Women get lessons in self-protection

KOLKATA:This February, a 48-year-old teacher held on to a robber, nose bleedingprofusely after being hit by the butt of a chopper. The other members of thegang tried to flee, but were caught by neighbours.With life in thecity becoming increasingly unsafe, there is an urgent need not only to be a bitmore brave, but also to be suitably equipped to foil suchcrimes.Martial arts expert Amit Bhargava, who was in the cityrecently, believes all women should be trained in martial arts so that they arephysically and mentally prepared to combat any situation with confidence andskill. New-generation schools have recently begun providing martial artstraining to students.Addressing members of the Young Ficci LadiesOrganization (YFLO), he said: "Never have a heart when in trouble. Just go allout and protect yourself."Saying no one is immune to violence intoday's world, regardless of social or economic status, he said women must learnto protect themselves rather than rely on others.Bhargava, a 5th danblack belt in taekwondo who is also well-versed in karate, choi kwang do andmuay thai, was among the select few to have trained US marines in unarmed combatand self-defence techniques post-9/11."If your mind and body work intandem, then you can come out of a difficult situation with aplomb. But itrequires a lot of time to get to that level," Bhargava said. In betweendemonstrations, where he taught simple steps to protect and defend, Bhargavashowed how a body could be turned into a lethal weapon in a shorttime."Women should go for self-defence training for at least threemonths before joining university. This is vital for those going to overseasuniversities," he said in the light of recent racial attacks on Indians inAustralia."Real self-protection begins before any physical contact,"said YFLO Kolkata chapter chairperson Gunjan Poddar.