In Krav maga, there is a class just dedicated towards improvising objects around you and using them as a weapon. Use of objects inside a room and use of objects out in the open.
To describe this to a lay man who is also a couch potato, there was an English serial of 1980's, The A Team, and a movie was made on it too. The 4 ex-military renegades were always devising weapons and obstructions from stuff available to them. That's what Military teaches.
There are many many real life examples out there, even non military ones.
Do you know the kabbadi match of sub continent? its team work, if the player from opposite team comes and grabs one of your team mate, you all join hands and grab him and dont let him escape.
IA was not prepared for such a clash and neither anticipated such a response from PLA troops. Soldiers make-do, they grab anything as a weapon and use it against the enemy. Instead of fleeing into hillsides, IA should have regrouped and fought back. I was of the view that IA training standards were almost same as PA's, but i stand wrong. The psychology of IA troops changes when they are confronting PA troops, knowing that IA troops will always have more numbers to back them up. PA troops know they will always be out numbered so they are trained to take on heavier formations of enemy. IA met PLA a year or so back and had almost same clash without using fists or kicks, so they should have studied PLA troops psychology and how PLA will react in defending what they own as theirs. All the Sun Tzu principles are failing inside Indian camp. Its the job of a soldier to hunt down and kill the enemy soldier, why else would a soldier be sent to the border. Some statements from indian reports are classic examples of childish excuses like "dog ate my homework".
The way reports are mentioning that IA troops jumped into river reminds me how muslim virgins and muslim wives jumped into wells to save themselves from hindus and sikhs in 1947 during partition. Those were women, they had no chance against men but here trained troops are jumping into river and fleeing into hillsides. Its a pathetic show and poor performance of training methodology.