Press Article > Times of India Newspaper – Bangalore learns to tackle terror

Times of India Newspaper Article: Bangalore Learns to Tackle Terror

December 21th, 2008

by Leena Mudbidri | TNN

Bangalore: “Grenade!” shouted Frank, and the bunch of techies, a restaurateur and a homemaker jumped to the ground for cover and rolled over, shielding their bodies away from the impending blast. Thankfully, it was a mock drill and the grenade was only a tennis ball during a session on anti-terror training and hostage takeover survival skills introduced in ciyt last week. These Bangaloreans learn-ing the techniques of Krav Maga, an Israeli military form of self-defence, in Richmond Town, prepare to cope with real crises.

“As civilians, we cannot get into a hand-to-hand combat with armed terrorists. The least we can do is learn to survive with presence of mind, and use some formal training to save our skin,” says Frank, instructor and in-charge of the Bangalore chapter, International Krav Maga Federation. “For example, if you are in a restaurant and an armed terrorist walks in and starts shooting randomly, your chances of survival are more if you throw yourself to the ground and roll away from the centre of the incident, instead of running and exposing your body to the gunman,” he says.

The hostage-takeover survival module teaches you how to avoid confrontation with the captor if you are taken hostage, and how to behave and, yes, even talk to them. “If I’m ever in such a situation, I know how to come out of it because my reflexes are faster, my level of alertness is higher and the tech-niques I’ve learnt are practical,” says Ashish Puri, product manager, Cisco Systems. Omer Basith, a restaurateur, believes in being prepared.

But Frank cautions, “But better leave the real fighting to the experts!” This group has its own mascot, a crow. They call him ‘Crow Maga’.

Fighting Back

• First introduced in New Delhi five years ago, Krav Maga teaches self-defence skills against armed street attacks and muggings, home assaults, car thefts and attacks
• It was introduced in Bangalore last year and over 75 citizens have enrolled for the course.
• Anti-terror training capsule, designed by New Delhi-based Vicky Kapoor, director and chief instructor of International Krav Maga Federation, India, is the first of its kind in India.

If you search for Krav Maga classes near me or hand to hand combat training near me after reading this report, call +91 7483520836 and speak with Mr. Franklin Joseph about the right starting point.

Why Franklin Joseph Ran an Anti-Terror Workshop After 26/11

Specialist Franklin Joseph organised the anti-terror workshop to provide civilians with clear survival information following the 2008 attacks. Mr. Joseph studied the 26/11 incident from his home in Dharwad before deciding to help. The Specialist held these sessions at his old center (Richmond Circle).

The workshop syllabus included elements of the high-level training Mr. Franklin Joseph received from Grandmaster Avi Moyal, the IKMF Head and Mr. Vicky Kapoor, IKMD Indian head. At that time, Mr. Franklin Joseph served as the director for the Bengaluru branch. He focused the syllabus on presence of mind rather than inviting civilians to fight armed attackers.

Survival Skills Taught in the Anti-Terror Syllabus

• How to handle a gun if an attacker takes you hostage.
• Methods to handle your hands being tied up.
• Tactics for reacting to a grenade tossed into a room.
• How to barricade a room to slow down a threat.

To learn how to handle fear during a crisis, call Specialist Franklin Joseph at +91 7483520836 and ask about Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes at Wilson Garden, Bengaluru.

Reading the Threat: Warning Signs Behind Street Crime and Armed Attacks

Street crime follows patterns, and Dr. Safety teaches that the main warning signs are target choice, a chosen place and a surprise start. Pre-Crime Indicator Recognition (spotting danger signs before an attack happens) lets you move early.

• Attackers choose people who look distracted, nervous or unprepared.
• Predators test boundaries with small moves, such as crowding your space or asking for help. These are Victim Grooming Signals.
• Criminals prefer places with few witnesses and easy exits.
• Groups, weapons and surprise remove any chance of a fair fight.
• Gunmen create confusion, so running in the open exposes your body, as the press article warned.

