Akshay Kumar on Kudo tournament: I wanted to provide an international platform for children
Actor Akshay Kumar talks about the 15th International Kudo Tournament, which was recently held in Surat
In a true testament to his lifelong commitment to martial arts and fitness, actor Akshay Kumar organised the 15th Akshay Kumar International Kudo Tournament in Surat (Gujarat) recently, bringing the Japanese martial arts discipline to the centre stage. The actor admits he thought of introducing the practice in India after realising its importance for self defence, and now is dedicated to motivate the youth to take up the form “without worrying about money”.
This year, Kumar was joined by actor Disha Patani as a special guest at the event. It’s a tournament which he has been organising for over a decade now.
“I trained for Kudo during Rowdy Rathore (2012), and before that I was training in Muay Thai and Gojukai Karate for many years. It was only after realising the effectiveness of Kudo in self defence situations that I decided to introduce it in India,” Kumar tells us.
The 56-year-old star, who is known for his dedication towards holistic fitness, continues, “I wanted to provide an international platform to the children from every town and village… An international tournament where everyone can participate without worrying about money or costs, hence my tournament was started. It is absolutely free of cost for the last 15 years, in fact, during the lockdown too, the tournament was kept going online”.
Taking a leaf out of his passion for fitness, Kumar once again brought the tournament to life, which was a four-day affair. He has been promoting Kudo for many years now. For the uninitiated, Kudo is a Japanese martial arts form in the same category as Judo, Aikido and Kendo.
Opening up about how the tournament can contribute to the growth of Kudo in India, the actor shares, “The tournament has become a stage to scout for talent as athletes from all the states of India. They come here, compete here, and from here they go on to represent India at global stages such as South Asian Cup, Asian Cup, and World Cup. You will be happy to know two consistent winners selected from the Akshay Kumar Tournament are currently under 19 world champions 2023”.
This year, he was joined by Patani, a martial art enthusiast herself, at the tournament. The OMG 2 actor feels it is important for youth icons to use their star power in mobilising people towards finding the right way to be fit. “Icons can motivate and help the youth channelise their intrinsic energies in the right direction, hence a martial artist or a fitness icon would definitely help youth find their groove in the world of fitness and martial arts,” he shares.
Kumar has himself trained in several martial art forms over the years. He is trained in Karate, Taekwondo and Muay Thai. In fact, sometimes, he uses social media to share a glimpse of his fitness routine with his fans. And he admits his own martial arts journey has complemented his professional journey in many ways.
