Tackling the Rape Culture with Self-Defense Workshops | Colorss Foundation

In the State of Uttar Pradesh, another teenage girl was found hanging dead from the tree. Tortured. Raped. Murdered. This is the latest from a string of attacks in recent weeks, which included two cousin sisters being gang-raped in their village. Indians are becoming more and more aware and fearful of the rape culture and violence that has presided over the country. Since 2010, crimes against women have increased by 7.1% in India.

A new incident of rape now occurs every 22 minutes. Enough is enough. Alcohol does not rape women. The nighttime does not rape women. Clothes do not rape women. It is men who rape women. Victim blaming is not the solution, but women empowerment can be. We need to put an end to the constant fear that women face, walking alone in alleyways. We need to train women in self-defense.

We cannot just remain naïve, and let our girls be victims to countless, unpredictable attacks. It is both the duty of families, as well as employers to ensure that women at home and in the workforce are equipped in defending themselves. This does not just have obvious benefits for the women who become more confident and productive at work, but also for the companies as trust and engagement is promoted. 

The Colorss foundation is an NGO, located in Pune and Baroda that offers self-defense workshops for women of all ages. Designed for the best comfort, this NGO offers 2-3 classes per week, with around 10-15 participants in each class. The NGO also conducts corporate self-defense workshops. With increasing crimes, it is necessary that Martial Arts be adapted to self-defense purposes and not just spiritual & philosophical development. And this is exactly what the Colorss foundation does. Eloise Stark, a participant stated that “It’s about standing up and saying, I can protect myself, I refuse to be intimidated”. From these workshops, students have reported improvements in body flexibility, shape, body control and discipline as well as psychological benefits of improved self-awareness, confidence and reduced anxiety. Listen to Jimsy, another participant on her experiences with the programme below.

Anand Koti who is an expert in Martial Arts with a 2nd degree Black Belt in Karate, is the founder of the Colorss Foundation. With over 17 years of experience, Anand has impacted over 600 lives in the last six years. Thanks to his vision, the workshops have been conducted in Pune & Baroda, with support from large corporations like Nielsen, Vodafone, L&T, Reliance Industries, Reliance Township and schools of Pune. For more information on Anand and his self-defense workshops, you can contact him on koti@anandkoti.com (Phone: 0091 960 494 1020), or through Facebook , Twitter and YouTube.

For Women Empowerment,

Shama Kukkady

How the Colorss foundation’s 7-day Online Self Defense classes inspired me!

When it comes to Self Defense I’m pretty paranoid. I worry about a number of different situations that may be very unlikely to happen, but it is always very important to feel safe because today on the streets of this country anything can happen. And therefore, when I read about Colorss foundations’ Seven day online Self-Defense workshop, I was instantly fascinated by the workshop and was very keen on attending it. The best part about the workshop was that it was online. I didn’t have to take out much time from my busy schedule to be physically present at a place for these classes.

The workshop made me understand myself, my fears and my abilities better. I learnt that self-defense is not about getting into fights with others, but about how you can extricate yourself from certain situations, which includes general awareness of the surroundings and the importance of being steady and remaining calm at the same time in a bad situation. We covered things like how to get out of wrist grabs, body grabs, chokes, and as women where our strength comes from. It’s not about getting into a one-on-one fight with the attacker but to create enough impact to get the time to escape and run to a safe place. The best part about the workshop was that every technique was demonstrated with pictures and we could also ask questions and clear our doubts about any of the techniques.

Besides all of this, the workshop also inspired me to get in good shape, as the principle of self-defense involves being ready and fit both mentally and physically. Since those seven days, I’ve regularly been practicing the techniques taught in the workshop. I’m glad I came across such a helpful online workshop. I hope and also encourage Colorss foundation to come up with more such helpful techniques in self-defense.

~ Empowered

Kritika Kapoor

Photo-updates of Self Defense workshop for Women

Self Defense workshop for Women, a set on Flickr.

This is an extension to our Project Enhance! While the most obvious benefit of these self-defense workshop is the ability to defend yourself against an attacker, there are also numerous peripheral benefits, such as increased confidence and mental development. At Colorss, we strive to give women the physical and mental strength to surpass any challenges. Anand Koti, the foundation’s director, is conducting the classes. Anand has been practicing martial arts for over 15 years and has a 2nd degree black belt in Karate, which demonstrates his commitment and discipline.

This project came to life as a result of recent discussions and demonstrations concerning womens’ and girls’ safety on the streets of India. At Colorss Foundation we strongly urge women to be aware of their safety and different ways of protecting themselves. Knowledge is a great weapon! We believe that It is only when awareness is created, when people engage in discussions, and word is spread, that we can start a joint movement to increase the safety for women and girls in India.

Workshops conducted at - Reliance Industries Ltd; Vodafone [Baroda]; L&T Knowledge City; Nielsen during the year 2013.

Feel free to share.. you can contact us directly if you want to learn self-defense. Contact us at: contact@colorss.org