A Decade and a year of love

COMPLETED 11 GOLDEN years in martial arts, years before in 1999 December is when it all started, still remember the classes, I started with Karate, the dojo was high on Disciple and had worked with loads of "Kyias" I was very enthusiastic when I learned that our school will be conducting Karate classes after the quarterly exams. I wanted to be part of it for sure, only later I came to know that it was compulsory but it was compulsory, many boys hated it and tried to flee but I tried my best not to skip any of the classes. Later I enrolled directly under my Sensei. I was selected among the lucky 3 in the belt exam out 40 pulse and was part of a 10 member demo among some 30 odd students, that selection and Demo still inspires me, even today. Years seem to have passed really quickly. I had a break in between and when I came back I was in full flow, attending 2 to 3 classes a day, have spend ample time with my master, used to come to my home just to sleep. I could feel that I was transforming into a Kickboxer and a good one under the guidance of my master. Teaching Kickboxing to others was a pleasure and that desire still drives me strong. Later I started learning muaythai which is even more intense even in its lighter version. Today I am qualified to teach martial arts and I am looking forward to open a club, truely one of its kind with a quality blend of martial arts, mind workouts such as Meditaiton, NLP and more

Belt Stall

Many marital artists have an affinity towards acquiring belts in different styles, that is actually good “katradi kai alavu kalla dadu ulaga alavu” “known is a drop, unknown is an ocean” but that shouldn't be in the form of greed. Yes this blog is about the dark side of martial arts. It is wonder full if you have a IIIrd Dan black belt in all the famous styles in the world, but to deserve it, it will take 2 third of your life. But I see some of the belts are being literally purchased in the name of 1 day to 1 week workshops, if there is a belt it should be given by obeying the law that the style or club has imposed. You can shorten the period if a student is talented or extremely talented in the lot. like some have been awarded black belts in 2 years where the normal duration is 3 which can be done if the student is worth the belt, but you cannot open a black belt stall "opened to black belts of all styles" and award 2nd Dan and 3rd Dan buy teaching them a few extra Katas, some masters are making full use of the greed in among many instructors and according to me in the subject age is never an issue people of all age would love add grades to their belt, marital arts has more zen values to it than commercial interests, commercial interests always clashes with the art values especially when the art gets popular, but this most not be exploited and definitely must not happen in marital arts because a martial art teacher is looked up as a guru, in eastern traditions like in India a master is ahead of God. so when a teacher isn't sincere he is playing with the consciousness of not just a student but with an entire generation. When it comes to belt test it should not been seen as an easy way to earn money, only those who deserved should be passed, all the students cannot pass all the time, a good club will have some students who would have failed to pass through but that message would be sent to them without hurting his heart, a student should earn his belt it should not be awarded to him by the number of classes he attended or the years he spent in the club. The Quality of black belt is important, what I mean by quality is internal, mainly kicks, when it comes to kicks many fizzle out, I have seen a number of black belts seniors and juniors who haven't mastered the kick entering into teaching, because teaching boosts their ego enormously and of course its a white colored job to earn money, I have literally seen black belts just throw their legs in the name of kicks, people will definitely watch in awe because they will be stuck in the acrobatics of the performer, my heart used to burn when I see this and that is when I made my mind that I will teach martial arts no matter what come may. Years before in Chennai I have heard of a Japanese master who had come to distribute and conduct belt test of his style's branch in the city was issuing black belts to existing black belts in all the styles, it was said to opened to black belts of all styles, many masters thronged to get certified from him because getting certified from an international Japanese master "directly" in your local area doesn't happen everyday and for the instructors who thronged in that will increase their status among the martial arts circle more importantly in their students group, the master made full use of it and charged heavily and issued 2nd, 3rd and 4th Dan black belts by giving them training in a span of 48 hours. Let the belts be earned through performance not through money, if money is the major criteria then Millionaires and Billionaires will have a black belt around their while partying, that wont be a good sight for any martial arts lover