Krav Maga TamilNadu - Self Defense Fitness Courses

Uma Maheswari  Uma Maheswari’s murder in Siruseri IT Park, Chennai has provoked lots of opinions in the media. The public take a vicarious pleasure in gleefully pointing a finger at the IT/BPO sector, “These IT companies don’t bother about their employees’ safety. They just want to make money.” My question to these people is simple. Atleast 5 to 6 lakh people are working in IT/ITES sector in Chennai and suburbs. Chennai population is 46 million with another 15 million working and residing in Chennai.. So we can say around 10% of Chennai population is working in IT related companies. The murder statistics point out that around 200 homicides happen in Chennai annually.  So how can one expect that such a big chunk of population, of which 30% are women, be insulated from crime?! Even by a simple back-of-the-envelope-calculation 2 lakh women are employed in IT/ITES sector. How can one expect that there cannot be an aberration?  If murders of IT women ...

Being sexually harassed can devastate your psychological health, physical well-being and vocational development. Women who have been harassed often change their jobs, career goals, job assignments, educational programs or academic majors.  In addition, women have reported psychological and physical reaction to being harassed that are similar to reactions to other forms of stress. They include: Psychological Reactions Depression, anxiety, shock, denial Anger, fear, frustration, irritability Insecurity, embarrassment, feelings of betrayal  Confusion, feelings of being powerless Shame, self-consciousness, low self-esteem Guilt, self-blame, isolation Physiological Reactions Headaches Lethargy Gastrointestinal distress Dermatological reactions Weight fluctuations Sleep Disturbances, nightmares Phobias, panic reactions Sexual problems Career-Related Effects Decreased job satisfaction Unfavorable performance evaluations Loss of job or promotion Dr...

There is no one way to respond to harassment. Every situation is different and only you can evaluate the problem and decide on the best response. Friends, affirmative action officers, human resource professionals and women's groups can offer information, advice and support, but only you can decide what is right for you. The only thing you can be absolutely certain of is that ignoring the situation will not cause it to go away. Above all, DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF FOR THE HARASSMENT. It is not your fault. Place the blame where it belongs--on the harasser. Self-blame can cause depression and will not help you or the situation. Many Women Have Found These Strategies Effective: Say NO to the harasser! Be direct. Write a letter to the harasser. Describe the incident and how it made you feel. State that you would like the harassment to stop. Send the letter by certified mail. Keep a copy. Keep a record of what happened and when . Include dates, times, places, names of persons in...

STOP SEXUAL HARASSMENT Gender Harassment: Generalized sexist statements and behavior that convey insulting or degrading attitudes about women. Examples include insulting remarks, offensive graffiti, obscene jokes or humor about sex or women in general. Seductive Behavior: Unwanted, inappropriate and offensive sexual advances. Examples include repeated unwanted sexual invitations, insistent requests for dinner, drinks or dates, persistent letters, phone calls and other invitations. Sexual Bribery: Solicitation of sexual activity or other sex-linked behavior by promise of reward; the proposition may be either overt or subtle. Sexual Coercion: Coercion of sexual activity or other sex-linked behavior by threat of punishment; examples include negative performance evaluations, withholding of promotions, threat of termination. Sexual Imposition: Gross sexual imposition (such as forceful touching, feeling, grabbing) or sexual assault. Of these five types of behavior,...

MYTH: Sexual harassment is rare.  FACT: Sexual harassment is extremely widespread. It touches the lives of 40 to 60 percent of working women, and similar proportions of female students in colleges and universities. MYTH: The seriousness of sexual harassment has been exaggerated; most so-called harassment is really trivial and harmless flirtation.  FACT: Sexual harassment can be devastating. Studies indicate that most harassment has nothing to do with "flirtation: or sincere sexual or social interest. Rather, it is offensive, often frightening and insulting to women. Research shows that women are often forced to leave school or jobs to avoid harassment; may experiences serious psychological and health-related problems. MYTH: Many women make up and report stories of sexual harassment to get back at their employers or others who have angered them. FACT: Research shows that less than one percent of complaints are false. Women rarely file complaints are false. Women rar...

In the last post we looked at the first 5A-s of Personal safety. In this post, we look at briefly the next 5 As in the The 10A-s of personal Safety 6.ASSERT 7.AGILE 8.ATTENTION 9.ACT 10.ARMED Lets be now elaborate on them - 6. ASSERT DON'T LET HIM CLOSE DISTANCE Don’t allow a criminal to close the distance The common ploy is to come near you, under a pretext - like asking for directions. Give them clear instructions to be at least 6 feet away and ask whatever they have to. By giving him clear area demarcation, you will know early that his intentions are criminal if he crosses that 'lakshman rekha’ Be clear in your communication DON'T BE SUBTLE IN SAYING 'NO' Subtle hints do not work with men who are drunk or sexually excited. Speak clearly that you dislike what they are doing. Teach this to young girls, because they are also confused, when a known person behaves dirty. 7. AGILE Run away as fast as you can Some may wonder...

Earlier , we analysed what precautions against kidnapping a School and Parent can take . Now, we outline the safety precautions against kidnapping, which can be adopted by a potential victim, especially a kid. Many will sound so basic and obvious. But you will be surprised to know that they are routinely overlooked, by sheer apathy or pre-occupation. Or worse by being cynical. 1. AVOID Avoid creating a situation which increases your risk exposure. The risk may be due to the Place, the Time or the Persons around. The risk is multiplied when these elements come together . Like lonely road, late night and a suspicious character coming towards you.  Read about the AOI triangle which is an easy formula for understanding risk . 2. ACCESS Prevent easy access. Create as many obstacles between a threa t and you; wherever you are. At home it may mean locked windows and doors - which are 2 layered, so that you can see clearly who is ...

Kidnap - nap (to seize) kid ( a child) The child kidnapping crime has been around for time immemorial, for varied motives – Anger & frustration, Money, Political or Sex. After the recent spate of kidnappings in TamilNadu, the police have announced certain guidelines  - for Parents, School authorities and the Kids themselves. Very sane advice, no doubt. To understand the issue at hand, we analyze it a bit more. Kidnapping has some unique characteristics - Mostly the victim is the softest target of all - Childre n Kidnapping is generally NOT a crime committed in sudden burst of anger or impulse, because it needs elaborate planning of logistics. That pre-supposes that the criminal should be reasonably familiar with the victim's universe. In the case of kidnap for sexual assault , it’s different. The victim may be chosen on parameters like vulnerability and circumstances. In kidnap crimes, the police are at a disadvantage , ...

DON'T TRY TO BE A HERO.. YOU MAY END UP AS A JOKER - PART I The first 3 Options in facing a Crisis on the street... more follows KravMaga is pragmatic. Its no-nonsense approach is simply "If from NORMAL condition, one is exposed to a CRISIS, your duty is restore NORMAL condition as early as possible"  NORMAL >> IN A CRISIS >> NORMAL ...................................................... OPTION 1. AVOID - there is no point in getting INTO an situation and then fighting tooth & nail to get OUT of it. So prudently one attempts to bye-pass a crisis                               >>>>>NORMAL>>>>> NORMAL>>>>^^^           CRISIS               >>>>...