Finding the power within

Meet Avinash Subramanyam, an expert in Chinese martial arts, who is on a mission to promote fitness and wellbeing Once my friend and I were wrestling for fun. He knew judo and heu00a0 pushed me lightly. I fell down with a thud. I was stunned and wanted to learn more about judo. I went to Japan to look for a teacher, says Avinash Subramanyam, who is currently training young sportspersons and corporate honchos in martial arts. I have earned 14 black belts from all over the world. It's been 35 years since I first started learning and I still feel I have a long way to go, he adds. Mentor's roleThe best way to learn something new is from a teacher and not through Do-It-Yourself books or DVDs. My teacher Zhang Guangde is 90 years old. He cycles around every day. He has successfully battled lung cancer and he continues to teach and inspire youngsters, explains Avinash, the hero-worshipping student.Pain and gainHe confesses that he went through a great deal of physical pain during his training years. Broken bones, torn tissues and aching joints were part of the deal. I wanted to fight the pain and that's when martial arts like Lian Gong Shi Fa, Dao Yin Sheng Gong, Qi Gong and Taiji Chuan came into the picture. I realised there is a synergy in this art that connects the mind and body, he adds.u00a0 Swift and precise: Avinash executes the side flying kick during a demo session; students practise Chen style TaiChi QuannBelieve-it-or-notAvinash recollects the time he was electrocuted when he wasu00a0 practising with a stick. The stick hit a cable of 11,000 watts and I fell down the stairs of my house. I regained consciousness after two full minutes. And when I looked in the mirror, I looked like a guy straight out of a horror movie. My shirt was singed, my hair was standing on endu00a0 and smoke was billowing out of my pants. I went to a nearby nursing home and ran up 5 floors to get myself admitted. My training and perseverance saved my life, he says.Skill sharingHaving worked with young athletes,u00a0 Avinash thinks even stressed out corporate executives would do well to learn the martial arts. Chinese martial arts train one to use mind and body. Theyu00a0 wake every particle in the body and bring about a sense of balance. They help control ailments of the heart, liver, kidney and lungs.The sessions are simple, and fun. The movements are like a dance precise and rhythmic.u00a0 Avinash plans to open his first institute in Bangalore by December. I will name the institute after my teacher Zhang Guangde. He has promised to be here for the inauguration, he says.Sound advice>>Invest in your physical and mental health. You will be pleasantly surprised with the returns. >>Let got of youru00a0 inhibitions and be happy. Keep the spirit of joie de vivre alive.>>Wash away pride andu00a0 remain humble. Self-defence tacticsWhile he isn't keen on teaching martial arts to aggressive youngsters looking for trouble, he says he would loveu00a0 to teach young girls to defend themselves. I am among the first persons in India to have received the license to teach women ESP or Effortless Self Protection. Another form of self-defense is called Kubotan, where women can use something as basic and simple as a key chain to knock down their opponent, he explains, clearly aware of the threats that young women face today. What annoys me is the demand for 'instant' results. Many youngsters are impatient and want to learn in one day what I have spent 35 years to master, he says ruefully.

Finding the power within

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