Bangalore IT pros take survival training

Bangalore IT pros take survival training
BR Srikanth, Hindustan Times

Software professionals like Anoop Ramakrishnan, 24, and many others in the tech industry in Bangalore are picking up new survival skills — not to endure the economic gloom, but to survive a terror attack or a hostage crisis.

Following the recent terror attacks, techies are queuing up to be trained in anti-terror and hostage survival techniques being imparted as part of Krav Maga, an Israeli school of self-defence and combat tactics.

They are being taught how to hold their nerve during a terror attack, ensure minimum injury, how to escape a fire, and avoid being trapped in a stampede during evacuation.

Said Anoop, software professional at Sasken Communications: “We are here to learn to minimise casualties through the concept of muscle memory — that is how not to panic but train our muscles to move quickly and save ourselves during an attack.” He has been urging colleagues and friends to take these lessons too.

Ditto with Ashish Puri, of Cisco Systems, who is also taking the training. “I have persuaded seven-eight colleagues to join these workshops,” he said.

Frank JW, the instructor and in-charge of Bangalore chapter of International Krav Maga Federation, said: “I am currently training 75 people in Bangalore. Most are from the IT industry.”

Frank said the training sessions are not intended to make “everyone a Superman” but to teach techniques that can come handy — like lying flat on the floor to escape bullets. At Rs 250 a person for two hours, the anti-terror survival model is certainly worth trying.