'Kids taking Unifight seriously'

Nagpur, May 7

According to technical director of India Unifight and vice-president of Unifight Indian Association Santosh Khandare Unifight is a unique form of martial art and is gaining ground in the country and kids are taking it seriously.

He was speaking during the ongoing Online Karate and Sports Seminar for Physical and Spiritual Development organised by Karate Budokan International (Vidarbha Region) and hosted by Kyoshi Harish B Choube, National Chief Instructor and Examiner, Karate Budokan International and Sports Coordinator.

Khandare further said sport is helpful in building stamina and brings flexibility in sportspersons,

He also spoke about the advantages of Unifight. He said that in the last 10-20 years, martial arts developed in various forms and new styles. In the middle of 1990s the universal fight Unifight started in Russia. Khandare explained the rules and styles of Unifight and said that it is not a fighting style. “Unifight is not a fighting style. It is a method of training and control where all that matters is the application of concepts and skills acquired in the full-contact system, under stress and effort,” he said. “Unifight consists of two consecutive stages of physical tasks. The first stage consists of completing an obstacle course including firing a rifle or throwing a knife while in second stage a participant has to compete in a one-on-one fight in the ring, which starts one minute after the first stage is completed. In the first stage, competitors have to cross obstacles on parallel tracks.

The first participant to finish the course is declared as the winner and gets a point in first stage. If a contestant fails to overcome any obstacles, on the third attempt, he/she is disqualified,” said Khandare. In the second stage, the winner of first stage is called to the ring for one-on-one combat. The number of rounds in the second phase depends upon the age and skills of the contestants. The duration depends on the level of competition and level of preparation. The sport includes consistent application of exercises on an obstacle course, shooting airguns, sporting knives and handto-hand fight in the ring. “This sport started as a military application, but now has become very popular worldwide. The sport has affiliated members of 35 countries and till now 13 World Championships have been organised,” informed Khandare. “In India since 2008, regular national and international competitions are being organised in the age group of 10-11 and 12- 13 years of light unifight,” he informed.