Packing a punch

What does the future of karate look like in Kerala? Bright would be the answer, if you ask anyone who happened to meet Kollam resident Athulya Kamal, a rising star in the sport. This bold, energetic and out-going young girl is dreaming high and achieving it step by step, bout by bout.

At the recently concluded National Karate Championship organised by Okinawa Martial Art Academy (OMMA)   in Visakhapatnam, she won two gold medals and two bronze medals and caught the eye of many. But according to her, the greatest moment came in the form of something else — getting a chance to referee the bouts in the event. “Ever since I earned my black belt in karate, I wanted to apply for the test to become the official. It is not because I feel I am eligible to judge others, but I see it as a way to know more about the sport and to excel in it,” says Athulya, who is an LLB student.  Normally, to officiate a karate bout in India, one needs to clear an eligibility test which includes written and practical segments. And only a black belt holder can apply for it.

“I earned the black belt last year and started dreaming high. I wanted to be part of a team of officials at a national event, and I was not expected to get selected for the event in Visakhapatnam as I have not cleared the eligibility test. The officials saw my bouts and they found that I am technically eligible to become a referee. So I got a chance to officiate in the wild card entry,” shares Athulya.

For her, karate was not just a sport. She considers it as a way of living, like any other martial art. Athulya says she was a tomboy and had a bad temper which she could not control sometimes. But since joining the karate classes under the guidance of her sister’s husband Ratheesh, who is a karate master, she could feel the change in her attitude. “I restricted myself from a lot of things because of my bad-tempered nature. Before joining the karate class, I used to raise my voice a lot; sometimes it went wrong. So joining the class was actually a stress buster, too. I learned that karate is not about spanking, jumping and making noises. Now I am very calm and composed, I got a grip of things,” laughs Athulya.

She is also very much into teaching kids and adults basic tips of self-defense techniques. “Learning basics of self-defense is very important now, may be more than ever. So I used to spend time for sharing what I know, especially with kids.” Athulya believes that before joining the classes, one should prepare and consider the fact that how confident and passionate they are. She is confident of clearing the eligibility tests and become an official at national and international level competitions in the future. But she says she will always give importance to participate and show her mettle in the bouts.