Be your own defender

Mona

Personal protection shouldn’t be optional. It’s ones responsibility towards oneself. It is also the most viable solution to women safety. The alternative of depending on others for security makes for an easy pick, but does it deliver results, always? Vicky Kapoor, Krav Maga founder in India, says, “Yes, police and authorities do protect. They deliver as well, but when there is a lapse, just as we blame them, we need to blame ourselves too — of not protecting ourselves enough.”

To put a full stop to the blame game, it is imperative to become self-sufficient in self-protection. Krav Maga, a military self-defence system developed by Israeli defence forces, has a solution in the offing.  Known for its efficacy in real-life threatening situations, the self-defence technique registered its presence in India in 1996. Put into use to train Indian Army and police then, it is now being introduced to people for their protection, especially women. 

Gunjan, a student at GCG 11, Chandigarh, and a Krav Maga practitioner, terms the system a street self-defence. Recommending it for its practical application, she says, “The training prepares one to act promptly in an untoward situation. Also, Krav Maga comes automatically to the rescue.” A few months into this regimen, the 19-year-old is already a pro at the defence technique. “We all read about how a tragedy could have been averted. It is time we ensured that an eventuality is actually prevented.” 

Skeletons of #MeToo are still tumbling out of the closet. The movement, besides highlighting all that goes wrong at workplaces, is also a lesson in how women failed to protect themselves, at least when they were physically overpowered. Krav Maga aims at making women feel confident about defending themselves. The self-defence technique is as handy to an armed soldier as to a woman on the street. “It is a specially designed programme that prepares men and women alike for how to deal with assault. At the same time, it teaches one scientific techniques to identify danger and the forms it can come in and how to combat it,” adds Vicky about the Israeli self-defence form. Hence, the tagline of International Ultimate Krav Maga Federation (IUKMF) is ‘fight to walk in peace.’ 

Krav Maga also offers an effective fitness plan. No wonder it has gained immense popularity in the recent past. Namrata Sharma, a corporate employee and a Krav Maga enthusiast, says, “Each of our class is divided into warm up, technique and cool down sessions. In three-months  time, I have gained muscle mass and lost flab.” It is also her solution to stress. 

The proponents of Krav Maga are now taking the technique to a larger number of girls. Besides attending her Krav Maga classes, Kavita, a BA student, is happy to give demos to youngsters in various colleges. “Not only am I self-sufficient in protecting myself, I can also sense threats better. Krav Maga techniques are simpler to master, effective to use and I hope girls equip themselves with a few moves.”

She shares this sentiment with her trainer Amandeep. An IT engineer by qualification, Amandeep lives in the NCR.  “There is no decline in crime against women, which is why self protection is more important than ever before.” He gave up his corporate job to pursue Krav Maga full time. “My current job promises satisfaction. I teach girls how to be independent in the true sense of the word. It’s rewarding to see them confidently deal with knife or even pistol attacks.” 

While these classes empower girls, it also sensitises men. Lalan Kumar, a street vendor from Sector 22, Chandigarh, has been practising Krav Maga for a year now. His family would question him as to why he had enrolled in a class like this. “This Diwali, when I nabbed an eve teaser and defended a girl, they got their answer,” says Lalan. He hopes that the martial artform is introduced in schools to promote self-protection.

IUKMF’s list of clients boasts of corporate firms like Genpact, HCL, Google, Facebook, Embassy of Switzerland, and schools like Jaypee School, Dehradun Public School. “We are in talks with  many governments schools of UP and Punjab. I hope the technique becomes a movement soon,” adds Vicky.