[Blog] The Telegraph :: Contact combat: The Telegraph, Kolkata

Self Defense classes to stay safe.

It’s 10.30pm. You have just come out from a late show at the m… http://s3nt.com/b8mc

The Telegraph :: Contact combat

(My Original Blog Post: http://vickykapoor.com/photo-gallery/the-telegraph-contact-combat)

The Telegraph, Kolkata

Self Defense classes to stay safe.

It’s 10.30pm. You have just come out from a late show at the multiplex and you have no husband, brother or boyfriend as a chaperone. As you walk through the parking lot, you are a little nervous to see the group of boys lounging near your car…

A few self-defence skills couldn’t hurt anyone in this day and age. Enter, Krav Maga. A Hebrew word that means “contact combat”, the martial art is the latest fad to hit town.

Krav Maga was developed in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s by Imi Lichtenfeld. “In India, it was introduced by Vikram Kapoor four years ago after he trained in it himself. At present, Krav Maga is taught in Vikram’s Vicky’s School of Oriental Arts at Delhi and at workshops across India,” explains Komal Issar, responsible for bringing Krav Maga to Calcutta. Classes are now being held at Solace, the wellness centre in Sunny Park, twice a week and on Sundays for children.

“Krav Maga involves cardio, abs with strength and endurance training for total body conditioning. It firms and tones muscles even when you are in the learning stage. Plus, there are proper warm-up and cool-down sessions. You burn up to 800 calories in an hour of Krav Maga,” points out Komal. But it is not advisable for those with osteoporosis, she adds.

But while Krav Maga is a good way to burn calories and stay fit, exponents prefer to promote it for self-defence purposes.

Komal takes a personal interest in Krav Maga. “In Calcutta, all the martial arts centres are such holes… Then on a visit to Delhi, I got to know of Krav Maga and tried it out. After that I simply had to bring it to Calcutta,” she smiles.

Where Krav Maga differs from other martial arts is that it helps students tackle real-life situations. Krav Maga is built around natural human reflexes and uses everything possible for the purpose of self-defence. It is a hybrid of various martial arts techniques like boxing, karate, judo, ju-jitsu, Muay Thai and other lesser-known techniques. Because it is less formal, it is easier to learn, and students learn to be alert and on their guard from day one.

“Krav Maga contains techniques that enable the trainee to defend against armed and unarmed attackers in potentially dangerous situations. It is practiced in different situations as in the dark, outdoors and other situations that restrict the victim’s movement,” explains Komal. The sessions make one physically agile and aware of her surroundings.

The style has found favour with many Hollywood stars. Jennifer Lopez in Enough, Sandra Bullock and Regina King in Miss Congeniality, Angelina Jolie for Tomb Raider 2 and Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz for Charlies’s Angels are some of the celebs who have tried Krav Maga.

Depending on the interest level, Komal intends to open more centres to widen her reach. “Like every locality has its gym, I would want every area to have a Krav Maga training centre, because it is what women need today to protect themselves,” she signs off.

[Blog] The Telegraph :: Contact combat: The Telegraph, Kolkata

Self Defense classes to stay safe.

It… http://s3nt.com/b8mc

Hindustan Times :: More takers for self-defence

(My Original Blog Post: http://vickykapoor.com/photo-gallery/hindustan-times-more-takers-for-self-defence)

Hindustan Times Newspaper

Soubhik Mitra, Hindustan Times

Mumbai, January 28, 2009

Through the week, Satish Nair helps software developers make user-friendly programmes for the bank he works with.

On the weekend, the 33-year-old business analyst learns how to duck from a flying grenade and defend himself from hoodlums as part of his Krav Maga lessons, which teach the Israeli hand-to-hand combat art.

After November’s terror attack in Mumbai, several professionals like Nair have begun training in martial arts like Krav Maga and kickboxing.

“Your confidence grows manifold. It teaches you to hold your nerve in a panic situation,” said Nair.

The Mumbai chapter of International Krav Maga Federation received 93 applicants in the four days after the terror attacks.

“Slowly people are taking charge of their own safety,” said Ajit Verma, one of the chief instructors with the federation.

Kavita Pai (30), a chartered accountant, invests a few hours a week learning to defend herself. “I finish work at around 10 pm. A month after joining the course, I feel far more safe.”

Paul Devassy travels all the way from his residence in Nerul to Bandra to attend training sessions. News reports claiming that the police were not fully trained to tackle such an attack had disturbed Devassy.

Dr. Komal V.S., deputy director of the Andheri-based Academy of Combat Fitness, said, “We have witnessed a 25 per cent surge in enrolment after the terror attack.”

The kickboxing association, which runs courses in Bandra, Lokhandwala, Matunga and Goregoan, has witnessed a 50 per cent surge in enrolment. “Earlier, our students, especially women, would consider this as a fitness option. However, the batches since the terror strike are more interested to learn combat techniques. Women aged between 20 and 40 years have enrolled for the courses,” said Ziauddin Khatib, president of the Indian Kickboxing Association.

Some hotels and business processing outsourcing companies, too, have hired the services of these institutes. “Two hotels contacted us recently. We conduct these courses for BPOs too,” said Verma.

[Blog] Hindustan Times :: More takers for self-defence: Hindustan Times Newspaper
Soubhik Mitra, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, January 28, 2009
Through the week, Satish Nair hel… http://s3nt.com/b79o

[Blog] Hindustan Times :: More takers for self-defence: Hindustan Times Newspaper
Soubhik Mitra, Hindustan Times
… http://s3nt.com/b79o