What's IMA Whiskey?

The Indian Military Academy (IMA, Dehradun) creates one of the Finest officers in the Indian Army. The institution has been turning Boys into Men since the day it was established on October 1, 1932.

The Academy upholds the highest moral and ethical values from the graduates. Inscribed in the oak paneling at the Eastern entrance of the Chetwode Hall is the Academy’s credo, cited from the speech of Field Marshal Chetwode at the inauguration of the academy in 1932 —

The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time.
The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.
Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time.

Only a few Survive the brutal Training the Academy Offers.

From exhausting route-marches to photography, painting, seminars, term-papers, tours, and sports, the training is an action filled scenario nurturing the mental and physical potential of the Gentleman Cadets (GC). All GCs are allowed equal expanse for growth within the given time frame. The pace of training at the Academy is fast, fierce, and intense. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that it becomes a test of one’s mettle and capabilities, and in psychological terms an anticipation of what the cadets would face in the battlefield where there is no scope of explanation and rationalization for failures. The completion of training is, therefore, a sort of self-assessment which awakens and stimulates one’s self-esteem, sense of honor and dignity. A GC learns a great deal of values of life during his stay in the Academy.

Not only a great deal of values but a lot other fascinating or adventuresome things are learned by the GCs at the Academy. Ever heard of IMA Whiskey?? Ring a bell? No? Well, every Gentleman Cadet at IMA has tasted IMA Whiskey at least once a while at the Academy. Now, you might be marveling what is an IMA Whiskey?

Let me drop you a hint, it’s NOT actually a drink or a beverage!! Jolted you?
Then what is IMA WHISKEY?

It is kind of an exercise the cadets have to do at the Academy.

After a training for 4-5 hours when the cadets are not even able to lift their arms, they are made to put their finger down on the ground and go round that finger 20 or so times!

When the cadets complete their circles, they get giddy and feel dizzy and nauseating. They feel everything spinning around them and are not even able to stand.

This is called IMA Whiskey or The Indian Military Whiskey!! A surprising revelation, huh!!

Now when and why is it done?

This is usually done after the Boxing lessons. When the cadets complete IMA WHISKEY, the instructor makes them punch a punching bag 20 times as fast and as hard as they possible can hit.

Then they go down again, do circles around their finger for 20 times, then again hit the punching bag 20 times and then again go down and again….

This cycle goes on and on….

The GCs get confused why their instructors make them do this kind of stuff. This is done because in hand to hand combat when an enemy hits you, you get all dizzy when that first punch lands on your head.

Now, the enemy after hitting you first might think that he has knocked you (the opponent) out but suddenly you just come out with 20 faster and stronger punches, leaving the enemy knocked off completely because this has become your Muscle Memory. And muscle memory is the ability to reproduce a particular movement without conscious thought, acquired as a result of frequent repetition of that movement.
All thanks to the instructor who made cadets undergo such rigorous exercise called the IMA Whiskey! Excited to join IMA soon? 😉