Maamis and china ponnus (Tamil for middle-aged women and young girls) draped on Kanchipuram saris, half saris and paavadai with that traditional jasmine flowers on their oily hair. That was the age-old image of women and girls of Chennai.
Well, the image is in for a makeover. Silk saris and half-sari/paavadai combination may continue. But mischief-mongers are advised to be careful while approaching Chennai women. Chances are that the predators may find themselves “out of order” with broken fingers, damaged eyes and injuries on vulnerable parts of the body.
Enter Krav Maga, the famous self-defence system developed by the Israeli defence forces to counter unexpected attacks. It is a combination of defensive and offensive manoeuvres and aggressions designed for self-protection from all kinds of attacks including rape. Hundreds of Chennai women and girl students are busy mastering Krav Maga, a non-competitive blocking and attacking techniques, S Sree Ram, the Chennai-based chief instructor, told The Pioneer. “Gang-rapes in New Delhi and Mumbai shocked women in Chennai. Parents, employers and heads of educational institutions are a worried lot as they start thinking of the safety of their wives, daughters and the little ones,” said Ram (53) who was trained under the Israeli masters in the Krav Maga “art” form.
“Since January 2013, more than 12,000 women in Chennai have undergone basic training lessons of Krav Maga. We teach the women and girls to dominate the situation, not the attackers. Even a 15-year-old girl could save herself from her molester who may be 35-year-old and weigh 70 kg if she knows the basics of Krav Maga,” said Ram.
last week saw women commuters of suburban trains complaining to TR Baalu, MP and chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Railways, about the ever-increasing eve-teasing and sexual advances by male passengers even in compartments reserved for ladies. Mrinalini Dhanesh Maher, chairperson, Ficci ladies Organisation (FlO) who underwent a crash training programme in Krav Maga said it is easy to learn and practise. “You may not become a one-woman fighting machine. But it will empower you to get away from any dangerous situation,” said Maher who has taken to regular Krav Maga workouts of 45 minutes duration.
According to Ram, Krav Maga makes use of the vulnerability of human anatomy. “There are parts of human body which are vulnerable to any kind of attack. You have to target them. Your voice, finger nails, high heeled shoes, pen, pencil and even safety pin could be used as weapons,” Ram was heard addressing the group of 60 women who participated in a recent Krav Maga workshop. He pointed out that women and girls are not interested in physical violence. “Most of them prefer either gym or dance classes to be physically fit. The fundamental truth is that women are not keen to do anything on physical violence,” he said.
Maher said the trainees were told to walk opposite to the direction of the traffic so that the movement of the predators could be understood in advance. “If you walk in the normal direction, you may not be able to notice the two-wheeler borne attacker approaching you from the rear side. And if someone is trying to snatch your hand bag or chain or if he is trying to molest you, scream for help. Unless you shout for help, the bystanders would not come forward. They could not be blamed if they feel that someone else from the crowd may help the victim. But if you scream or give a shrieking noise, no bystander can ignore you,” she explained. The training conditions the prospective victims to escape and get away from any dangerous situations.
Ram says he is imparting basic lessons in Krav Maga to young software engineers, media professionals, students, house maids and women in vulnerable sections. It is not a child’s play as Ram is the one who trains the commandoes of Tamil Nadu Police.