YMCA Connection - Early Days

Growing up, I often became victim to bullies. While walking back home after school, I had to deal with two of them every day. One was my size, and the other twice my size. Regardless of the size, they both gave me the same terror. The big one was a bowler in our local cricket team, and when he was dropped because of his erratic behavior, he did n't take it very well, and used any opportunity he could get to vent his anger. Every day, he would sit at his window, waiting for me. He must have been seven feet tall and 300 pounds, and when he walked, the earth trembled. On one occasion though, the same giant was brought to shame and any power he earned by teasing me squeezed by Kokkan, my friend who was half my size, and my best friend on the block. It was shocking for me and extremely embarrassing for the giant. It was quiet clear to me that day that it was not so much the size as the heart that mattered.

While Kokkan gave me inspiration, another man guided me all the way through. On one of my trips back home, I took a good look from far and not finding the giant, tried to make a quick pass by his house where he often waited for me for his daily dose of power. But, as soon as I crossed his gate, he came running from inside his house and blocked my way with his bulky body. He placed his arms, that weighed more than dhai kilos (2 1/2 kgs) each, on my either shoulder, and rested his whole body over me. I almost peeed in my pants. With devilish sneer, saliva leaking from his mouth, he looked into my eyes from 2 inches away and hissed. While I thought of that as the end of everything, god sent Anil who lived in the colony near by. As soon as he saw me in the clutches of the giant, he came running and shouted at the giant from far. All of a sudden, giant collapsed and ran back to his house.

I was amazed by Anil's power. Anil was a black belt in Taekwondo that he was practicing and teaching at the local YMCA. He told me how he used to a timid boy himself and how the world turned in his favor after a few years pf Taekwondo. I was higly inspired, and quietly walked back home thinking about Taekwondo. That moment remained in my mind for several years. After that day, the giant never dared touch me. In fact, he turned the other way whe he saw me coming. He knew I had the two most feard boys on the block as my friends, the witty, Kokkan and the black-belter, Anil.

TBC .....