Krav Maga TamilNadu - Self Defense Fitness Courses

WARNING to WOMEN! After the Guwahati molestation and Delhi gang rape, more women are enquiring about self-defense courses. This blog post is to warn those women. They could end up with martial-arts schools which will actually put them in greater danger, when they try to repel a sexual aggressor. REALITY NOT REALIZED BY MARTIAL-ART TEACHERS Many martial arts instructors DON'T understand the specific problems of women, like - 1- The average Women is SMALLER than the average Man 2- The Woman will be under extreme FEAR and STRESS during a sexual attack 3- Most Women are PUT OFF by Violence; so, learning to fight does NOT appeal to them 4- Most Women DON'T see themselves as capable of fighting a bigger & aggressive Man The martial-arts instructor should factor in this reality before making a curriculum for women. But do they? The emphatic answer is a big " NO " ! HOW WOMEN ARE MISGUIDED BY HALF-BAKED GURUS Recently I saw a video of a self-promote...

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...

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 , ...

The prisons are filled with normal people like you and me. They landed in the prison just because they lost their sanity for a few seconds. Frightening, isn’t it!  When you realise that everything built over a lifetime can be lost in a jiffy. “Violence starts where civilization ends." KravMaga system takes this dictum into cognizance and advocates physical violence only as last resort, when all civilized options are exhausted. What are the triggers of Violence? Volatile situations happen every day in bar rooms, board rooms and bed rooms. Wherever there is more than one individual, opinions may differ. Unfortunately and unexpectedly, sometimes these differences escalate to physical violence. Aggression can be internally present. A small minority do carry their aggression blatantly. They are by nature bullies or brought up in a social/domestic condition where violence is a pre-requisite for daily survival. Aggression...

When it comes to total lifetime fitness, core exercises are just about the best thing you can do for yourself. The results are immediate and long-lasting. Core exercises have profound benefits for both men and women, at all levels of training and experience. Most core exercises do not require fitness equipment to be effective. Here are some very simple exercises that you can do any time in the privacy of your own home. In order for them to be effective, you need to exercise at least three times a week, and after awhile, you should work your way up to five times a week. The Top 10 Benefits of Core Exercises - 1. It's good for you! Core exercises train your deep abdominal muscles - the main one is called the transversus abdominis . You can think of your transversus abdominis as your internal weight belt. It's a very deep muscle that surrounds your entire waist, supporting all your abdominal structures including your lower back. 2. Looking...

SMART STREET FIGHTING Remember these critical points in a street fight - * Keep moving and don't present a stationary target. * Don't be in the comfort zone of the attacker/s - keep changing Range, Direction. * Don't assume there is only one aggressor. Always assume he has got assistance. So scanning your blind side is very critical. * Since you are assuming your attacker is going to get assistance from friends, you always try to keep the confrontation as short as possible; which prepares you for the next assault. * For your life's sake don't try fancy stuff - especially intricate locks and high kicks. They are for movies. * Don't get trapped in the middle of a group.. keep pushing to the periphery of group * Keep you senses and eyes open for exit routes * Don't panic.. Even if you don't feel brave, Fake aggression * If you fall down, try to get up fast. * If you are down in the midst of a gang, cover your head with arms and just roll up l...

In Part 1 we saw the Options of Confrontation in a hierarchy of - AVOID >> KEEP MAX DISTANCE >> USE AVAILABLE OBJECTS Now we come to the options when one is compelled to use one's body OPTION 4 - LONG RANGE - USE LEGS TO DEFEND AND ATTACK Legs are the longest weapons in our arsenal. The advantage in using legs is, one's vital organs are kept away from the aggressor's reach - which is very critical in facing attacks using sharp objects. Legs are the largest group of muscles and bones in the body and can deliver a powerful attack or defense in any direction - Front, Side or Back. OPTION 5 - MID RANGE - USE PUNCHES AND HAMMER FIST If in mid distance, which is between kicking and touching distance, punches are effective. But punches are effective only if it is delivered to the front. What if the aggressor is on one's side or back. Hammer fists are ideal for attacks to the side and back. I personally prefer hammer fists to punches because of its ver...

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               >>>>...

You can read the same article in http://vickykapoor.com/quotes/street-smart-system/ Often I have come across this sarcastic query, “Do martial arts really work in a street fight! Is it worth training at all!?” That may be asking like why maintain a fire brigade since it is idle most of the time. Any physical activity is beneficial in some manner. It could be games, yoga, swimming, cycling, dance or anything. It could improve some element of total fitness – either cardio-vascular, muscular endurance, flexibility or atleast co-ordination and quick thinking; which help in a crisis. But, if you are in a job prone to confrontations like security, policing, hotel bouncer etc., learning fighting arts is definitely a plus. Or if your life style makes you vulnerable, like living in a crime prone locality, commuting late or transporting valuables. But a word of caution, look out for these inherent failures in any fighting art before signing up. These system weaknesses make you victim and ...

KRAV MAGA - We believe the most powerful self defence weapon you possess is your thinking. So continuing our analysis of criminal behaviour of last 2 weeks, let’s know POSITIONING . Before your imagination runs riot, let me elaborate POSITIONING. This is how criminals place themselves, to surprise and overwhelm you. What apparently is a casual, innocent movement by a person may in reality be a well planned manoeuvre to get into an advantageous position, to launch his attack. HOW TO PREDICT CRIMINAL INTENTIONS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE CLOSING - the most common positioning tactic. The criminal tries to come near you, under some pretext. If a stranger tries to come closer than 6 feet, give a clear disapproval by voice or action. In spite of your obvious discomfort he keeps closing, the criminal has made his intentions clear. CORNERING / TRAPPING – The criminal places himself between you and a possible exit route. This tactic becomes more critical, when he restricts your retreat, by forcing ...

KRAV MAGA - If we can predict a criminal intention, we can avoid being attacked. So in the last blog, we tried to predict an attack using the AOI triangle – ABILITY, OPPORTUNITY & INTENT. FRINGE AREAS Before we move on, we have to know about FRINGE AREAS, which is where most of the attacks take place. A FRINGE AREA is the quiet area near to a crowded place like a parking lot, stairway, ATM, side streets especially blind alleys and public toilets. The criminal has better chances of not being disturbed. Another reason is, one is not surprised to see strangers in these locations. By the time the victim realises the stranger is not innocent, the criminal hopes to overwhelm you with shock and fear. 10 SECONDS WINDOW Normally a criminal requires just 10 seconds to do whatever he aimed to do like robbing and get away. He hopes to shock you and overwhelm you before you can react, in this window of 10 seconds. So WHENEVER YOU ENTER A FRINGE AREA, SCAN THE SURROUNDINGS, and become aware. Th...