Asim DebSeema Rao (A Doctor, MBA, and Ph.D.), India’s Only Female Military Commando Trainer
Compiled by: Asim DEb.
Meet Seema Rao.
The pretty girl, after completing her school, became a Doctor in conventional medicine. Then she did her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Crisis Management from Westminster Business School, London and studied Immunology at Harvard Medical School, and PhD in International Human Rights from Stanford University. Also she was a Mrs. India World beauty pageant finalist.
With all these in her kitty, the pretty elegant girl opted for a different profession and became a commando trainer, to be precise she was India’s only female commando trainer, giving training for military special forces including NSG Black Cats. The lady is now having 8th degree Indian black belt title in military martial arts, and trains mostly male commandos. To overcome her fear of heights, she did her mountaineering course from Army Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) and won silver medal. To overcome fear of water, she did her SCUBA Deep Sea Diving Course from PADI, USA. She overcame her fear of Fire by becoming a Fire Fighter. She overcame her fear of seclusion by doing the Jungle Survival course. then a licensed “Jeet Kune Do” instructor (a unique martial art developed by Bruce Lee in the 1960s), and combat shooting instructor. Finally, Dr. Seema Rao became a high ranked blackbelt in Unarmed Combat. She stands shoulder to shoulder with men of war and wins their respect. She can run 40 km marathons, shoot an apple off your head with an AK-47, split 5 targets in 2 seconds with a Glock pistol, defuse a complex explosive device and neutralize armed assailants in seconds.
“Seema Rao, who can shoot an apple off her husband’s head with an AK-47 at 75 yards, at the Corps Battle School in Kashmir.”
Seema Rao and her husband decided to serve Indian military differently, not as a Doctor or MBA. Since beginning, Seema has been giving commando training services to Indian military for the last 25+ years and has trained over 20,000 soldiers from various Indian armed forces, but without taking any monetary compensation in return! She was coaching the NSG Black Cats, MARCOS, GARUD, Para-commandos, BSF, the Army Corps Battle Schools and its Commando Wing. She has also trained officers of the National Police Academy, the Army Officers Training Academy and the Police Quick Response Teams of almost every major Indian city. All these she is doing voluntarily, not asking for a single penny for her services.
Their first national assignment came in 1997 when then Mumbai Police Commissioner RS Tyagi became the Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG). While in the late 1990s, Retired Brigadier Balbir Singh gave a big break—a meeting with then Army Chief General Shankar Roychowdhury, which culminated in a six-week course organised for the Parachute Regiment Training Centre in Bengaluru.
From the society where it’s said that women should not raise their voice, we have transformed to a platform where women have undertaken male dominated areas. Having the potential in almost every field’s women have come out of their shackles of exclusion.
Seema Rao is the daughter of freedom fighter Prof. Ramakant Sinari, who fought in the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese. She met her future husband, Major Deepak Rao, at the age of 16. Major Rao had been practicing martial arts since the age of 12 and he introduced Seema to this empowering field weapon defense while they were simultaneously pursuing their education in medicine. Then after becoming certified doctors, Seema did her MBA in crisis management. The formidable couple thought of doing something for the country and decided to train the soldiers of the Indian armed forces without accepting any compensation in return. So, in 1996, they approached the Service Chiefs of Army, Navy, BSF and NSG. The chiefs were impressed with the couple’s interest and dedication and decided to try out their training programme. It came out to be a success, and there was no looking back after that.
She also trained in Bruce Lee’s art and philosophy under Bruce Lee’s Student Grandmaster Richard Bustillo, becoming a highly qualified woman Instructor in Bruce Lee’s art in the world. She is trained in Commando Krav Maga, a deadly Israeli combat art, and graded Instructor rank, under renowned Grand Master Moni Aisik, who served as a former Israeli Special Forces Commando.
The journey was not easy. The couple had to face several financial hardships in the initial years of their marriage, as they were not charging any money for their work. To add, Seema was constantly travelling to hostile locations, through harsh weather and inhospitable terrain, so she could not even attend her father’s funeral. Further, they could realize that it would be impossible to carry a pregnancy through her rigorous training schedule. So, Seema consciously decided not to have her own child and instead adopted a girl.
