Meet the man who trains the Capital’s women constables
Flying kicks, elbow strikes, middle punches, drop kicks and other self- defence moves are a regular feature of the daily routine of the women preparing to join the Delhi Police. And the Delhiite mentoring them in the last stages of training, as part of the force’s Sashakti campaign, is Taekwondo champion Shakeel Ahmed, certified as national referee by the Taekwondo Federation of India, and former coach of Delhi state senior male taekwondo team.
So far, Ahmed has trained over 60,000 school and college girls. Presently, he’s imparting fighting skills to 10 women constables from South East Delhi. “I started practicing martial arts in 1982, and competed at an international tournament in South Korea in 1993. Then I opted for further training to hone my skills. I have been associated with the Delhi Police for over 10 years,” says Ahmed.
This is the first batch of Delhi Police women constables to receive training under Ahmed, as part of a threemonth course under the training programme. “There are 10 women constables. Some are new and some have been associated with this project for three years. The thought behind training them is that they will spread these skills among other girls and older women,” says Ahmed.
Trainees feel confident with the tricks they have acquired as part of an advanced course in black belt training. “I have been associated with the Sashakti project for the last three years, and was trained in the police camps as well, but I feel more powerful after these training sessions,” says Kranti Singh, a constable posted at Jamia Nagar Police Station. “Only a week back I kicked a guy, who was trying to molest me, in a bus. He wasn’t aware that I was a police constable in plain clothes,” she recalls.
After their training, the constables will visit schools to impart self-defence training to young girls. “Our emphasis is not on attacking techniques, but on how to defend oneself. Some of the fundamental techniques we teach the girls include using a pen to get rid of your attacker, grabbing and pulling the hair of the attacker, and dealing with miscreants in a crowded bus,” says Dimple Chaudhary, a constable.
The thought behind training them is that they will spread these skills among other girls and older women SHAKEEL AHMED, TRAINER UNDER DELHI POLICE’S SELF DEFENCE TRAINING PROGRAMME, SASHAKTI