Krav Maga TamilNadu - Self Defense Fitness Courses

In contrast to Surveillance, which means ‘looking from above’, Sousveillance is ‘looking from below’ implying common man keeping a watch on authority figures. ......................................................... Recently a WhatsApp video got a Tirunelveli police SI suspended. The video, probably shot by a concealed mobile, showed the SI harassing a couple for a Rs.1000 bribe.  In Facebook there are many pages like the popular ‘Keep calm and film the police ’  which the public post mobile videos of police intimidation, harassment and excess force. In the last month itself there were 3 videos of shooting fatalities, which got the involved police-men punished. YouTube has thousands of videos on police bullying. One can also come across a few videos appreciating police, if one searches really hard! :) Traffic cop - 25 years without a complaint against him Social media is double edged weapon.  Positive side of public vigilance On the ...

Yesterday, I went to a small rural hamlet Karumarapakkam, somewhere in between Kalpakkam on ECR and Thirukazhukundram. I was there to do KravMaga self-defence workshop for women. For the third year I was going there to do a workshop for rural women, who suffer domestic violence and sexual harassment, due to rampant alcoholism. I started doing this workshop in a classroom of the local school. The girls were mostly between 13 to 17 years. While I was slowly warming up to the task at hand, I noticed 2 small girls peeping through the window.  After a few minutes, I noticed these 2 small girls have quietly slipped into the classroom and were sitting in a corner. Especially the smaller girl looked sharp and intelligent, and she was listening very intently to my talk. When the workshop entered into the kicking and punching phase, I could sense this kutty girl was eager to kick the bag.  I called her to come forward and kick the bag. She and her slightly bigger fri...

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...

Bystander Effect - In the recent Delhi gang rape case, this appalling social habit was glaringly evident. The girl and the boy were thrown out of the bus by the rapists. They were naked and injured, lying on the road in the bone chilling 2* Celcius cold night of Delhi - for more than an hour. Many passing vehicles only slowed down but none stopped.  2 days back a woman accident victim was lying bleeding during day-time for 45 minutes on Mount Road, Chennai; no body came forward to assist her. She died on the way to the hospital. Accident victim pleading for help More such incidents in this video, convey that  callousness  is not limited to India. Public apathy is a socio-psychological phenomena all over the world. Video -  The Bystander Effect: Real incidents Kitty Genovese  Social Psychologists who studied the infamous 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese - said " That contrary to common expectations, larger numbers of bystanders decrease the likeli...

Since the Delhi gang-rape, so far 18 people have asked me -   " Will self-defence techniques actually work for an 'average girl' against a group of men.?! " My answer is -  " Those who keep asking "Will this work?!"  die without finding out whether it will." ................................................................... Learning provides you the tools. Practice makes you an expert. Pushing yourself out of the comfort-zone makes you superior. and above all.. Introspection makes you realistic That's too true of all arts.   The same hierarchy applies to learning to fight also.  So, every input in learning has an output in application ... ... which is reasonably proportionate.  Whether its Singing, Tennis, Medicine, Drama, Astronomy or KravMaga.  If you have a natural aptitude to that field, the progress will be better than your peers. Decide at which level you want to play..and put in the required effort . Yo...

Self-defense Workshops for Women - Part I I am sharing the learning from the many workshops for women on 'self-defense and personal safety', I conducted in the last 4 years. Please don’t hesitate to comment if you feel I am wrong. I also look forward to your suggestions to improve the content and presentation. What I learnt during these workshops to women - (Disclaimer - The following are my own broad observations. Of course some women are exceptions; but they are very few.) 1. In daily life, women face more problems than we men can ever visualize or comprehend . Women face persistent stares, uninitiated talks, lewd comments, unwanted touch, vulgar taps and so many unsavoury acts which we men don't experience. So, they should be keener on learning martial-arts than men. Right? No, it’s wrong. Oh! Why?  Because... Woman power !  2. Women don't see themselves beating up men Even though women acknowledge they face constant harassments, they...

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...