MUSCAT — Gathering medals galore, representing Oman on the world stage, and setting world records, the iron-willed head instructor of Bodhi Life Skills Academy (BLSA), Kyoshi G Kumar and his extraordinary young team, which had Omani youngsters too, have done wonders in two back-to-back world karate events. Kyoshi Kumar and his champion team, hauled 15 gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal at the Chennai World Karate championship, which was held from July 25 to 26. Later, at the third Okinawa Karate World Tournament and Festival held in Okinawa, Japan—the birthplace of Karate—from July 29 to August 6, BLSA delivered an immaculate performance, sweeping seven gold medals.
Back to Oman with this record haul, Kyoshi Kumar and his students met with Black & White at the BLSA, an active martial arts training centre and dojo in Mumtaz area.
Kumar and his team — all dressed to kill — proudly displayed their medals and certificates haul from their recent outing at the world karate championship events. For the students, this is a major feat and for Kumar, 38, who has now been promoted from Renshi to Kyoshi, his 19-year struggle in Oman, building his reputation through intense perseverance, physical conditioning and breaking stunts, this most-recent achievement is a major milestone. His bright black eyes still radiating with happiness moistens a bit as he acknowledges his struggle. But the smile on his lips reveals that he is a success story today, having expanded his academy from sheer nothing to a karate talent incubator.
“Representing the Isshinryu karate style, our mission was to participate in a massive, biannual World Record Event featuring martial artists from eight countries. This prestigious global gathering, held once every two years, took place at the Mylapore Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Having previously represented Oman at the 2019 event in the UK and the 2023 event in the USA, I have made it a lifelong personal commitment never to miss these global arenas,” Kumar explained. The main event brought together 1,001 karate practitioners for a certified world-record attempt. It was a 40-minute punching marathon and the sheer physical stress left everyone exhausted, but the Oman team stood strong.
“Every single one of our students conquered the pressure and won gold medals. Most students earned two medals each, dominating both the Kata (forms) and Kobudo (weapons) categories,” Kumar said, adding that he also competed and brought home medals across two categories—securing victories in both the technical demonstrations and the competitive fights.
Day and night training
While world-record certificates and medals offer great moments of motivation, the true victory lies in the months of unseen sacrifice. “To prepare for this gruelling international track, our students trained day and night under strict discipline. Our training hours were dramatically increased. On most days, practice began at 4am at our training center,” Kumar recalled. The children pushed their physical boundaries, finished their morning sessions, and then transitioned directly into their regular school schedules. Their next global stage in Okinawa, Japan, saw over 5,000 elite competitors from 45 countries gather competing.
“However, we faced a major stylistic hurdle: the supervising floor referees were from different karate schools and did not understand the unique mechanics of our style. As the only team representing the Isshinryu style of karate from Oman, our initial marks were mistakenly underscored. I actively contested the discrepancy, raising my hand to formally explain our style’s distinct technical movements. To permanently resolve the issue, the regional Grand Master was consulted to provide clarity on our forms, ensuring our students were judged fairly for the remainder of the festival.”
Kumar also faced a severe personal challenge— he had to compete with a painful hairline fracture in my leg. Yet, he competed in the master-level demo fights and won. “Our determination was rewarded with a sweep of international medals and certificates. For my master-class demonstration of Isshinryu kata movements, I was honoured with a gold medal,” Kumar informed.
Beyond the podium finishes, the absolute highlight of their trip to Japan was a historic audience with the legendary head of their style: Grandmaster Anshi Kichiro Shimabuku (10th Dan Black Belt), the guardian of the Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA). “Meeting him was a dream come true for the entire Omani delegation,” Kumar said.
It was a milestone for Kumar too. His personal and professional journey over the last two decades in the Sultanate reached a historic peak during this trip. “Grandmaster Shimabuku officially promoted me from the title of Renshi to Kyoshi (7th Dan Red & White Belt). “Receiving my 7th Dan Kyoshi title from Grandmaster Shimabuku in Okinawa, coupled with our students’ remarkable medal count across both international tournaments, stands as a crowning achievement for our academy,” Kumar said.
Olympic Dream: a call for corporate sponsorship
To a query, Kumar said his ultimate dream was to guide these highly disciplined, talented children to the future Olympic Games. However, matching physical endurance with financial endurance remains their absolute greatest challenge.“Currently, our academy and the students’ families completely self-fund these massive global trips. The costs associated with international flights, tournament registrations, sports accommodation, and nutrition are incredibly demanding. We are actively seeking corporate sponsors, sports foundations, and institutional support within Oman to back these young athletes. Investing in them is an investment in bringing Olympic gold to Oman.”
Japanese ambassador honours achievement
Meanwhile, to honour the karate team’s achievement, Kiyoshi Serizawa, the Japanese ambassador, hosted Kyoshi Kumar and the entire delegation of champion students, expressing his heartfelt commendations and congratulations on their global success. ” Being personally invited and commended by the Japanese ambassador is a great honour for Bodhi Life Skills Academy,” Kumar said.
Japan World Karate championship highlights (7 gold medals)
At the World Championship held in Okinawa, BLSA won seven gold medals:
Kyoshi G. Kumar: Gold Medal – Demolition (Tile Breaking) Category
Pranav V. Nair: Gold Medal – Kata Category
Gopeshkrithik Parthasarathy: Gold Medal – Kata Category
Gunit Chaturvedi: Gold Medal – Kata Category
Taha Al Zadjali: Gold Medal – Kata Category
Maryam Al Zadjali: Gold Medal – Kata Category
Rudra Vishal Sutar: Gold Medal – Kata Category
Chennai World Karate championship highlights
Demonstrating mastery across Kata, Kobudo (Weapons), and Kumite (sparring), Kyoshi Kumar led by example with three gold medals, followed by stellar performances from the academy students:
Kyoshi Kumar: Gold Medal – Kata | Gold Medal – Kobudo | Gold Medal – Kumite
Raghav Krishtapparaj Sathiyaraj: Gold Medal – Kata | Gold Medal – Kobudo | Bronze Medal – Kumite
Pranav Krishtapparaj Sathiyaraj: Gold Medal – Kata | Gold Medal – Kobudo | Silver Medal – Kumite
Yusuf Salahuddin: Gold Medal – Kata | Gold Medal – Kobudo | Gold Medal – Kumite
Abu Bakr Siddiq: Gold Medal – Kata | Gold Medal – Kobudo | Gold Medal – Kumite
Prarthana Menon: Gold Medal – Kata | Gold Medal – Kobudo | Silver Medal – Kumite
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