The 90s saw the era of a new type of battle – CQB (Close Quarter Battle) within 30 yards. In the battle of Kargil, commandos fought at close proximity and subsequently the age of urban terrorism arrived making CQB an important subject. Terrorist would suddenly appear in built up areas and start shooting at people in close proximity. The conventional methods of battle, namely aim and shoot, was ineffective in tackling terrorist burst fire. The WW-II CQB was outdated. Now the new techniques demand reflex shooting with rifles, quick shooting with pistols, the precise use of knives, bayonets, and bare-handed combat, and many other appropriate combat weapons. Over the years Seema and her husband earned varied CQB certifications & skills. Within next two decades, the Seema & her husband couple ended up pioneering modern CQB methodology for the Indian forces. Anti- hijack operations also come under the purview of CQB. In her interview, Seema laughingly said: “I can shoot an apple off a person’s head from 50 yards without giving him a scratch and I can evade a speeding bullet aimed at my head with ease.”
In the course of work, Seema suffered multiple injuries that included a vertebral fracture and a severe head injury that made her loss of memory for several months. She was also shot at by insurgents, but nothing could challenge her determination, and came back to her dream interest of giving commando training.
“Every achievement has a difficult journey behind it. Seema has fractured almost every bone in her body. She once slipped from a monkey rope at a height of 50 feet and suffered vertebral fracture. During a grappling bout with a fellow soldier, she got upset when she heard the news of her father’s sudden demise. She lost her focus and took a fall on her head, causing severe head injury with loss of memory for months. Seema got randomly shot by terrorists more than once but nothing deterred her determination to serve.”
The then Home Minister Chidambaram approved Seema and Major Deepak Rao as Resource to Home Ministry to train all state police in CQB but without compensation, of which 16 states have already been covered.
A Documentary on Dr Seema Rao’s life “EQUAL” won the Los Angeles Film Festival Award. Released in 2018, this 28-minute film chronicles her journey from a physically weak child to becoming India’s first and only woman commando trainer, a role she took on without compensation
Q. You have a degree in Immunology from Harvard Medical College, one in Human Rights from Stanford University and another in Leadership from Westminster Business School. How has your education contributed to your career as a combat trainer?
Answer- My study of medicine helped in my role as a combat trainer because it] gave me a deeper understanding of the vital areas of the human body. These are areas that when attacked—barehanded or with a weapon—can cause serious damage like maiming, crippling, handicapping or death. My study of International Human Rights endorsed the importance that women could play in the workforce area and expanded my ideas on how women can be empowered in different spheres of life and work.
Dr. Seema received the Nari Shakti Award from President of India with the citation of being the First & only Woman Commando Trainer in India. She is ranked no. 6 in Woman Power trailblazers of India by Forbes magazine. She has been bestowed with the World Peace Award. She is India’s Wonder Woman! In 2020, at 50 years of age, Dr. Seema also completed 25 years of selfless work and decided to step down from active field training of the Indian forces.
She was inspired by the quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
“Each award means a lot – they are all about appreciation of one’s work. But to be honest, receiving the Nari Shakti award from the President of India is something I hold very dear to my heart. My achievements would be incomplete without this award,” says Seema.
Seema missed the rank which the President of India conferred to Major Deepak Rao, due to lack of provision, but she gracefully took it in her stride.
She is the recipient of many awards — World Peace Award by World Peace Congress, Malaysia awarded by the Prime Minister of Malaysia for contribution to the country in 2008, US President’s Volunteer Service Award, three (or four?) Army Chief Citations, Home Minister of India Letter of Commendation in 2009 placing on record the selfless National service in the field of close quarters battle training, 1000 felicitations from Indian government.
Dr. Seema Rao is an inspiration to crores of women worldwide as an epitome of empowerment to shatter the gender barrier and achieve maximum potential. Ranked by Forbes as No 6 in Woman Power, listed in India Today Ultimate She List of Power Women, voted ‘Woman We Love’ by Femina, selected as 1 of 14 most influential women in the world, Indian Express ‘Dynamic Woman of the Year’, selected Reebok ‘Fit to Fight Woman of the Year’, Harper Bazaar’s ‘Most Inspiring Woman’ & Winner of highest National Award for Women in the Republic of India!
A mixture of Brain, Beauty & Brawn!
