: With YouTube As His Coach, Labourers Son Wins Gold At National Martial Arts Competition #IndiaNEWS #Arunachal Pradesh From when he was little, Tashi Wangchu loved the Rocky series, starring Sylvester

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With YouTube As His Coach, Labourers Son Wins Gold At National Martial Arts Competition #IndiaNEWS #Arunachal Pradesh
From when he was little, Tashi Wangchu loved the Rocky series, starring Sylvester Stallone, which often played on HBO. He says he was fascinated by the depiction of fitness, training and boxing in the film. In fact, he often imitated the famous actor by running in the jungles near his hometown Gyankhar village in Tawang of Arunachal Pradesh.
But as he grew into his teenage years, Tashi’s interest faded. “I had no support, source of inspiration or the right facilities to follow my interest,� he tells The Better India.
Tashi went to Itanagar, the state capital, to pursue higher studies. Here, he became addicted to smoking. The habit continued even during his graduation years, when he moved to Delhi in 2012 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science. “With such a habit, my dream of fitness was over,� he recalls.
However, Tashi says that during his stay in Delhi, he learned about Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a hybrid combat sport that involves techniques such as boxing, wrestling, karate, jujitsu, judo and other disciplines. The two opponents are to strike, grapple and use ground fighting abilities to try and defeat one another.
Tashi posing after practice with a friend.
“I also found training centres and gyms that offer courses for the sport. But I had no money to take coaching. My father is a labourer and works odd jobs to make a living. He expected me to complete my education and bag a stable government job. He did not encourage me to pursue the sport,� the 24-year-old says.
But despite odds and no formal training, today Tashi has achieved his dream and emerged victorious by winning the 4th Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) India National competition by a knockout. And all this by self-coaching on YouTube.
Running with a sack full with stones
Tashi says he decided to pursue a career in sports despite the lack of motivation from his parents or support from friends. “But I had made up my mind. I quit smoking and stopped hanging out with friends who discouraged me,� he says.
“There was no awareness about the sport in my village, and finding a coach was a far-fetched idea. So I logged on to YouTube and started basic training. I found coaches across the world who conducted online tutorials, and took part in them,� he explains.
Tashi says that as he began training, his friends, family and relatives mocked him. “They thought I had gone crazy,� he chuckles.
He would wake up at 4 am and start his training by warming up, running, and then moving on to intense workouts. To build endurance, he found various means to modify the exercises. “I carried a sack full of stones and ran for 4-5 km.

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