Shihan Mahendra Kumar Ayyalkar: India’s Karelin of Karate

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History is written by the victors, and it has always been the theme since the inception of human beings. Most of the historical events recorded by mankind are often witnessed or read through the eyes of the winner, rarely through the loser. There have been several winners accomplishing unimaginable records in several fields from sports and music to science and literature, and their lives have fascinated and impacted numerous people from time to time.

Aleksandr Karelin is one of, if not the greatest sportsmen to ever step foot in The Olympics, with his too-good-to-be-true record of 887-2 in Greco-Roman wrestling. However, he is one of the few to have his efforts recognised and rewarded, as several people with a similar talent and record in every field have been barely felicitated and acknowledged. One such high-caliber individual is Shihan Mahendra Kumar Ayyalkar of Gulbarga, a man of several accomplishments in the dangerous and tough sport of Karate.

Mahendra Ayyalkar was introduced to the highly competitive and dangerous world of Karate by his elder brother, Prakash Ayyalkar, a former karate practitioner and audit officer, at the tender age of seven in 1990. His elder brother developed his budding interest in the sport and helped him develop the required dedication and discipline towards becoming a champion. In 1992, Mahendra participated in his first karate tournament hosted in the DRDO building, giving it his all in Kata (imaginary fighting), Kumite (fighting with gloves), Team Kata (three people performing kata together), and Team Fighting (two teams of four plus one players).

However, unfortunate circumstances pushed Mahendra towards experiencing his first defeat, as he was placed fourth in each event. He watched other kids proudly walk up to the podium and receive their medals from the then Chief Minister of Karnataka, Veerappa Moily.

He thought to himself with mixed feelings, “Everyone’s receiving these medals with such happiness, yet I sit here with nothing but loss and sadness.”

Even though his family persuaded him to focus more on studies and cricket, he continued his march into karate. For him, every hurdle, every loss – served as a motivational booster, and he intensified his practice. His obsession with the sport did not initiate and conclude at the dojo, as he always thought of the various techniques and moves constantly to the point he was eating, sleeping, and breathing karate. He would sleep on the terrace every night in his karate attire, so he could wake up and immediately commence his daily training.

The year 1994 witnessed Mahendra Ayyalkar finally receive the fruits of his every day’s arduous hard work, as he won his initial medals, securing 1^st place in Kata, Kumite (individual and team), Team Kata, and Team fighting. His brother, having witnessed his determination and dedication, caved in and opened a class for him, where he’d train regularly and properly for 3-5 hours. The next year witnessed him repeat this achievement, and he continued accomplishing and achieving new levels of mastery over the art of karate, as he bagged mostly gold medals, with a few silver and bronze, consistently and continually till 2008.

Mahendra Ayyalkar arrived in Bangalore to pursue his dreams and achieve more success but was obstructed at several stages by obstacles that seemed too hard to cross. He was selected to represent India in The Asian Games thrice, but it would be jeopardized due to unfortunate circumstances with some internal politicking. He was also employed to work as an assistant karate master, where he would travel to schools like New Horizon College, Cambridge School, and Royal Concord International School, teaching students from seven a.m. to nine p.m. However, a series of unfortunate events created misunderstandings, due to which Mahendra left his job and decided to work independently. His tenure as an assistant coach left a positive impact on the students and their parents and upon their request, in 2016, he started to train his students with determination and dedication. His excellent athleticism played a key factor in his role as a skating coach for five years.

Shihan Mahendra Ayyalkar has since been developing his students into fighting machines, as most have won medals and performed impressive feats with their developed skills. He aspires to be an official referee, having passed the All India Referee Exam in 2015 and the Karate Association of India (KAI) National Referee and Judge Examination in 2016. He aspires to push his students to the highest level of winning accolades in The Olympics, Asian Games, and other tournaments and sporting events. He credits his parents, coaches, and elder brother for supporting him even during the roughest hours. We at Icons of Indian Business wish him the best in his endeavors and hope he attains success at every stage.

Connect with Shihan Mahendra Kumar Ayyalkar : +91 96862 49159