Ruth Davidson’s book Yes She Can, Leader of Scottish Conservatives described her as one of 14 most influential women in the world alongside Teresa May and Melinda Gates. Featured as Woman of substance by Femina, Savvy, Vogue, Forbes, Verve, New woman, Society, Grazia and US mag V. Yet she prefers to lie low and avoid social limelight despite being featured as a woman of substance by magazines like Society, Savvy, India Today Femina, New Woman, national newspapers and TV media.
Seema Rao is the author of 10 books and co-authored the first Encyclopedia of Close Combat Ops training in the world, produced solely for Indian forces as well as the first Indian book on world terrorism — A Comprehensive Analysis of World Terrorism and the first book on Commando Manual of Unarmed Combat. Her books have found a place in the libraries of FBI, INTERPOL, UN, and SWAT Police the world over. She is a prolific author and has eight titles thus far.
As this bold and courageous woman, who calls herself 50-years-young, says: “it’s not easy. It never is. But who likes it easy anyway. Bring it on!!”
Going back to history, one episode of Eve Teasing changed her personality forever, and a new life began.
(https://www.sociostory.org/impact-stories/fusion-of-brain-beauty-and-brawn-dr-seema-raos-journey-from-weakness-to-strength-has-been-incredible)
References:
http://www.indiatimes.com/culture/
Forbes India – Dr Seema Rao: India’s First Female Combat Trainer, December 2021.
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sunday-chronicle/
https://thestoryindia.com/2021
http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/
https://www.drseemarao.com/
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A thrilling write up.
A Doctor, MBA, Doctorate changes her interest to mountaineering, scuba diving, rifle shooting and finally becomes a commando trainer. And all she does is free.
A real patriotic person, I am not aware of any such second example.
Too many thanks for the author who could spend time to summarise the biography of this great Indian woman.
My sincere salute for Seema.
I am dumb after reading the portion ….. Seema has fractured almost every bone in her body. …..
What a patriotic determination.
I bow to this lady.
And thanks that I could know all about it that I could never think earlier.
পড়লাম, যেমন অসাধারণ এক প্রতিবেদন তেমনি অসাধারণ এক নারীর জীবনের ছবি। আমি পারব না, আমার মতন লক্ষ লক্ষ মহিলাও দায়িত্ব নিয়ে এই কাজ করতে পারবে না। এই কাজের জন্য চাই অনমনীয় মানসিক দৃঢ়তা। জাতীয়তাবাদ ও ত্যাগ স্বীকারের উজ্জ্বল উদাহরণ ।
My salutes for this Iron Lady.
প্রথমেই আমি আমার সশ্রদ্ধ প্রণাম জানাই এই অসাধারণ মহিলা সীমা রাওকে। উনি আমাদের দেশের গর্ব। এইরকম অসামান্য গুন সম্পন্ন মহিলা আমাদের দেশে খুবই কম জন্মেছে। শুধু আমাদের দেশ কেন সারা পৃথিবীতেই হয়তো এইরকম মহিলার সংখ্যা খুবই নগন্য। সত্যি ওঁনাকে নিয়ে আমাদের সবারই গর্ব করা উচিত। এতো মেধাবী এবং পড়াশোনায় এতো ভালো হয়েও এইরকম প্রফেশনাল লাইফ কেউ সাধারণত বেছে নেয় না। যে প্রফেশনাল লাইফ উনি বেছে নিয়েছেন তাতে লাগে অকল্পনীয় সাহস, শারীরিক দক্ষতা এবং তারসাথে প্রখর বুদ্ধি যার সাহায্যে যেকোনো পরিস্থিতির মোকাবিলা এনারা করতে পারেন। উনি এতো রকমের বাধা বিপত্তি ওঁনার জীবনে আসা সত্বেও কিন্তু উনি ওঁনার এই অসাধ্য কর্ম জীবন বেছে নিয়েছেন। ওঁনাকে দেখে আমাদের দেশের ছেলে মেয়েরা অনুপ্রেরণা পেয়ে থাকে। লেখক কে আমার আন্তরিক শুভেচ্ছা রইলো এইরকম এক অসাধারণ মহিলার জীবন প্রণালী আমাদের সামনে উপস্থাপিত করার জন্য। ভবিষ্যতে আরো এইরকম অসাধারণ মানুষদের সমন্ধে নিশ্চই লেখক আমাদের অবগত করবে এই আশা রেখে শেষ করছি। ❤👌🏽👏🏽🙏🏽