By Revathi Murugappan

To every young boy, Bruce Lee in his heyday was a hero. His slick moves, phenomenal speed, strength, amazing fighting skills and muscular body made many want to emulate him. Francis Pangratius Albert was one such kid.

When he was 12, Albert would be the first in front of the idiot box every time a Bruce Lee or kungfu movie played, imagining himself in the scenes, knocking out his opponents and dreaming of being a martial artist some day.

Having a supportive father helped, and Albert started karate lessons under Sensei Ong Beng San in 1975.

"I was not that impressed with karate because I was searching for perfection. The discipline was good but I'm an adventurous person and I wanted to try something else," says Albert, who then moved to Singapore to learn wushu, judo, muay thai and other styles before becoming a gym trainer.

At the gym, he picked up jujitsu and found his calling.

Fast-forward 30-odd years, and Albert, 45, the chief instructor at Tanaka Jujitsu Academy in Subang Jaya, is now a martial artist with more than 100 students under his tutelage. He is also constantly sought out for his corporate self-defence workshops, especially for women.

Jujitsu is the 'parent art' to many disciplines like karate, judo and aikido. The principle of jujitsu is to utilise skills rather than force, and selective applications rather than strength, explains Albert.

"Ju" means suppleness while "Jitsu" means art or technique, and its origins date back to Japan's samurai warriors who had to resort to self-defence when their swords broke or were lost in a battle. Jujitsu uses locks, strangulation, throws and strikes to disarm opponents.

"Every martial arts has its own strength, and professional masters and traditionalists shouldn't condemn others. I'm here to impart knowledge to everyone because the world is no longer a safe place to live in. While it's imperative to be alert at all times, those who are equipped with the right self-defence techniques will be better able to protect themselves," he observes.

We shudder to read of harassments, attacks, crimes and snatch thefts every day. Just recently, a Filipina was robbed and assaulted by a group of Mat Rempit.

Not content with hitting her twice on the head with a metal pipe, causing her to almost lose consciousness, her heartless attackers held on to her hands and dragged her for about 2m along the rough road.

Even Albert admits to being paranoid when walking on the streets. He literally has his eyes all around his head! His senses are heightened when he is alone, and he can sense when someone is following him.

"Of course, big-headed youngsters always want to fight with me but I think I scare them off with my looks!" he chuckles.

"You have to win without fighting. A dead hero is not worth much. Most Malaysians take safety for granted until it's too late."

Slim-built with well-defined muscles, Albert has a presence that is both pleasant and a little intimidating. Once he was standing at a bus stop when he sensed a man approaching with a penknife. He quickly swung his backpack, and the assailant fled.

The self-defence workshops that Albert conducts also teach self-confidence, awareness and crime prevention.

As a supplement to jujitsu, he incorporates the basics of escrima, a Filipino martial arts. Escrima is noted for using weapons, usually sticks. The stick can be substituted with everyday objects like a set of keys, umbrellas, fountain pens or a newspaper.

If you hit the attacker with your hands or with a kick, you may end up hurting yourself if you don't execute the defensive attack with strength. A weapon on the other hand, has no nerve endings, bones or skin so there is no risk of getting hurt.

"The combo of both these martial arts comes in handy in weapon-disarming and immobilising your opponent. Fifty percent of the battle is then won. The first line of defence is always awareness - it is the key to survival. You also have to use the psychology of confrontation; if the assailant is armed and you have no objects, just give in and escape. Your life is more important than the plastic cards."

Albert's workshops highlight street safety like facing incoming traffic when walking, carrying handbags on the inside, carrying pepper sprays, locking car doors, not taking shortcuts, parking in brightly-lit areas and not listening to i-pods or talking on the handphone while walking - all of which most Malaysians, unfortunately, tend to take for granted.

Participants also learn escape drills, anti-rape methods and how to come out of a situation with a positive attitude.

Albert, who holds a fifth dan black belt in jujitsu, feels all trainers should be physically fit and skilled in order to inspire their students. Hence, he does gym work-outs religiously and spars with friends twice a week.

These days, he's beginning to teach his seven-year-old daughter survival tips. It's never too early, or late, to start being alert.

-The Star/Asia News Network