On a cold breezy winter afternoon in Delhi, while the rest of the city is battling dipping temperatures, 50 college girls are upbeat about learning some power punches. The playgrounds of Bharati College in west Delhi reverberate with loud shouts of ‘hey’ as the girls practise the karate and taekwondo moves enacted by two women instructors of the Delhi Police. A chin punch to hit someone really hard, a temple punch to make the attacker unconscious and a back elbow punch to teach that irritating man leaning on you in the bus a lesson he will never forget.

The workshop helps prepare women in self-defence. But besides empowering the girls to tackle unpleasant situations, it also improves their fitness levels. “After I enrolled for these classes, I not only feel more confident but also very active. One of my friends has even shed a few kilos,” says 20-year-old Pooja Rani, a final year non-collegiate student.

In the 10-day, two-hour workshops, the girls are taught a mix of judo, karate and taekwondo moves to handle physically threatening situations. “The knee bends, leg widening moves and jumps make the girls active. Women otherwise are not much into exercising. Here they learn to defend themselves and also get into shape,” points out Neeta Malhotra, inspector, self-defence, of the crimes against women cell that conducts the workshops.

Right moves

In the wake of rising incidence of crimes against women in India, the numbers in the self-defence classes have also gone up remarkably. From a mere 57 participants in the first year of its inception in 2002, the number of participants at the Delhi Police workshops increased to more than 11,000 in 2005. More and more women seem to realise that knowing some basic karate moves gives them an upper hand when it comes to dealing with threatening situations.

Take 19-year-old Dulari. She used a karate move on a man leaning on her sister in the bus. “A back elbow punch is all it took to ward off the lecherous man who had been troubling my sister,” beams a confident Dulari. “A punch from a girl is not expected and therefore such offenders are caught off guard.”

One of the first things broken in these classes is not a board but myths. That women do not have the strength or muscles to protect themselves. “If you are mentally prepared and believe that you can defend yourself, you will find ways to tackle difficult situations,” explains Dhivya David, a trainer of the feminist self-defence strategy, Wenlido. Conducted by Delhi-based non-governmental organisation Jagori, the two-day Wenlido workshops are based on the philosophy that women have the ability to protect themselves. And that one does not need muscles but a confident mind to escape an attack.

Mind over matter

The martial art techniques taught in the classes also improve concentration power. For an effective punch or the right move, one needs to channel all thoughts and focus on that one act. “In our classes, the emphasis is on mind and body training and therefore one gets deeper benefits such as improved concentration powers, better composure, a clearer thinking process and improved reflexes,” asserts martial art trainer Jehangir Shroff, who conducts self-defence workshops as part of the activities of the Academy of Traditional Japanese Martial Arts in Mumbai.

Also, no particular fitness level is required to join the classes. Women from all walks of life ? from school students to middle-aged mums ? have benefited from the workshops. And who wouldn’t? After all, they don’t just learn about strikes, blows and joint locks, they also get into shape. And that’s an added bonus.

Arms and the woman

Bric-a-brac to be kept in your bag to ward off attackers:

Various things that you carry can be used as weapons. For example, a hand bag, a pencil and even your dupatta. If you have a pen handy, you can use it to hit at the head or face of the attacker. If not to cause any injuries, it will at least scare the person.

If you are carrying a book, specially one with a hard cover, you can use it to hit the attacker on the head, temple or chin. A blow with a handbag on sensitive points like the temple, nose or mouth can also temporarily stun him.

You can effectively use your dupatta to throw it around your attacker’s leg and then pull it to make him trip. Or else, spray some perfume into his eyes. Even a handful of pebbles or dust can be thrown into the eyes to distract the assailant. All these acts will give you enough time to escape an attack.

Self-defence mantras

• Be alert. Take note of the body language, gestures and behaviour of people around you. This will caution you about potential danger.

• Always react swiftly and aggressively to situations.

• Your self-defence move should happen quickly. An attacker is not going to wait for you to figure out what strike to use.

• Shout, scream or hit out. Never hesitate or be shy. Attacks get foiled when women react aggressively.

• Hit what you are aiming at. The technique should cause injury or disable the attacker.

• After the first strike, follow it up with others.

• Be proactive, take a stand and act.

• But remember that the idea is to get away and not fight.