Deepak Rao

{{short description|Indian combat trainer and author}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| office = Brand ambassador of Indian Army 20px

| module = {{Infobox military person

| embed = yes

| honorific_prefix = Major

| name = Deepak Rao

| spouse = Seema Rao

| website = https://www.majordeepakrao.com/

| allegiance = {{flagu|India}}

| branch = {{army|India}}

| serviceyears = 1994-present

| rank = 22px Honorary Major

| unit = {{flagicon image|Territorial Army (Flag).svg}} Territorial Army

| battles =

}}

| image = Major Rao AMAR contribution felicitation.jpg

}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}

Deepak Rao is an Indian military trainer and author. He has helped train the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the police forces of major cities and states. For his service in modernization of close quarter battle training,{{cite web|url=https://www.majordeepakrao.com/images/76.jpg|title=Territorial Army citation}}{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2010 |first1=Prachi|last1=Rege|first2=Nishat|last2=Bari|first3=Mitali|last3=Patel |title=The unstoppables |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/supplement/story/20100823-the-unstoppables-743780-2010-08-13 |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=India Today |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=September 27, 2009 |first=Nitasha |last=Natu|title=This couple tackles terror together|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/this-couple-tackles-terror-together/articleshow/5061209.cms |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=The Times of India |language=en}} he was awarded commission as Honorary Major of the Indian Territorial Army in 2011.{{Cite web |date=2011-11-02 |title=Army honour for close combat warfare expert |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/army-honour-for-close-combat-warfare-expert/ |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Ms Dhoni, Abhinav Bindra and Dr Deepak Rao Granted Honorary Rank in Territorial Army |url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=76949 |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=pib.gov.in}}{{Cite web |date=November 30, 1999|title=Facts about Indian Territorial Army: 5 Terriers India is proud to have |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/indian-territorial-army-facts-839047-1999-11-30 |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=India Today |language=en}} He acts as one of the brand ambassadors for the Indian Army.

Rao has been a trainer for the Indian Army since 1994. He specializes in close-quarters combat,{{Cite web |date=October 12, 2009|title=Combat couple |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/eyecatchers/story/20091012-combat-couple-740916-2009-10-01 |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=India Today |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=May 19, 2020|title=Men in uniform get a shot in the arm from combat couple {{!}} Mumbai News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/men-in-uniform-get-a-shot-in-the-arm-from-combat-couple/articleshow/5060789.cms |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=The Times of India |language=en}} and along with his wife, Seema Rao, invented a new form of reflex shooting, named the Rao System of Reflex Fire, for the Indian Army.{{Cite web |title=Dr Seema Rao: India's First Female Combat Trainer, Fighting Stereotypes |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/2019-wpower-trailblazers/dr-seema-rao-indias-first-female-combat-trainer-fighting-stereotypes/52713/1 |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=Forbes India |language=en}} He also founded the Advanced Commando Combat System for close-quarters combat.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-25 |title=Meet Major Deepak Rao: Commando Trainer of the Indian Army |url=https://ssbcrackexams.com/meet-major-deepak-rao/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=USAdojo |date=2017-02-03 |title=ACCS: Advanced Commando Combat System |url=https://usadojo.com/accs-advanced-commando-combat-system/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=USAdojo.com |language=en-US}}

According to Rao's instructor Richard Bustillo, an original student of Bruce Lee, Rao is one of the few instructors in India who teach Bruce Lee's art of Jeet Kune Do correctly.{{Cite web |agency=PTI|date=Jan 1, 2012 |title=Bruce Lee's legacy is being abused: Bustillo {{!}} More sports News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/bruce-lees-legacy-is-being-abused-bustillo/articleshow/11325249.cms |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}

In 2024, Rao was asked by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande to visit the Army Institute of Physical Training to improve the Indian Army Martial Arts Routine by adding new termination skills from his method called Army Battle Combatives.{{Cite web |last=Goa |first=Viva |date=2024-10-25 |title=Hon. Major Deepak Rao helped improve martial arts training in Indian Army - VivaGoa Magazine |url=https://vivagoaonline.in/index.php/2024/10/25/hon-major-deepak-rao-helped-improve-martial-arts-training-in-indian-army/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=At 60, Hon. Major Deepak Rao Continues to Contribute to Indian Army With His Battle Techniques |url=https://www.news18.com/india/at-60-hon-major-deepak-rao-continues-to-contribute-to-indian-army-with-his-battle-techniques-9098181.html |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=News18 |language=en}} Rao has outlined this method in his book "Strike to Kill".