The worn-down Sher-i-Kashmir indoor stadium in Srinagar is a hub of activity through the day. An old portrait of former Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah looks down upon rows of badminton courts, where players stretch and warm up between games. Row upon row of broken chairs fill the rafters and damage caused by the 2014 floods is still evident along the walls. In a far corner, neatly dressed in stark white judo uniforms and hijabs, is the Jammu and Kashmir girls judo team.
The modern Japanese martial art, which literally translates into “the gentle way”, was developed in 1892 by Japanese educator Jigoro Kano. Central to Kano’s vision for judo were the principles of seiryoku zen’yō (maximum efficiency, minimum effort) and jita kyōei (mutual welfare and benefit). Judo was made an Olympic sport in 1964 and women’s Judo became a medal event in 1988. The first written record about judo in India is about demonstrations and coaching by Shinzo Tagaki, which were arranged by Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan in 1929 . The Judo Federation of India was formed in 1965. At the 2010 Judo World Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Thoudam Kalpana Devi of Manipur became the first Indian to finish in the top three.
For these young Kashmiri girls, the worn mats are their sanctuaries. They spend more than three hours a day practicing flips and takedowns. Aged 5-17, these determined girls learn the ancient art of judo from their instructor for whom they have the greatest respect. Their biggest inspiration is Ronda Rousey, an American mixed martial arts fighter with a history of judo training.
Most of these girls have fought social and familial stigmas to be a part of a growing appreciation for judo and mixed martial arts in the Kashmir valley. Everyday, children of all ages train hard and compete in local competitions as well as national tournaments. On this particular day, the Jammu & Kashmir under-21 women’s judo team was holding final trials for a national competition. While business carried on as usual across the main arena, the air was tense in one corner as weigh-ins began.
The images below shed light on the Jammu & Kashmir judo team, where men and women practice together at the Sher-i-Kashmir indoor stadium in Srinagar.
Courtesy of: Scroll