

Source : http://myBengaluru.com/article/1009/fighting-fit-with-karv-maga.html

Krav Maga
Push-ups, squats, kicks and stretching, after an intense 30 minutes of cardio and fitness training, the students are already grunting in pain and lying listlessly on the ground. Welcome to the world of Krav Maga, the Israeli system of self-defence and fighting, which teaches you the art of street survival. The system which means “contact combat” in Hebrew has devout followers who want that added confidence in their stride. Sadashiv M, a Krav Maga senior instructor, Mumbai says, “What is unique about this system is that it uses the body’s own reflexes. It works on instinct and natural movements. The body’s centre line — the imaginary line running though the centre of the body is the focus for defence and attack.” Ajit Verma, an instructor says, “Krav maga is a total fitness solution in itself. You burn about 800 calories in an hour.”

Capoeira
Brazilians have become famous for more than just their football skills and samba. Capoeira, the national sport, a mixture of dance and martial arts, is quietly catching up with children and adults alike. The class resonates with thumps, loud singing and the sound of a pandeiro (tambourine) and a berimbau (percussion instrument). Capoeirists of all age groups learn the fast and tricky movements in these classes. Trainer Reza Massah says, “This is the only sport which combines the co-ordination of a dancer, the strength of a martial artist, the flexibility of a gymnast, the endurance of a marathon runner and the beat of a drummer in a friendly, non-violent manner.” With its origins in African slavery in Brazil, the deceptive defence moves are light, but precision based. They build strength and balance, evident in the fluid cartwheels, kicks and twirls. Model Rosa Catalano has been practising Capoeira for a while now. “While living in Switzerland, I saw Capoeirists perform acrobats on streets and ever since I have wanted to learn. Capoeira is about rhythm and hardcore exercise. It is not about hurting somebody,” she says.

Jeet Kune Do
Bruce Lee may have died but his legacy lives on. Jeet kune do or the way of the intercepting fist is a street fighting concept and works on evolving according to the needs of the individual. Dr Komal, an exponent of this art says, “JKD helps in physical fitness, stress management and dealing with life’s problems.” It has no set fighting technique. It builds speed, power and co-ordination and involves kicking, punching, knee-elbow or trapping and grappling. Anjali Bhimrajka, a student, says, “In one-and-a-half years, I have lost 15 kgs. I had a ruptured ligament in my knee so any type of weight loss was not possible. But this was the answer to my problem.” Ritesh Reddy, who has been practising for the past six years adds, “I lead a sedentary lifestyle and started these classes to manage stress. I wanted to do tai-chi but found JKD more to my liking.”

Kalaripayattu
“There are 18 secrets in kalaripayattu, of which the highest is hitting your opponent and moving away. At this level, you are assured of your skill and do not need to show off,” reveals Pradeesh Raj, who has been teaching since the past 20 years. Originating in Kerala, the 3,000-year old martial art has three styles to it — one which focuses on weapons training apart from empty hand combat; another which teaches empty hand combat; and the last, which is a mixture of both. The master in this art also needs to understand the pressure points in the body and healing. One learns to wield the mind as adeptly as the sword, as you begin with training your body, then move on to weaponry, and ultimately spiritual training. Actress Upasana Shukla says, “The level of discipline kalari inculcates in you is great. This has helped me in theatre as well and I really look forward to these sessions.”

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.

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, Bengaluru, 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.

Israeli self-defence

The setting is somewhat similar at Ultimate Tactical and Combat studio in Saket. It offers Krav Maga – an Israeli form of self-defence and combat tactics – training, engaging young women, clad in black, in hand-to-hand combats.

In Saket, portraits of the famed Israeli Krav Maga trainers and a poster that reads ‘personal protection is not an option, it’s a responsibility’, serve as sources of inspiration.

Another poster, of Jennifer Lopez in Enough – a film in which Lopez learns Krav Maga to take on her abusive husband – is also another motivator.

“Recently, we trained a woman who was struggling to tackle her abusive live-in partner,” says Vicky Kapoor, director, Ultimate Tactical, and the best known trainer of Krav Maga in the country.

“She finally managed to drive him out with the help of Krav Maga. We have trained 200 women as per their requirements in the last two years.”

Unsafe city

Not surprising, considering the level of danger a woman faces in the national capital. Among 35 major cities in India, Delhi accounted for 31.2 per cent of total rape cases and 34.7 per cent cases of kidnapping and abduction of women in 2007.

Numbers don’t lie. Most women who practice at these studios have stories to share.

“Last year at a bus-stand near Gargi College, I was groped by a middle-aged man,” says Minakshi Bhardwaj, 22, a student of St Stephen’s College. “I cried for help, but no one came to my rescue. Today, I feel more confident on the streets.”

Mary Kurkalang, 31, who works in a publishing firm said, “Men have grabbed me from behind so many times on the streets. The training has really helped,” she says.

Street fights

The studio lessons are also practiced on the streets. “The idea is to give practical lessons in dealing with various situations that they might face in real life,” says Kapoor, who normally receives 10 inquiries in a day from women who want to know how Krav Maga can help them defend themselves.

Women also get tips on how to use things like mobile phones, hand bags, pens, and even duppttas as weapons.

“Physical drill teaches women to use quick reflexes to attack assailants’ soft spots like throat, groin and nose,” says Shihan Nawal Datta, a martial arts trainer. This new breed of laptop-wielding trainers say many parents are encouraging daughters to join classes.

