Akshay Kumar interview

Akshay Kumar's reputation as a martial arts expert is as popular as his super-stardom. The super-fit star talks about the exercise form and its significance in India...

Do you think that there is an increasing interest for martial arts in India?  I thank the parents. It is not only the student’s dedication, but it also the parents hard work. I request all the parents to encourage their children learn karate or some other martial art. I assure that they will be proud of their children in the years to come.

Why do you think martial arts isn't encouraged in India?Often, martial arts is misconstrued as violence. But that's a wrong impression. I hate violence. I adore my art. I agree that it can be used to kill people. But there’s a huge difference between a man who ‘can kill’ and ‘will kill’. Art it is not an excuse to go around thrashing people.

Do martial arts bear any resemblance to any Indian traditional fighting techniques?  Interestingly, some of the most incredible forms of martial arts trace their origins to India. They are practically secret to the rest of the world. I want the world to see what India has to offer. We have techniques that even the Chinese don’t have, let’s be proud of our traditions and embrace what we are. My aim is to change the perception of martial arts in India. We have such talented individuals. We just need to spot them and nurture them.

What direction do you see the martial arts in India heading?Karate will one day be our national sport,or at least in our top two. I want everybody to understand that karate is not just a combat sport. Martial arts is what keeps me fit, agile, disciplined and punctual. It helps you control anger, negativity and enables you to focus during extremely stressful situations. Karate is more than just kicking and punching, it is an art.

I would love to make karate compulsory in schools. Everyone—especially women—deserve to be taught self-defense in this country. You’ll be surprised to know that young girls at my karate tournament manage to throw around guys twice their height and weight and lock them to the ground. Women are powerful and I want them all to be protected in life

What is your contribution towards martial arts in India?Taking the Karate championship to an international level is on the cards. The response we have received over the last few years has been phenomenal. I am confident we will see success even with an international karate championship. India has some extreme talent and I’m doing all I can to expose it. I couldn’t be more pleased with every single one of them. All the adults and children take this competition very seriously—every opponent was there to win—there are guys and girls who can seriously kick ass....

I have already prepared them for the fact that next year we are making my tournament international. Countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and Indonesia will be competing with India’s finest karate champions. I’m already looking forward to next year! Right now, I want to host the championships only in India and I want to show the world what a great host India is.

I do not want to make martial arts a 'source of entertainment on Friday nights'. I just want to give everyone the opportunity to learn one of the greatest forms of physical disciplines in the world. Cinema is different, training is different. I feel we should leave the attraction of martial arts to cinema and reveal the magic of martial arts to the competition floor.

Akshay Kumar’s take on martial arts...The South Asian countries are far ahead of us in martial arts. I feel fighting with them, and interacting with them will benefit those learning the art here. I want the children here to have exposure to the best karate fighters and teachers. I want Indian children to learn martial arts with the same passion and dedication as children in other South Asian countries. Like a boy from every rural family is sent to the armed forces to become a soldier, I hope that a child from every family in India—rural or urban—will enrolled to learn karate.