“Failure is the prerequisite to success, not the elimination of it.” This quote by Craig D. Lounsbrough, a famous Professional life coach and published author, sums up the fact that the journey to success begins from failure.
Setbacks are indeed an inevitable part of life. But true success is only reserved for those who see it as an opportunity for growth and motivation. Luckily, we at HFM had the opportunity to interview one such individual who embodies this resilience: Pamir Shah.
As the founder of Dynamic Warriors Martial Arts Academy, Pamir Shah has transformed Surat into a hub for some of the finest taekwondo players in the country. In his own words, Pamir Shah said, “In terms of medals for Gujarat, more than 90% of medals are won by players who are practicing at Dynamic Warriors.”
However, he, too, had a humble start when the odds were against him. This article is the story of how, despite facing defeat and humiliation on the national stage, Pamir Shah turned things around to establish Gujarat as one of the top three states in India. To understand the full story of how he achieved this remarkable feat, read on.
Humble beginning in 2008
Pamir Shah’s credentials are impressive. Beyond his black belt, he is a certified Women Against Rape & Domestic Abuse Trainer and a Personal Trainer & Exercise Therapist from the International Sports Science Association, USA.
Despite all of these credentials and accolades, it was a sour experience in 2008 that truly shaped his vision. As Pamir Shah recollects it, “While coaching the Gujarat team for a national Taekwondo tournament, I realized that the sporting culture in this state, especially in combat sports, was sorely lacking.”
The Gujarat athletes' performance had become a laughing stock on the national stage, with people questioning whether the players were even ready to participate at the biggest stage of Taekwondo in India. This moved something deep inside Pamir Shah, and he decided to draw inspiration from this setback.
After the event, he realized that there was no culture of combat sports in Gujarat. “I made a promise to myself in 2008 that Gujarat would be at the top of India for taekwondo.” With this dream in mind, he started Dynamic Warriors Martial Arts Academy.
Challenges and overcoming them
The journey to starting Dynamic Warriors was not a bed of roses either. It was full of challenges. One of the biggest challenges for him was convincing parents of the importance of taekwondo for their children.
Surat, as a city, is known for its business and commerce. The idea of starting or joining a business is deeply entrenched in the psyche of its residents. Therefore, it was a challenge for Pamir Shah to make these parents and their children see taekwondo as even a hobby was a difficult task.
“Nobody was ready to put their kids in combat sports initially,” Pamir Shah remembers. “Some households made their children join sports academies, but a combat sport like taekwondo was far from their preferences.”
Many feared that learning taekwondo would make their boys aggressive. For girls, the concerns were even more pronounced; parents worried that engaging in a combat sport would influence their femininity. After listening to all this, Pamir Shah devised a different strategy.
He tackled these misconceptions with ingenuity and sensitivity and reformed the sport not as an Olympic sport in which children could make a career. Rather, he introduced it as an activity that instilled discipline and confidence in boys. It was also a handy way to teach girls self-defense. Furthermore, it also promotes physical fitness in children and keeps them away from electronic gadgets.
These strategies changed the societal narrative around taekwondo, and people started respecting and recognizing it as a sport and a means of personal development.
From Mat to Medal
Today, the Dynamic Warriors Martial Arts Academy is striving in Surat. Pamir Shah has branched out to 11 such academies within the city, where more than 1400 students are learning the art of taekwondo. But molding them into players who could win Gujarat medals was still difficult.
Before this venture, martial arts were taught only as an extracurricular activity in school or as a low-key affair in building compounds where a small group of children gathered around to learn from a trained individual. In short, there was no proper system for aspiring taekwondo players who aspired to win medals on the bigger stage.
During 2007-2011, Pamir Shah was in the USA, learning how to reach the Olympics. There, he noticed that the culture of combat sports differed greatly from that of India. In the West, there were designated academies for the sport, where children were provided with the right system from the beginning to excel in this sport.
Pamir Shah decided to create the same system in India, and it has produced great results. Today, athletes training in his academy have emerged as national champions in different categories. Some of them have even managed to win medals for their nation in international tournaments like the Asian Championship.
The Way Ahead
Dynamic Warriors is not restricted to taekwondo today. They also cater to the general fitness of Surat’s population. Promoting kickboxing and mixed martial arts provides a way to stay fit for students who do not have time to pursue sports. In addition, they have also started fitness classes for their students' parents to ensure that the whole family’s fitness goal is achieved.
All of this was made possible by Pamir Shah's decision to systematize combat sport in Gujarat. However, he is not done yet, as he has some unfulfilled dreams that he wants to turn into reality shortly. The first one would be to open 25 academies in Surat itself. However, the biggest goal of his life is to see his students thrive in the Olympic arena and win a medal for their nation.
Pamir Shah's vision and resilience have transformed Surat's sporting culture, empowering individuals and fostering a community of discipline and confidence. His legacy goes beyond medals; it's about reshaping perceptions and creating lasting change. Pamir's story is a powerful reminder that with dedication and innovation, even the most ingrained societal attitudes can be transformed, inspiring future generations to strive for excellence.
