With technical, tactical, physical and mental presence as the main prerequisites, Krav Maga is not only about moves, but also thought process and constant alertness. However, the Israeli hand to hand combat form of self-defence has few female enthusiasts in Goa, finds
DIANA FERNANDES
As recent incidents in Mumbai and Delhi have established, you don’t have to be scantily dressed or out late at night, to get attacked or raped. This makes it increasingly important to arm yourself with more than just pepper
spray. A timely blow in the perpetrator’s groin, face and chest could buy you sufficient time to flee, say Krav Maga experts in Goa.
This Israeli street fighting form is self-defence, self-protection, fighting and combat skill to prevent, deal and
overcome attacks and other forms of violence.
According to Elroy Vaz, regional director (India) for Krav Maga Global, only agency that teaches the form in
Goa, it is very different from martial arts.
“Modern martial art deals with an opponent and not an attacker. In boxing, you know the weight of the opponent and over time their moves become predictable. You have no such idea when it comes to an attacker. An opponent is usually just one person with a referee to make sure you stick to the rules. An attacker can go from one to many and even escalate to a knife attack or a gun or a stick. In real life there is no referee,” he says.
Vaz, who conducts classes in Margao, Vasco, Porvorim, Mapusa and Panjim, as well as Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune says women attending Krav Maga classes in Goa aren’t really increasing.
“Compared with the rest of India, the percentage of women enrolling in Goa has not increased. In my class in Goa, there are around 15 to 20 per cent female students, while in Mumbai and Bangalore, it’s around 40 per cent. A lot
of women do call in asking for classes, but few are consistent,” says Vaz.
The main reason, he feels, is because of the timing constraints put on women by families and their husbands.
Explaining more about the concept of Krav Maga, Vaz says that it is simply not based on the moves, but also on your thinking process and constant alertness.
THREE PUNCHES TO THE HEAD, CHEST AND GROIN ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO PUT THE BODY INTO A STATE OF SHOCK, WHICH THEN GIVES TIME THE VICTIM TIME TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE SITUATION.
Being technical, tactical, physical and mentally present is the main prerequisite for Krav Maga, says Vaz. “If a woman is attacked on the terrace, if she’s able to slow down the attacker and descends to the bottom of the building, the thought should not be that she is safe. There may be another accomplice waiting for her down. Staying focused and being confident is really important.”
Most attackers target women due to their soft nature and lack of confidence. But Vaz insists that women have a better shot at fighting back.
Poking fingernails directly at the attacker, stamping the foot with the ends of high heels, attacking the eyes with a kajal are just some of the physical manoeuvres that can be employed. What is needed in the case of women is the
aggression.
“Three punches to the head, chest and groin are good enough to put the body into a state of shock which then gives time the victim time to move away from the situation. If he wants to attack a woman sexually, he has to come close.
When he does, he himself is in a vulnerable range. A strike to the groin works to the advantage of the victim,” he says.
Krav Maga, an Israeli term, which literally translates “to fight contact” was first developed in Israel by Imi Lichtenfeld in 1947 and is today being handled and modified by Eyal Yanilov.
After making his way to Palestine, Litchtenfeld was quickly welcomed into Israel’s pre-state Hagana military organization. With his hard-won experience and skills as a fighter, Imi instructed Hagana troops in the practical
lessons of hand-to-hand combat. In 1948, when the state of Israel was founded, Lichtenfeld became chief instructor for physical fitness and Krav Maga at the Israeli Defence Force School of Combat Fitness where he served for 20 years.
Initially only armed forces around the world were taught Krav Maga, but it was in the 2000’s that individuals were also interested in learning it.
Recently, the Goa Police were also trained in this form of street fighting. 50 personnel from the anti terror squad attended their first workshop of hand-to-hand combat. Armed forces in countries like Australia, UK, Norway, Sweden as well as Israel undergo rigorous months of Krav Maga training as well.
Source: Contact combat the Israeli way | OHeraldo | 6 October 2013 | Goa