Though Self-Defence training for women in schools has been making rounds for some time now, but the proposal is now gaining traction as more and more schools have made it mandatory to include this aspect, be it Martial-arts or rather simpler techniques. Premjit Sen, the head of Karate-Do Association of Bengal, said that it’s only about girls knowing how to use a few techniques and their body-weight. In fact he is confident that a six month or a year’s training is enough to face-off real tricky situations as well.
While a few of the schools such as La Martiniere for Girl’s, Sushila Birla Girls’ School, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Shri Shikshayatan School and South City International School have made karate compulsory for the students, a few others such as Calcutta Girls’ and Apeejay School have been encouraging the students to take self-defence lessons as part of their extra-curricular activity. According to the principal of Sushila Birla Girls’ School, Sharmila Bose, though social freedom is more and work-hours stretching the traditional boundaries, it becomes important for women to be able to take care of themselves while alone.
In 2014, Calcutta Police had launched a project named ‘Sukanya’, aimed at teaching the girls various forms of self-defence. Participants shot up from 30-50 educational institutes in the city over the past couple of years. In fact, according to some of the instructors, it is not always about physical strength and technique alone. The possibility of a woman defending herself is highly determined by her mental strength too. So, to toughen girls mentally while facing any adverse situations is a focus of the project as well. As is often said, that one gives away her fright via his/her facial expression, so that aspect of keeping a straight face is also looked after. The following are the mandatory classes for learning self-defence in the respective schools:
- Mahadevi Birla World Academy – Class III-VIII
- Shri Shikshayatan – Class V-X
- La Martiniere for Girls’ – Class I-VIII
- South City International School – Class I-VIII
Schools have thereby urged the parents, that instead of considering the physical tiresomeness of this rigorous activity, parents and students should focus more on the big picture here. As is rightly pointed out by John Bagul, Prinicipal of South City International School, these activities are not for winning medals or certificates and is mainly for safety of the individual which the parents often overlook.
Source: http://goo.gl/NWkUUj
