Malayalis still largely associate martial arts with Karate and Kalaripayattu.However, when the Taekwondo Federation of India recognised a handful of experts from across the country recently, through its Hall of Fame Awards, a Malayali was also among those chosen for the top honours. Anil Francis from Kannamaly is the first Keralite to earn the recognition and the 49-year-old speaks to us about his love for the sport."As a martial arts enthusiast, I am trained in a number of disciplines," says Anil, who has black belts in Karate and Squay Martial Arts too, besides Taekwondo. He has also tried his hand in Kung Fu and Kick Boxing. But, once he discovered the world of Taekwondo, he plunged headlong into it. "I was already a Karate black belt when I first heard about Taekwondo. Unlike the rest of the martial arts, it is recognised as a sport and is the only one that's included in the Olympics. It is also one of the few martial arts that are always performed with full body gear and has a globally recognised pointing system, all of which urged me to focus on this discipline," says Anil.He has been training under Jimmy R Jagtiani, who is regarded as the father of Taekwondo in India, from the early eighties. "I consider myself lucky that our paths crossed," says Anil, who was introduced to Jimmy through his then trainer Christuraj. "He took me under his wing and helped me understand the spirit of Taekwondo better, as a sport. It's from him that I learnt how a sportsman should surround himself with positivity, regardless of the results or path ahead," Anil says.For the past few years, his life revolves around taking the sport to as many people as possible regardless of their financial status, which earned Anil the recognition that came his way. Alongside imparting free training to many students across the State, the martial artist is working towards a bigger aim now — making Taekwondo part of Kerala's school syllabus! "If that's done, all our kids will get to learn this art in-depth, and also put it to good use at these troubled times. Moreover, as it is a recognised sport, they can even pursue it seriously after school."Anil is happy that in Kerala, for the past seven to eight years, Taekwondo is enjoying an increasing popularity. "The Taekwondo Federation has been working hard to popularise it in educational institutions. Besides the benefits of improving your reflexes and fitness, as it is a sport, students can also get grace marks if they perform well in State and National level championships," he says.His passion for Taekwondo has passed on to his family too. Anil's wife Lily, who was a school teacher, gave up her job a few years ago to get trained in Taekwondo. A black belt now, she too has joined in his efforts to popularise the sport. The couple also has a son, Class IV student Athul, who is also a black belt.

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