Every girl needs to protect herself: Lakshmi

Karate specialist N Lakshmi prefers to see every woman stronger, bolder and dynamic. That is why she trained herself first in self-defence and started training them. Setting the target to train every girl and woman and make them stronger, both physically and mentally to hurdles in life or harassment attempts from colleagues or strangers or anti-social elements she leaves no stone unturned to fulfill her dream. She is an international gold medallist with 5th don Black Belt and claims to have already trained about million people.

Taking a cue from the historical queen Rudrama Devi as her inspiration, Lakshmi says that she was the only powerful queen in Indian history. “That's why I've taken her as a role model. That's the reason our academy's name is Rudrama Devi Self-Defence Academy when I started way back in Vijayawada. In our academy, we train the girls how to protect themselves from chain snatchings, kidnapping, rape, murders, knife attempts etc. In fact, we train the trainers to teach others in self-defence techniques."

The 40-year-old mother of a degree-studying son regrets that many cases of gender violence go unreported in our country and that is why the cases of gender violence are on the rise. Self-defence for women is the need of the hour more than ever, she avers.

“These days even natural calamities can be predicted but the attacks on women cannot be predicted. There are many stories of women who face sexual violence or a random attack by a stranger as well as being abused in some way or other. So, every girl should be ready to face any sort of challenge and they should be mentally strong to face that. The self-defence class enables one to gain confidence and that is the reason why we are going to villages to training them. My main motto is every girl should fight against the evil and should lead a beautiful life," Lakshmi asserts.

Proper training should start from 11-year-old, the Karate trainer says and adds however, the girls should be introduced to some basic self-defence moves when they are 8 or 9 years old. “Discipline and mindset are the most important when anyone learns self-defence,” she asserts.

Lakshmi trained a number of girls under the aegis of VasavyaMahilaMandali in Vijayawada. She had even honed the skills of the woman constables in the Vijayawada police commissionerate.

Padmasri, homemaker and trainer in self-defence says, "Self-defense builds confidence in women. Though I am a homemaker, I started learning Karate with the help of Lakshmi. Martial arts gave me confidence that no one could question or take me for granted. I love my women’s self-defence class and love to train as many girls as possible.”

“The self-defence classes give self-confidence and the girls who are trained would realise that after using simple techniques,” said Vijaya Kumari, also homemaker.

- M V Syam Sundar