KOCHI: With the fitness industry nosediving under the Covid-19 pressure, a large section of the industry is finding innovative ways to reach out to and keep their client base busy and fit, despite the lockdown. B Sebastian, a certified krav maga instructor in Thiruvananthapuram, has been giving virtual krav maga lessons. Experts say virtual classrooms would be the next big thing as social distancing has become the new norm for everyone.
His institute, the International Ultimate Krav Maga Federation (IUKMF) here, is offering online classes for many clients from India and abroad. Retired as an officer with the Indian Air Force, Sebastian became a professional krav maga instructor because of his passion for the art. He says krav maga, the self-defence martial art developed by the Israeli army, is one of the best ways to beat the lockdown blues.
“Krav maga is based on the instinctive reaction and natural reflexes of a person, which makes it simpler to master than other martial arts. Practsing krav maga would help reduce stress and improve the fitness of a person,” says Sebastian, who is an expert instructor in civilian krav maga, combat training and mixed martial arts.
Sebastian claims to have gotten 10 new clients after the launch of the online class. His clientele includes working professionals, police officers, students and fitness enthusiasts. “We have introduced online games and challenges for our students to make the classes more interesting. Reflex-based games make learning more fun. Virtual classes are giving us more reach and we have decided to continue with it even after the lockdown,” says Sebastian. He also teaches krav maga for children, based on a different curriculum that fits them.
However, he admits that it is going to be a challenge to continue contactless training and a time would come when his students need to be partnered with somebody to get properly trained in krav maga. “Once the institute reopens, we will have to follow strict protocols to ensure the safety of the clients. We have decided to pair up two students for practice sessions and the partners will not change to ensure the safety of everyone,” says Sebastian.
His institute is giving special krav maga training for NSG commandos and some units under the special forces of the Indian Army. “I was with the Indian Airforce for 20 years and I started learning krav maga in 2012. I got the opportunity to train under grandmaster Vicky Kapoor of International Ultimate Krav Maga Federation and International krav maga experts from Israel,” says Sebastian. He launched his training institute in 2018, and now has four centres in Thiruvananthapuram – Jimmy George Sports Hub, Toronto Art Cafe at Pattoor, QFit Transformation Studio Vellayambalam and Tech Savio building at Kazhakoottam.