Actor Akshay Kumar, apart from pumping Rs 2 crore in the third annual Akshay Kumar Karate Championship, plans to get basic martial arts training and education included in school curriculum across the country. Reason: the actor thinks that the younger generation needs to be prepared to protect themselves from danger and be ready to combat enemies, if and when the country demands it.
“I was talking to someone I know in Singapore. There, two-three years of army training is compulsory for everyone, this means that every civilian can double up as an army man or woman. So, they will never be short of soldiers during wars and emergencies,” says Akshay. “Hope India never goes to war but if it does, do we have enough hands to combat enemy forces? Anyway, what’s the harm in having civilians who are trained in basic martial art forms and can fight whenever there is a situation?”
The actor, also the anchor of stunt-based reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi, insists he won’t hesitate to speak to top ministers and bureaucrats about this. "I’ll go to any length to make this a reality. Even if kids train for only two years in karate or kung fu, they will never forget their basics. And with practice, they will better it and pass this knowledge to more kids," explains Akshay.
"I believe that someone needs to start this initiative and I’ve made a few small moves. One of them is to organise the annual karate competition with my own money. The number of kids participating has risen every year, which means more children are taking interest in martial arts. I think my efforts will bear fruit."