Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (August 29, 2024) shared a martial arts video from one of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra campsites along with a teaser — ‘Bharat Dojo Yatra is coming soon’.
A dojo is a training hall or school for martial arts and Mr. Gandhi is likely to share more videos of martial arts sessions that he undertook during the yatra from eastern to western India.
“During the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as we journeyed across thousands of kilometers, we had a daily routine of practicing Jiu-Jitsu every evening at our campsite. What began as a simple way to stay fit quickly evolved into a community activity, bringing together fellow yatris and young martial arts students from the towns where we stayed,” Mr. Gandhi said in a post on social media platform X, while sharing a video of a session.
Rahul Gandhi holding sessions on martial arts techniques with children | Photo Credit: screenshot from Rahul Gandhi’s post in X
“Our goal was to introduce these young minds to the beauty of the ‘Gentle Art’ a harmonious blend of meditation, Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, and non-violent conflict resolution techniques,” Mr. Gandhi said, adding, “We aimed to instill in them the value of transforming violence into gentleness, giving them the tools to build a more compassionate and safer society.”
The Congress leader shared the video on the occasion of National Sports Day and said he hoped he could inspire some to take up the practice of the “gentle art”.
In the video, Mr. Gandhi and another instructor are seen holding sessions on martial arts techniques with children. He is seen telling the children that he has a black belt in Aikido and a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu. He teaches them various techniques, practices the “gentle art”, and stresses the importance of transferring the right energy. “P.S.: Bharat Dojo Yatra is coming soon,” Mr. Gandhi added.