Most street crime is over in just 1 to 2 seconds. It is almost always a pre-planned trap aimed at people who look unprepared, and the attacker has already chosen the likely ending before you notice anything.

You will find more in the science behind breaking that pattern in time and in the psychological side of why this works.

The Richmond Circle workshop trained the same awareness for a terror scene. The press article advised dropping to the ground and rolling away from the centre of the incident, which keeps your body smaller and safer than running.

To practise spotting these signs in person, call +91 7483520836 and join Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes at Wilson Garden, Bengaluru.

Krav Maga vs Street Crime = 80% Psychological Strategies and Warrior Mindset, 20% Krav Maga Tactics

The Specialist’s rule for surviving street crime is simple: 80% Psychological Strategies and Warrior Mindset to ignite the courage, and 20% Krav Maga Tactics for effective elimination of threat or escape from threat.

Almost every street crime is a pre-planned trap that the attacker finishes in 1 to 2 seconds. Breaking panic also takes only 1 to 2 seconds. Criminals want speed because they fear getting caught. Finishing even 1 or 2 of their 3 or 4 planned steps often collapses the plan, so you can escape before any backup step starts.

As the target-selection habits in the threat breakdown show, criminals pick people who seem unprepared. The reflex training in the science section explains how to break that plan early. Each extra attacker cuts your chance of a safe outcome by roughly 50 to 80 percent, so an early escape beats a long fight.

“Your Warrior Mindset is not something you are born with. You forge it through training, by facing your fear and by believing in yourself. When you step onto the mat and decide you will protect yourself and the people you love, your change has begun. The body follows the mind, and tactics make courage stronger.”

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Read about Captain Smit Machchhar | Private Fast-Track capsule training in Bengaluru or other cities

For years, many in the martial-arts world believed size, strength and muscle-based technique mattered most. When Franklin Joseph kept saying that 80% Psychological Strategies and Warrior Mindset was the real foundation, many called it marketing hype.

Then Captain Smit Machchhar proved it on 24 December 2015 aboard a hijacked flight. His aim was clear: protect the aircraft, protect the passengers and return home to his family. He opened the cockpit door, invited passengers to help and overpowered the attacker through coordinated action and psychological dominance, not superior strength. The world saw that courage, belief and tactical clarity beat brute force.

Your Warrior Mindset Can Click in Seconds or Grow Over Months

Your change begins with one decision: you have the right to protect yourself and the people you love. Some Krav Maga Practitioners feel the shift in their first session of Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes. Others build it over weeks.

When you learn 22+ psychological skills, including Pre-Crime Indicator Recognition, Predator Selection Criteria and Anti-Freeze Fear Management, your mind and body line up. Many Practitioners find that after just 4 hours of Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules or 4 weeks of steady Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes, the mental shift matters more than strength.

• Belief is the spark. You decide your life, your dignity and your family are worth protecting.
• Combat science gives you a frame. Proven Israeli military self-defence tactics rest on real-world psychology.
• Psychological skills build resilience. Awareness, de-escalation and confident action grow together.
• Muscle memory creates instinct. Your body answers faster than your thinking mind under stress.

Your Mind Is the Strongest Weapon in Krav Maga

Your most powerful weapon is your mind, because it decides, believes and acts. Krav Maga teaches that vulnerability is not weakness. It is the starting point of change.

Many new Krav Maga Practitioners arrive carrying stories like “I am too small” or “I have never done this before.” These stories end once you see that Warrior Mindset is built, not inherited.

• Your mind turns fear into focus, so danger signals become a tactical advantage.
• Your mind overrides the freeze response and unlocks your reflexes under stress.
• Your mind builds belief, because each win in a realistic scenario strengthens your conviction.
• Your mind creates warriors. Krav Maga is psychology first, tactics second and physical strength third.

Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules vs Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes: Two Different Battles

• Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules focus on the moment before a crime and on escaping before any backup plan starts.
• Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes focus on sustained fights against bigger, stronger, armed or multiple attackers.
• Each extra attacker cuts the chance of a safe outcome by roughly 50 to 80 percent.
• Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules suit busy Practitioners, in 4 hours or across 1, 2 or 4 weekends.
• Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes suit people who want deeper, long-term conditioning.

Courage and belief matter hugely, but without effective tactics such as escapes, strikes and de-escalation, a good outcome would be rare. That is why The Specialist combines psychology, tactics and physical preparation into one pressure-tested system.

To start your change, call +91 7483520836 and join Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes or Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules at Wilson Garden, Bengaluru. Review the science section and the warning signs first if you want the full picture.

Press Coverage Facts at a Glance

Times of India covered this workshop on its homepage on 21 December 2008. These tables list who wrote the report, what angle it took and why it matters.

To choose the right class for your goals, call +91 7483520836 and speak with Specialist Franklin Joseph.

Meet Dr. Safety, the Trainer Behind the Press Story

Franklin Joseph has taught realistic self-defence in Bengaluru for over 20 years, and the Times of India story shows how early that work began. Dr. Safety turns vulnerability into confident, strategic protection through combat science and Crime Psychology. Corporate clients include NSG, IPS, IAS, Google, DRDO, Titan, IIM and NIT, and every class runs at the Franklin Joseph Krav Maga Self Defence Academy in Wilson Garden.

To meet the trainer in person, call +91 7483520836 and book a visit.

Why Choose Krav Maga Specialist Franklin Joseph

• Background and Authority: Specialist Franklin Joseph is a TEDx Speaker with over two decades of direct instruction. He has trained NSG Commandos, IAS, IPS and IRS officers.
• Unique Approach: Training that puts mental strategy, situational awareness and pre-crime prevention ahead of physical technique alone. Mr. Joseph converts freeze responses through 22 or more psychological skills, and Dr. Safety’s method works whatever your size, strength or fitness.
• Organisation: Specialist Franklin Joseph is the Founder and CEO of the Bengaluru training centre and the Indian Institute of Strategic Threat Intelligence Analysis and Combat Tactical Science (IISTIACTS).
• Core Methodology: The Franklin Joseph Krav Maga Self Defence Academy in Wilson Garden delivers Pro-Active Combat Science and Warrior Mindset training. It combines battle-tested Israeli self-defence principles with over 22 psychological skills, including Anti-Freeze Fear Management and Crime Psychology. India’s first psychology evaluation admissions give 7 monthly slots.
• Group Classes Location: Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes run from Wilson Garden, Bengaluru.
• Training Formats: Mr. Franklin offers Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes, Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules, Corporate seminars and CSR Girl Trains Girls programmes.
• Pricing Structure: Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes start from ₹3800 per month. Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules Mini Trial costs ₹1500. Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules Full 1 Capsule was ₹11800, now ₹8800. Limited 7 seats this month.
• Target Audience: Children aged 8 and above, civilians, IT professionals, expatriates, UPSC and NDA aspirants, government personnel, doctors, pilots, lawyers and business professionals.
• Specialised Programmes: UPSC, NEET and IIT-JEE aspirants, NDA, CDS and AFCAT aspirants and doctors, pilots, lawyers and business professionals.
• Reputation: The Bengaluru training centre holds a 4.7-star Google rating from over 100 authentic reviews. US Department of State OSAC constituents recommend the training, and LKM London UK awarded it Best Service.

Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules (UPSC NEET IIT-JEE, NDA CDS AFCAT or Doctors, Lawyers, Pilots and IT Professionals), Corporate and CSR Self Defence Enquiries National Hotline: 7483520836.

To book Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes or ask about Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules, call +91 7483520836 and speak with The Specialist at Wilson Garden, Bengaluru.

Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules Teach Reflex Science, Not Tricks

Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules work through science and reflexes you already own, not through fitness, tricks or endless repetition. You can finish one capsule in 4 hours, or spread it across 1, 2 or 4 weekends on Saturday and Sunday.

