Kudo in the Olympics is the dream of this martial arts exponent

Vispy Kharadi says Kudo is growing in popularity worldwide and is a perfect candidate for inclusion in the world’s most significant sporting event.

Surat, August 23: Surat-based Vispy Kharadi, one of the best-known exponents of martial arts in the country, wants to see the martial art of Kudo in global sporting events such as Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

A mixed martial art, Kudo is an official Japanese cultural sport under the same category as Judo. It is a safe, scientific, modern, and practical combination of karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.

“Kudo is recognised by more than 10 national Olympic committees and has over 50 member countries. Considering its ever-growing popularity around the world, we believe Kudo is a perfect candidate for inclusion in the Olympics, and this is what our efforts are focused on,” said Vispy, who is also the Generl Secretary of Kudo International Federation of India (KIFI), the governing body for Kudo in the country.

KIFI was established in 2011 to promote Kudo in its purest form across villages, towns and cities in the country and to create world champions in Kudo. Actor and Judo/Karate art expert Akshay Kumar, along with Hanshi Mehul Vora, is among the founding members of the Federation along with Vispy.

Vispy is also associated with the NBSII Institute and Kudo Association, Gujarat and Women Self Defence Centre (WSDC) for more than a decade. NBSSI Institute is run by Mehul Vora to improve awareness of physical fitness and self-defence among children, women, and the elderly.

A trained martial art expert, Vispy is a 5th Dan black belt holder in karate, awaiting the result of 3rd Dan black belt in Kudo, 2nd Dan Black Belt in Kenjutsu, 1st Dan black belt in Aikijujutsu, Judo, Kobudo. He is also an expert trainer in Krav Maga.

Vispy holds Seven Guinness Records in the martial arts category, including four in the most layered bed of nails sandwich, one for having most watermelons cut on his stomach, one for having most watermelons cut on his stomach on a Nail Bed, and one for bending Iron Rods with Neck. In fact, he is the only person from Asia to achieve Seven Guinness Records in the highly risky and potentially life-threatening stunts. He has also participated in martial arts events around the country and the world.

Vispy will also be aiming to etch his name again in the Guinness Book of Records by attempting multiple Guinness Records in Surat in a few weeks from now. He will attempt to create records in the categories, which will surely come as a surprise for everyone.

In a few years, Vispy has established himself as a national-level trainer in Kudo and other forms of martial arts such as Krav Maga. He has trained police personnel of different states in martial arts. He has trained Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and as many as 600 army commandos in short-hand combat and other aspects of martial arts, besides physical activities such as balancing, stooping, stress response training, etc.

Vispy also supports the self-defence initiatives undertaken by police and other organisations and has trained thousands of girls and women in self-defence free of cost. He has also participated in various stage shows and modelling events. His excellent physique and good looks have also brought him TV ads and roles in Bollywood movies Brothers and Naam Shabana.

Armed with an MBA, Vispy worked with various national and foreign banks for more than a decade of his professional career. He performed well and climbed the professional ladder, but deep down, he knew he did not want to be a banker all his life. He quit the banking job in 2015 and launched “Spaartan – Vispy’s Martial Arts & Fitness Academy”, an open martial arts centre, a few months later.

“I had found my life’s calling. It was challenging in the beginning. I had just three students initially, including my son Zidaan. But, slowly, I found my feet. The number of students increased. The fact that I was teaching what no one else was helped. Over time, we reached a stage where one centre was not sufficient, and I had to open multiple centres in Surat,” he says, looking back.

Apart from martial arts, Vispy has also developed expertise in fitness management and physical training. With a deep evaluation of physical fitness, understanding their needs, and developing a practical workout routine, he has helped thousands of people achieve a dramatic physical transformation. He also identifies the developmental needs of others while coaching and mentoring them to ensure they can make the most of their efforts.