Self-defence techniques to women free of cost

The school girls look skinny. But looks can be deceptive. In this case, they definitely are. For, these girls can pack a punch. They have learnt self-defence techniques, which they are capable of applying in any threatening situation, anywhere.

These girls are beneficiaries of a programme by the voluntary organisation Vajra, which teaches self-defence techniques based on the combat system Krav Maga to girls and women, free of cost. Resident of Luz Avenue, Mylapore, and founder of the NGO, Puja Malhotra says, “The Nirbhaya incident affected me a lot. I wanted to ensure personal safety for women and girls.”Puja decided on teaching Krav Maga, which borrows from Aikido, Jujutsu, boxing, and Judo.

“Krav Maga targets the attacker’s vulnerable points so as to neutralise him quickly. I prefer to describe Krav Maga as a ‘defensive tactics system’, a tactical and logically sound approach to dealing with violent confrontations,” she explains. An art and theatre promoter, Puja depends on a team of trainers to keep the initiative going. S. Sreeram and Manoj are the main instructors and co-founders of Vajra.

“ At present, we train students at seven Corporation and two private schools in the city. The classes are held during the physical training period. We are approaching other schools across the State. The students are given certificates after completion of their training. Self-defence should be made a part of the school curriculum. As we believe the seeds of violence against are sown at home, we counsel boy students and fathers of the girls trained by us to respect women. Periodically, we call the parents for a meeting where they are urged to give equal importance to their sons and daughters,” says Puja. She says the benefits of Krav Maga are far-reaching, instilling confidence in students who earlier retreated into the shadows and would be tongue-tied during group discussions.“Girl students, who have successfully completed training, teach others part-time and earn some money,” says Puja.

Vajra also conducts a two-day free training programme for physical trainers attached to schools in villages. “My aim is to start classes across India. I urge the central and state governments to make this system of self-defence a mandatory part of the school curriculum.” Puja Malhotra can be contacted at 98409 55556.