Bunking classes, Television, Theater, Muay Thai, childhood dreams, & wishlist

In about 7 weeks time, if everything goes well I am headed to Thailand for a 4 week Muay thai camp Yes its happening, finally.

Today I sat to recollect since when I got this fascination for Muay Thai...and this dream to go training amidst the 'sticks' in Thailand arise. May be over 10- 12 years. No its not the usual suspect - the movie Kickboxer, not even Ong Bak. Its pretty recent when compared to all my other wish list around martial arts. I fondly recollect 'threatening' my grandma that I would go off to China to one of those Shaolin monasteries and never return. Where exactly did it all start?  I remember its root too- watching  'Shaolin Temple'. I do remember watching it in theaters, one of the very few movies I had watched in a theater thanx to my uncle that came from Kerala to visit us. These are very old memories from my childhood, I was always this dreamy, lazy kid lost in my own world of thoughts and so I don't recollect too many of 'em. If my life was a movie, there was always a movie inside of that movie n  most time I hardly remember the plot - the every day events.

As for my first exposure to practicing a martial art, it was when I was in 8th grade - Tang Soo Do. Then growing up with  Dharam, Achal the still powerful, stocky knock out artists.. my inspirations at school helped. Then there was Prem, Raja the Shotokan kata expert n Kirish my jatti dost n Tang Soo  Do buddy in my village. As I write, we are in 4 different continents. Hmm. The gang went all the way to get their black belts, my martial art stint ended rather abruptly first year of my college post a tournament that left me with black eye, cut lips n swollen legs. Mom pulled the plug on it. 

Talking about theater and television both were out of our means growing up for most part. We had our first Solidaire black & white television until at least I was 9-10 years old. I do remember watching, please note just watching not listening TV sitting on our compound wall through our neighbor's window. I remember the excitement my sister & I  had when that big box arrived. Those were days!

As I grew up to be a teenager, watching movies got easier. I do remember bunking almost every other Friday (movies normally get released on a Friday) to go to Alankar(no more) n Shanti(dunno if its still functional) in Mount Road to watch that random Kung Fu movie that invariably starts with  the Indo Overseas Film production theme music. Most of 'em were that of Jet Li- My father is a hero, Hitter, Winner, Master, Iron fist, leg, little finger, twisted finger n what not n there were so many of 'em they ran out of any more creative names. Then there would be just I, II, II suffixed to a random name. There were other actors too whose names I don't remember. That bus drive from Tambaram to LIC! Priceless. My partner in crime was my 'Jatti dost' my 'Langoti yaar' my 'Bosom friend' Kir***(he is too shy a guy to be called out in blogs :-P ) who had zero interest in those movies. He just had to come with me!

 Mom I am sorry, chances are you will get to know about it via my sister but you already knew didn't you?

 Its been 12 years living outside of India, and have lived in 4 different countries and though very briefly I've exposed myself to other fighting systems - Shotokan, Kyokushin, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing & just a few classes of Muay Thai in Singapore. All the while I have been out of shape and poor cardio. I like MT for its no nonsense approach. No wonder its imbibed so well in MMA by all fighters  these days with very few exceptions like Machida.

As for my Muay Thai camp preparation, my cardio is poor, and I am overweight but still the intent is there. Will I get to fight there? Depends on how much progress I make.I am exited, focused and looking forward to it.

Here is a video of 'as is' situation and would like to keep log of the progress. Training is mostly through watching. One more here


Thanks to Youtube and my wife for her patience.

Wishlist-
 Kalari & Kushti in India
 Kyokushin in Japan,
 Shaolin, Boxing in Cuba

Martial arts, Kalaripayattu and Katrina Yoga

I was looking for some lost literature I had read a while ago on an intense form of Kalaripayattu(Indian fighting system) called Kathina Yoga. My initial source of this info was kalariworld.com, which sadly doesn't exist anymore. A year ago I had communicated with the person in charge of the website, made some contacts through friends etc only to find the style Kathina Yoga isn't taught anymore by the Asan (Master) and he has taken up a job and moved. Now even the literature is gone, hopefully not lost. It pains me to see such rare, ancient art and  wisdom in India is vanishing off due to the lack of proper platforms and sustenance means. Many other Kalari Schools are sustaining by doing stage shows and demonstrations in cultural fests, limiting it to a visual art perception, a far cry from what it is in reality. When you have movies made about it or references made here and there of its 'history', you know the art is dying. Thankfully of late the awareness is spreading and some schools have adopted it as a part of extra curricular activity albeit in a hybrid form.

Though I've trained in a few styles of martial arts in and outside of India,  its always been my wish  to learn what the world perceives as the source of various Asian martial art styles -Kalaripayattu. The fact that the training in weapons are done with actual weapons and no fakes, portrays its intensity and the level of focus it calls for. The salutation as such is poetic expression of the fighter's humility and simultaneously his commitment to fulfill his call for duty.

A mature martial artist makes sure he never start a fight, he only makes sure he ends it- in his own terms. It really doesn't matter what style you pursue, the art in the hands of a good Master is a journey of self realization and awareness for the student. It takes you to a point where your insecurities in mind vanish and when insecurity is gone, need to start a fight is gone. Finding fault in others when observed will always, yes ALWAYS go around the world only to lead to our own shortcomings and make us realize we are just projecting it on others, the ego never likes to lose. If a kid is introduced to a balanced martial philosophy early on, will always lead to a well balanced, confident adulthood. Forgiveness has no meaning for the weak minded and weak bodied, a weak minded person's cloak of escapism is forgiveness, its bad for the kids to get it wrong from early on. A good martial life will teach them to step up to the opponent, get to equal terms and then forgive, let go. This dimension to forgiveness is one of many  invaluable lesson a martial life gives, Kalari's philosophy is built on compassion and forgiveness and gives clarity of thought when one is called for a warrior's duty.

Martial arts are not just jumping around, throwing kicks and punches, many so called dojos that produce 'complete rounded fighters' produce just that.... punching n kicking machines. There are skilled exponents and then there are skilled martial artists, there is a difference. I've met some extremely good masters and some shallow ones, for the benefit of those who might read this blog, I request to exercise caution and be as picky as you would be while selecting a school for education while picking a martial arts school. If the master is pompous remember 'nirai kudam talumbaadu'.

Martial art is not just self defense, it hones the attitude, mental alertness ,teaches us how to  deal with pain, deal with defeat and triumph and teaches us to remain equanimous in and outside of the ring. Its like any sport but the mind body relation and interaction is even more intense and its effect on our other aspects of life becomes apparent in due course of time.

Martial arts teaches you life skills the other benefits are just add ons. If one goes with that attitude and reveres his Asan there will be irreversible, irrevocable benefits for life. Once a fighter in the ring, always a fighter outside of it.

As for Kathina Yoga, one of the search prompt took me to below results. Call it dark humor or anything this is the reality of today's world. At least I am sure Katrina in the title of this blog entry will attract some attention which normally is sparse...