Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Kick and calm
|
Chat Kanishka Sharma wants to bring Shaolin to India
|
All poise Kanishka Sharma has trained many Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan
He comes across as a gentle soul who would be eking out a living as a software engineer or a banker, but a closer look reveals that Kanishka Sharma is no ordinary person. At 29, he is the only accomplished Shaolin warrior in India trained at the famo
us Shaolin Temple.
“I am the first Indian to be trained at Shaolin Temple Secular Disciple Union, Shaolin Temple, China. When I was seven, I happened to watch “36 Chambers of Shaolin”.
“Since then for 22 years I have been in love with the art. I was first introduced to martial arts in 1986 when I started training under Sensei Murugan in the art of Okinawa Te and practised it till 1990.
“Later I was introduced to Kungfu Toa. Then I started my study of Shaolin Chan (Zen), Wu (martial arts) and yi (medicine) under Master Shi Heng Jun, Head of Shaolin Temple Secular Disciple Union, Shaolin Temple, China,” says Kanishka who trains students in many premier schools in the Capital and also imparts training to policemen.
Currently he and his teacher Shifu Liu Ze Fang are looking for a place in the Capital to establish a branch of the Shaolin Temple. “I want this craft to continue its traditional form and be included in the curriculum of schools.”
Kanishka is also good in shaolin weapons like Shaolin Dao (Broad sword), Drunkard stick and shaolin Magic Wind Cudgel. He has mastered the art of shaolin Qinna (catch and lock) and Dian Xue (pressure point punching).
However, he insists that shaolin is not like any other martial art. “It is not just a means to fight or of self defence. It keeps you calm and is also a means of quick healing.”
Training stars
Kanishka has also trained Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra for “Don” and was recently seen in “Goal”.
“Bollywood has exploited only one aspect of shaolin. I want people to see the larger good that can be achieved through shaolin,” says Kanishka who counts Akshay Kumar among his good friends.
On the growing popularity of Karate and Taekwando, Kanishka says these two martial arts have originated out of Shaolin. “Since they are easier to learn, people tend to go for them. You can have a belt in these sports in two years’ time, while in this period one can learn only the ABCD of Shaolin. It’s like the difference between having a McDonald’s burger and cooking a dish from scratch and then having it.”
ANUJ KUMAR
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
