KUNG FU FLIGHTING

by Stephen Moyes

An airline has recruited a martial arts expert to teach cabin crew how to deal with violent passengers. Virgin Atlantic have signed kung fu master James DeMile - a former Bruce Lee student - to school the company's stewards and stewardesses.

Airline boss Sir Richard Branson decided staff needed to learn the split-second techniques to immobilise threatening passengers. The course is part of a security and safety initiative brought in since September 11 and comes amid a rise in air rageattacks.

DeMile, who has worked with the FBI, has developed a programme. He said: "It's not about wildly swinging punches, it's about being in the position to protect yourself with specific disabling maneouvres.

"Flight attendants often have the opportunity to be effective in a potential violent situation but they are often the most vulnerable.

"That's why they need to know techniques that can be carried out in seconds from a standing or sitting position."

And new figures show incidents of air rage have risen six-fold since 1994. A Nasa investigation revealed one in 10 pilots have made dangerous errors after being distracted by troublesome passengers.

And 20 per cent of cabin crew say they have been attacked.

© The Mirror, April 17, 2002