The next big Martial Arts Film comming soon
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On a bridge near the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Arjun Rampal makes his way, wielding a stick to attack Shah Rukh Khan. Khan, who had sweated through a month of Bruce Lee-style kickboxing, moves lithely and in a swift motion, disarms Rampal, who retaliates with Muay Thai or Thai kickboxing. The scene of action shifts to a train in a junkyard where Priyanka Chopra sheds her seductive image and punches Khan as she engages in Shaolin Xing Yi Liu He boxing. The new Don glamorised kickboxing on the silver screen, and some of that magic has fallen on the dusty boxing rings and battered punching bags in the Capital.
Kanishka Sharma, a 29-year-old martial-arts expert, who choreographed the fight sequence in Don, has had doctors, teachers and designers punching and puffing at his Shaolin Chan Academy at Andrews Ganj . “Viveik Oberoi and Isha Koppikar too have shown interest in learning kickboxing,” says Sharma, who has moved from behind-the-scenes to the front of the camera in Goal. He not only taught John Abraham to pack some punches, Muay Thai-style, but also flew up in the air onscreen to score a goal.
Forget Bollywood, think Delhi. Kickboxing is fast picking up here, especially among young women who are tired of their sedentary lifestyle and want to lose weight while kicking up some fun. At Vicky’s School of Oriental Arts in Saket, women are standing in a row, hitting punching bags. Megha Chopra, a 20-something primary schoolteacher, sucks in her breath and gives a hammer strike while her instructor looks on. She stumbles as she switches to elbow attacks and aggressive kicks, but Rohan S, her trainer, asks her to go on. “She is finding it difficult as she is new. She will soon get used to it,” he says.
Unlike Chopra, Kamaldeep Chaggar, a 30-year-old veterinary doctor, is a natural at kickboxing. Puffing between punches, she says, “It is a good way to tone up the body and build your stamina.” An hour of cardio kickboxing can help you burn 600-800 calories.
That is one reason why 14-year-olds and 60-somethings are training at Fitnesolution at Greater Kailash. Says trainer Kiran Sawhney: “We make sure that the exercises for elderly are mild and not too hard on their joints.” But if joining a class doesn’t interest you, then you can learn kickboxing in the comfort of your own home. Bharat Sharma, a fifth-degree black belt, will train you individually. “I make my clients do shadow boxing, apart from meditation, skipping and other exercises.” But the personalised service comes for a price — Rs 6,000 a month.
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