• You need no cardio or fitness, because flinching, pulling away and pushing back are reflexes you were born with.
• The capsule redirects those natural reactions into real self-defence movement.
• You keep the skill without daily practice, because it becomes instinct, not memory.
• The real goal is training your brain to act instead of freeze, and that matters more than any single technique.
• Combat science (angles, leverage and timing) replaces the need for muscle or size.
• Busy Krav Maga Practitioners with no months or years to spare get the single most critical skill fast, through a smarter and more focused path.

The target-selection habits in the threat breakdown above show that attackers pick people who look likely to freeze. Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules exist to counter exactly that choice.

Private Fast-Track , One Idea Beats a Pile of Tricks

Many videos teach tricks, such as “if someone grabs your wrist like this, do that.” Real attacks never look exactly like the video. Specialist Franklin Joseph teaches one big idea that works in almost any dangerous moment: turning fear into action beats freezing.

Once your brain learns that idea, you stop hunting for the right move and simply react. That is why one focused capsule can outperform months of casual drilling.

Private Fast-Track , The Whole Crime Is Decided in 1 to 2 Seconds

Almost all street crime is a pre-planned trap, and the attacker has already decided the likely ending before the meeting begins. The crime itself takes about 1 to 2 seconds, so breaking your panic must also happen inside that same 1 to 2 seconds.

Your aim is to break the plan and escape before any backup step begins, such as a second attacker joining, a weapon appearing or a restraint attempt.

Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules train the moments before and at the very start of a crime. Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes train for longer fights against bigger, stronger, armed or multiple attackers. Read why an early escape wins in the 80/20 section below.

Private Fast-Track , Criminals Bet That You Will Panic

Criminals choose targets by how likely they are to freeze, because a frozen person confirms the plan is working. Breaking that freeze, even partly, makes the plan wobble. Completing just 1 or 2 of the attacker’s 3 or 4 planned steps is often enough to turn the situation.

• Predator Selection Criteria (how attackers pick targets) favour people who look distracted or unsure.
• A frozen victim makes the criminal feel confident and in control.
• A broken freeze makes the plan fall apart fast.
• The real win is proving to your own brain that you can act.

Private Fast-Track , Strength Is Not the Source of Power

Combat science uses smart body angles, leverage and timing to create power for any body type. A smaller person using the right angle can match the effect of someone twice their size.

That holds true whether you finish the capsule in 4 hours or across 1, 2 or 4 weekends. The mindset shift lasts because it was never about fitness or repetition.

To book Krav Maga Private Fast-Track Capsules at Wilson Garden, Bengaluru, call +91 7483520836. You can also revisit the mindset and tactics section and the warning signs section before you call.

From Newspaper Headline to TEDx Stage: The Science of Combat

Mr. Joseph presented “The Science of Combat” as a TEDx Speaker, taking the same ideas from the 2008 press story to a public stage. Franklin Joseph explained that real violence differs from sport, because attackers pick victims they can control. He showed how calm thinking and simple tactics turn fear into action. The Specialist’s 20+ year record backs every point.

Click here to watch TEDx Speaker Franklin Joseph – Subject: The Science of Combat

To feel the science of combat yourself, call +91 7483520836 and enrol in Krav Maga Group Weekend Classes at Wilson Garden, Bengaluru.

Summary

Specialist Franklin Joseph taught Bangalore citizens how to navigate active terror strikes and hostage crises using applied Krav Maga methods as covered by Times of India Newspaper Press Article. Attendees, including restaurateur Omer Basith and Cisco’s Ashish Puri, built instinctual reflexes and crisis composure by practicing mock grenade evasions, drop-and-roll cover tactics, and de-escalation strategies for hostage scenarios. For Group Weekend Classes & Private Fast-Tracks, call Franklin Joseph at +91 7483520836 in Wilson Garden, Bengaluru.