Even as the stalking ordeal of Varnika Kundu makes headlines, with Chandigarh Police taking the flak from national media and common men alike for losing crucial CCTV evidence – and then miraculously finding it this morning, here are some tips that they shared with me (and my batch mates) at a self-defence training programme organised by them in June this year.
“The police will protect you,” said my trainer, without mincing words, “but first, you need to protect yourself.”
True that, especially when observed in the light of the Varnika Kundu car chase case. She refused to lose her nerve that night, and continues to hold her own.
And while a political (and a media slugfest) continues over this issue, I share some tips from my training programme that, of course, go beyond the obvious ones like a safety app on your phone.
Knowing your personal space is important and the moment you feel threatened – REACT! It might start with something as innocent as someone whispering in your ear (at a friend’s party, a boy once asked me if I liked to masturbate, and once again, I didn’t know what to say), or someone brushing his arm against yours in a marketplace, but if it makes you feel uncomfortable, make it known.
Your body is well-equipped to fend off an attack, provided you remember to – STRIKE! Depending on how close your assailant is, you could use your fingers, knuckles, elbows, nails, teeth, head, hands and knees to your advantage.
My trainer made me aware of the body parts that I could use for my defence –
“Shouting not only alerts other people in your vicinity, but it also prepares your body for an attack and shows your fighting spirit,” said my trainer, insisting that the sound come from the abdomen, rather than the throat (wasn’t easy for me considering I was brought up on a constant dose of “Be Polite!”).
Ever hated those heels for being too high? You could use them as a WEAPON, too, as also anything that is in your purse: a ball point pen, a hairpin, a chain, packets of chilli powder, pepper spray, a comb.
And while you need not resort to such extreme measures, merely “stomping on the foot of your assailant or jabbing a pen in his side is enough to scare him,” said my trainer.
Know the weak points of your assailant and stay focused when you – ATTACK.
“If you are ever caught up in a dangerous situation,” said my trainer, “all you need to do is to kick, jab your knee or the heel of your palm at your assailant’s private parts, and that will give you enough time to escape” – unless, of course, you are so strong and muscular as to “beat the shit” out of him.
(Vani has worked as a business journalist and is the author of ‘The Recession Groom’. She can be reached @Vani_Author)
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