Tanul Mishra credits Krav Maga for worklife lessons, says it taught her focus, mental agility

Tanul Mishra, CEO, Afthonia Lab started practicing Krav Maga about 10 years ago from Sensei Sadashiv Mogaveera. The Bangalore-based boss told ET Panache, "Krav Maga is a discipline that works on your mind as well as the body. The training routine involves a high intensity warm up that works all parts of the body which helps you build strength and agility."

Mishra who heads the incubator that helps fintech startups with a safe ecosystem shared how the military self-defence and fighting system developed for the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli security forces had helped her stay stress free.

"The drill and techniques are aimed at pushing you physically which helps build mental strength too. When you are practicing techniques, you need to be 100 per cent present and focused physically and mentally which helps automatically in quieting the mind and building mindfulness as a habit in daily life too. Apart from that, I think it’s a great way to vent built up energy and stress. When you are punching and kicking a bag over 300 times you walk away recharged and refreshed with all the stress left behind without even making an effort," she said.


The Imi Lichtenfeld founder fight training method has also taught Mishra many things. She says she would love to do it daily, but manages to practice at least twice a week religiously. "When you train there are certain rules or principles that are taught which I think are applicable when it comes to running a business too. The one thing that Krav Maga constantly focuses on is awareness, knowing the situation and keeping your eyes and ears open. So it's like being aware of your industry, market, competitors. It is focused on timing which is the key for any business too. It is focused on using your ability in order to assess possible threats and always being on the ready to strike at the right time in order to gain an advantage or an edge, much like in the business arena," she shared.

The most effective techniques or strategies that the Afthonia Lab CEO learnt in Krav Maga are almost always simple and precise to execute. It's an obsessive passion that keeps Mishra going and she just find the time for it. She explained, "There is no space for fancy and layered moves in the discipline much like in the business space. If it's not simple you are simply not doing it right.

One of the most important things taught is de escalation, retaliation is the last response. Think of all those customer conflicts, none ever got resolved by trying to make a point, but rather when you simply stepped back to understand the point, and gain perspective that benefits all.

Krav Maga is a living entity and the techniques are constantly evolving. It teaches you stay mentally agile, unlearn and learn, a necessity for any business to not only survive but also thrive."