Taekwondo lesson for the day: Roll with the punches

Narayanan from Madurai was 18 years old when he lost his father.

- VIGNESH V

He was shattered and didn't know how to cope with the grief. He only knew that his biggest support system had collapsed.

What followed was an oddity. The youngster decided to learn something new to distract his mind and thus entered the world of Taekwondo. Narayanan and his dear ones hoped the martial art would build strength, both physical and emotional, thereby helping him to deal with emotions better.

However, it was a rough start for him. In 2009, Narayanan appeared on a big stage for a competition but he returned home feeling embarrassed by the loss. But that day became a turning point in his life as he decided to take up the martial art seriously.

Through rigorous training, he moulded himself into a professional in Taekwondo, thanks to the help of his master Venkatesan.

Narayanan simultaneously excelled in academics as well and ended up being a software engineer. But, within three years of landing a well-paying job at a leading IT company, he quit the field to pursue a career in the martial art.

In 2015, Narayanan set up his own place - Madurai Taekwondo Academy. While he provides free classes for government school and college students, nominal fee is charged from others.