“My daughters are learning martial arts. One is even building muscles. Martial arts training has instilled discipline and confidence in them,” says Manjari Sharma, a teacher.

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

Leena Mudbidri | TNN

Fighting Back

First introduced in New Delhi five years ago, Krav Maga teaches Israeli self-defence skills against armed street attacks and muggings, home assaults, car thefts and attacks.

It was introduced in Bengaluru last year and over 75 citizens have enrolled for the course.

Anti-terror training capsule, designed by New Delhi-based Vicky Kapoor, director and chief instructor of International Krav Maga Federation, India, is the first of its kind in India.

Bengaluru: “Grenade!” shouted Frank, and the bunch of techies, a restaurateur and a homemaker jumped to the ground for cover and rolled over, shielding their bodies away from the impending blast. Thankfully, it was a mock drill and the grenade was only a tennis ball during a session on anti-terror training and hostage takeover survival skills introduced in city last week.

These Bengaluruans learning the techniques of Krav Maga, an Israeli military form of self-defence, in Richmond Town, prepare to cope with real crises. “As civilians, we cannot get into a hand-to-hand combat with armed terrorists. The least we can do is learn to survive with presence of mind, and use some formal training to save our skin,” says Frank, instructor and in-charge of the Bengaluru chapter, International Krav Maga Federation.

“For example, if you are in a restaurant and an armed terrorist walks in and starts shooting randomly, your chances of survival are more if you throw yourself to the ground and roll away from the centre of the incident, instead of running and exposing your body to the gunman,” he says. The hostage-takeover survival module teaches you how to avoid confrontation with the captor if you are taken hostage, and how to behave and, yes, even talk to them.

“If I’m ever in such a situation, I know how to come out of it because my reflexes are faster, my level of alertness is higher and the techniques I’ve learnt are practical,” says Ashish Puri, product manager, Cisco Systems. Omer Basith, a restaurateur, & a Krav Maga trainee for the past one year believes in being prepared. “Who thought terrorist could come right to our doorsteps? Now, its up to us to learn to handle the situation as civilians.”

But Frank cautions, “But better leave the real fighting to the experts!” This group has its own mascot, a crow which has a bird’s eye view of the training on the rooftop. They call him ‘Crow Maga’.

Learning a self-defense tactic is always a good idea. Especially one that is also used by the Israeli military, Los Angeles Police Department, FBI,Krav Maga – Bengaluru Swedish SWAT Team, French Anti-terrorist group and Hollywood celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie. We are talking about Krav Maga, the Israeli self-defense technique. Hebrew for ‘contact combat,’ Krav Maga is an effective practical defense technique that teaches you how to deal with and overcome all kinds of violence and attacks. The best part is that every aspect of the technique is explained in detail, so that trainees are prepared for any surprise element out there on the street. Introduced in Bengaluru about four months ago, Krav Maga is gaining in popularity here. , Krav Maga’s instructor in Bengaluru, has been practicing and teaching it for the past five years after training with Vicky Kapoor, of International Krav Maga Federation, India. He tells MetroMela why Krav Maga is a great self-defense technique to learn:

Krav Maga trains students to use the body’s natural weapons as well as ordinary objects that may be close at hand.

Krav Maga mainly incorporates drills that take advantage of the body’s natural reflexes. While in a boxing ring, there will be rules and ample time to fight, on the street the attacker will not give you time. In fact, if there is a sudden attack the mind can shut down. The idea of Krav Maga is to teach people to defend such attacks in the minimum time required. This is also why each and every aspect of the drill is explained.

Some of the defense techniques students are taught include how to defend against a knife attack from the back, how to release an armbar choke (a choke from the back), prevent sexual assault etc.

Krav Maga teaches you quick thinking and quick moves. We train our students to be smarter and explain every action, why we are doing a particular move, using a particular muscle etc. Once they understand the core concept of self-defense, they can create their own solutions.

How does Krav Maga help women? The attacker knows his strength. To counteract the attack, we teach women to use the same tools he’s using in a different way. For example, if the attacker is trying to squeeze their neck, they can give it back to the attacker with a groin kick. Women can also use their muscle strength to counteract attacks. If the attacker is choking her from the back, instead of arms, she can use her full back muscles to push him back. It’s a surprise element and if used timely, she will be able to counteract and gain time. Keep in mind that you not only need to learn a combat technique for this but also consistently practice it well.

The best part of Krav Maga is that you have to constantly think about which move you are going to use. It helps in gaining confidence and changes your attitude. Its biggest strength is that it teaches you to think of solutions immediately.

’s self-defense tips for women

Be smart on the street. If the assault is verbal, ignore it. Being easily provoked by verbal abuse shows that you are low in confidence. Never challenge the attacker.

Women have the best instincts. Learn to trust your instinct, for example, when you feel you shouldn’t take a particular road.

If there is a bad situation, do not panic and think rationally. There’s a solution for everything.

Women have many tools in their purse like pen, keys, deodorant spray, mobile. You can use all of those as weapons. If in a room, you can use a chair to defend yourself.

When you are running, don’t scream ‘Help’. Scream ‘Fire’. It attracts a lot more attention than ‘help’!

Even if you know self-defense techniques, don’t try to attack immediately. Be smart and figure out the situation first.

In Bengaluru, you can learn Krav Maga at -

Doodle Den Rooftop, No.3, Curley Street,
Richmond Town, Bengaluru 560025.
Tel – 09886769281

Source: http://www.metromela.com/

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