American Times: How to fight off a gun-wielding hijacker, in a few simple, scary steps

The tall man in the black fleece jacket is pointing a gun at the woman's head and he's demanding that she gives him all her money – immediately. The man is about 6ft 3in and must weigh at least 16 stones (100kg) but the woman knows he doesn't really want her to hand over her cash.

So instead, she steps inside the line of fire, takes the man's wrist with her own hand and twists it around. Suddenly she's holding the gun.

"Wow, is it that easy?" she says, a little bemused. "It is," smiles the tall man good-naturedly. Just a few minutes earlier he had been holding a knife to her throat.

The man in black is Jimmy Higgins, a fifth dan in tukong moosul, a martial art developed by the South Korean army and incorporating elements of tae kwon do, hapkido and judo. The woman is Gwen Wood, a 51-year-old Washington broadcasting executive and one of the students at the Saturday morning self-defence classes Mr Higgins runs for airline passengers.

In the aftermath of the terror attacks of 11 September, interest in such classes soared in America. Given recent onboard incidents such as that involving the alleged shoe-bomber, Richard Reid, and an alleged assault on a cockpit last week by a Uruguayan passenger, Pablo Moreira, flying to Buenos Aires, that interest remains strong.

"Since 11 September I have not flown," Ms Wood said after the class at the American Martial Arts Studio in Alexandria, Virginia. "I have always been a nervous flyer and I need to get back to learn how to fly. I thought that if I could learn how to do something I would not be so fearful. I think it helped."

Students pay just under $60 (£42) for the two-hour class, at which they are taught a series of basic techniques that could help them to survive an attack from someone wielding either a knife or a gun. Most of the techniques are blindingly simple, once they have been shown. Others take a little more practice.

Students are also taught how to turn everyday items such as rolled-up newspapers, seat cushions and belts into weapons of self-defence.

"It is about taking the initiative, it is about being aggressive in that sort of situation," said Mr Higgins, 39, who also teaches US Green Berets, Rangers, naval special forces and police officers. "It is about not being a victim. We are not trying to teach people how to be like the special forces, but we are trying to keep them alive," Mr Higgins said.

He confirmed that since 11 September, interest in the classes had "really jumped". The story is the same at similar classes across America.

Among the new students at the Oriental Sports Academy in Falls Church, Virginia, is Fred Bieber, a 57-year-old pilot for American Airlines. After he heard how the 11 September hijackers seized control of the jets using nothing more than craft knives, he signed up for hapkido classes.

"I simply want to be able to defend myself, my flight attendants and my passengers," he told The Washington Post. "What if someone burst through the cockpit door with a gun or knife and I can only grab him with my hand? I want to know what to do."

So do the classes do any good? Ms Wood said: "What surprised me were the practical techniques of how to disarm someone with a gun or a knife.

"I would recommend it to others. I'm actually thinking of going back again."