She trains her wards in martial arts to keep danger at bay

Gang-rape on Nirbhaya in Delhi shook Bengaluru resident Ranjini Ganesh so much that, she made a firm resolve to introduce self-defence techniques to Bengalureans, especially women and girls.

Nearly four years after the gory incident on a moving bus in Delhi, the Nirbhaya Self-Defence Academy set up by Ranjini has trained hundreds of women and girls to deal with adverse situations on their own.

One such trainee, Sunitha, a social service worker was waiting for a bus at Magadi Road one night, when a group of men surrounded her and started to make lewd comments.  The self-defence techniques that she had learnt at one of the workshops conducted by Ranjini came to her rescue. “I felt strong and confident after learning the techniques and adapting them,” Sunitha, a resident of Magadi Road told DH.

Similarly, seven-year-old Meena (name changed) adopted self-defence techniques and gave a blow to a miscreant who tried to catch her from behind when she was playing with other kids in her locality. 

Ranjini, who started the academy, a couple of months after the Nirbhaya incident in December 2012 aims to empower women and children through the training classes.

She teaches mind power techniques and meditation and holds counselling sessions for the participants. Her husband Ganesh Govindan, a trained martial arts trainer teaches self-defence techniques, a mix of kungfu, yoga, karate, judo.

The classes that last for one to two hours are conducted every Saturday and Sunday at Ranjini's house on Cambridge Road in Ulsoor. “Presently, we are holding regular classes for 30 students out of which six to eight are young girls. Men are also part of the batch," Ranjini said. The couple also visit educational institutions regularly to conduct self-defence workshops.

“Shockingly, it is not just women who complain of harassment and abuse. Men, specially youngsters, too have narrated their ordeal of physical abuse, molestation among others,” she stated.
DH News Service