Uttar Pradesh's fighting policemen highlight a new anti-crime strategy

Those appalled at the sight of two cops in Lucknow having a go at each other, in public and while on duty, and even those snorting at this being the final word on Uttar Pradesh’s descent into anarchy are completely mistaken. The truth is the opposite. Head constable Mukund Chandra Yadav and constable Sunil Dixit are secret samurai warriors. A brief look at the video clip showing the two at it with lathis will confirm this. The fighting style is a dead giveaway. It isn’t any of your regular flailing of the police lathi. This is proper samurai fighting using the jodan-gamae posture. This samurai sword-fighting technique, called the “high-level posture” — where the katana (sword) is held pointing backward above the head so as to make the shomen-uchi strike (a downward cut to the top of the head), while either foot is placed forward — is an aggressive style. It’s all attack, no parries. And it is clear Messrs Yadav and Dixit are skilled. While one attacks, the other retreats, only to mount a stellar counter-attack, each raining shomen-uchi all the time. The footwork, too, is quite praiseworthy.

The duo have revealed the extent of the samurai training imparted to UP cops as part of a strategy to combat rising lawlessness. The criminals must be quaking: with mere lathis, order will be restored now. Bravo, Akhilesh Yadav!