One evening, I hit the sack with my laptop. I played Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and glued myself to the screen. Captain Jack Sparrow, brilliantly portrayed by Johnny Depp, overwhelming occupied my imagination even after the movie had ended. This fascination of mine is a reflection of a natural human trait. People transcend themselves through characters portrayed in the media. This can especially happen if the protagonist is a hero. In the genre of action movies, fighting is a key attraction. In this case, sword fighting, shooting, and jumping from high altitudes mesmerize and excite the audience. We wish that we could do this in real life. The action … [Read more...]
About Mohammed Tanvir Mosharraf
Perspectives on Islam and Kyokushin Karate with a Practitioner
As a result of being born into a Muslim family, in a Muslim country, Islam was naturally installed in me by my parents and reinforced by our community where I resided. However, one of my earliest fascinations was Karate, which is drawn from Japan, a much more secular state. In Japan, Shinto, a very local religion, coexists with Buddhism. In a similar fashion, Sensei (teacher) Abdullah Mohammad Hossain, who is committed to both Islam and Karate, finds harmony being a devoted Muslim as well as a Karateka. On a Saturday evening halfway through his class Abdullah yells out in Japanese, “Yame’’ (Stop). The students at KOFS (KO Fight Studio), a dojo, halt their Karate drill. Abdullah … [Read more...]
The Challenges and Hope of Promoting BJJ in Bangladesh, Particularly to Women
The Key Players During his high school years in Bangladesh, Ali (not his real name) started training in Judo. Then he moved to Australia where he was schooled under Peter De Been in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and was granted a blue belt. A Mixed Martial Arts fan who loved the T.V. show ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, Ali missed the action of martial arts when he returned to Bangladesh. He couldn’t share his passion with his family or friends. Across the globe, Sawasdee Kamal Chowdhury (Dee) was introduced to BJJ while residing in the U.K. Instantly he became hooked and was later awarded his blue belt after putting in time on the mats under Roger Gracie. When … [Read more...]
Mentor-Protégé: Lineage and Loyalty in the Fight Game
How We All Met Standing 6 feet tall and weighing almost 100 kg, Sensei Abdullah Mohammad Hossain is stronger than the average person in Bangladesh. I met him in the summer of 2014 through Sawasdee Kamal Chowdhury (Dee) who hooked us up and invited me to explore the idea of designing and promoting a BJJ curriculum for Abdullah’s dojo, Knock Out Fight Studio (KOFS). It was during my encounter with Abdullah that I met Andy (not his real name). Andy was Abdullah’s protégé who was in his mid 20s and a fight enthusiast. Andy loved the idea of being a martial artist. The Mentor Abdullah is one of the owners, co-founder … [Read more...]
Training Women BJJ – Overcoming Gender Issues in Bangladesh
One Thursday after leading a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) class, I was sitting in the office of the dojo (training hall/school) going through some administrative matters when a senior student, who also happens to be a friend of mine, dropped by. Him: “See you on Saturday Tanvir.’’ Me: “No buddy, I’ll be out of town.’’ Him: “So Simon will lead the class?’’ (Not his real name; the other BJJ instructor.) Me: “No, he will be out of town too.’’ Him: “So who will be teaching the BJJ part? No BJJ?’’ There are only two places in Bangladesh that teach BJJ. One is at the club where Simon and I are enrolled as students. There are no females in … [Read more...]
Women In BJJ – Changing The Face of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Bangladesh
My friend Sayem (not his real name) calls me up late in the evening. He is the administrator of the Facebook Page for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) program where we train. Let’s call it Bangladesh BJJ (again, not a real name). Apparently, there is a girl visiting Bangladesh from Denmark who wants to train BJJ during her visit here! I ask him about her background in BJJ. He says he’s not sure, but from her Facebook Profile page, she looks like she means business. I sit back and reflect on this. For one, there are only three BJJ blue belts in Bangladesh. What if the girl is a purple, brown or even a black belt? Won’t that be great? We could learn a few … [Read more...]