The Guardians at the Dojo
The dojo at SVIS in Kandivali (West) welcomes the karatekas and their parents alike. As the session begins and students line up, their parents take a seat — right outside and connected to the dojo still. Sensei Nehal Chavan excuses herself whilst training to introduce me to the parents seated outside and with their consent, I begin interviewing them. As their children’s kiai resounds from within followed by the Shihan’s yame, they, too, sit up straight and are prepared to answer any questions I might have for them.
We are seated in a circle; it is an intimate gathering of women who are all friends with each other. They discuss the dojo, their children’s progress and express gratitude to one another for having their children train under the Shihan — they mention feeling secure and state that they have great faith in the Shihan as he is bringing out the best in their children. When I ask them to expand on the thought, they all say that the sessions have been responsible for instilling discipline in the children; they go to bed early and are up by sunrise. The oath recited in the dojo is their gospel; all of their prayers now carry its name.
One of the parents I spoke to has 2 young daughters training under the Shihan for the past 6 months and when asked about her observations so far, she smiled and said, “they feel so much more confident now and encourage me to train too!” The other parents agree and each talks about how their child used to keep to themself before but is more comfortable among people now; they have begun expressing themself. The younger children are starting to become independent and wish to make the journey to the dojo by themselves — it is a reflection of confidence in oneself and trusting the teachings of the Shihan, counting on him and relying on all that they have been learning to protect themself. The parents are beyond pleased to notice the building of such confidence and the willingness to take on challenges in their children.
All of them share with me instances of their children coming back home and replaying what they learnt in the dojo on that day. It indicates their being one with the art. The children also wish to continue training under the Shihan and achieve many accolades with his guidance. Another parent, also a sportsperson, spoke about the Shihan’s unconventional way of teaching — his method of instruction is unlike anyone’s. He not only preaches but also demonstrates. He is as present on the mat as his students are. He moves around, observes. His teachings are tangible, almost. He is the bridge between the students and the dojo and so, the path is seamless.
Currently, the Shihan — a 7th Dan black belt — is training a fresh batch of participants for the 10th KWF World Karate Championship to be held in Japan in October of 2023. One of the parents I spoke to has her eldest son on the team. She refers to this year being the first time for him and the other parents hum in acknowledgement. They take his example to conclude that their own children are highly motivated to do well and someday, also find themselves on the national team.
Shihan Sachin Chavan’s leading a team representing India globally at the Championship in Japan does not only invoke a sense of pride in his students everywhere but is a moment of immense joy for the nation as a whole and we all wish them success. It is on note of these well wishes that the dojo for the day comes to an end and the students already cannot wait to share with their parents all the knowledge they have received today.
