Indian doctor masters traditional martial art of Philippines
Medal-winning doctor defeated famed ‘arnisadors’ to take gold
How does one who is a doctor by profession, an actor by passion and a martial arts follower leave his mark?
Dr Prashant Nair, a specialist orthodontist at his self-owned Medico Clinic in Deira, has created a piece of history when he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Fourth Hall of Fame International Arnis Tournament held in Manila, Philippines, recently.
Arnis, also known as ‘Kali’ or ‘Eskrima’, is the national sport and traditional martial art of the Philippines. Arnis involves handto-hand combat, joint locks, grappling and weapon disarming techniques.
Nair, who hails from Kerala, went to a karate gym to get rid of the excess body mass during his schooling days in Dubai.
Nair shifted to Cochin for his high school and junior college and later pursued his dentistry
He returned to Dubai in 2000 to set up his specialised practice at the same clinic run by his dad on Naif Road in Deira.
All along, he never gave up his search for excellence in martial arts — starting from the traditional Karate to the Japanese art form of Aikido and lastly, to Arnis only in February 2016. “I was running out of options and wanted to keep my body moving all the time, and that led me to Arnis Master Timothy Alfonso II. Meeting him gave me a fresh purpose, and in November, the Master told me I was good enough to participate in an international competition,” said Nair.
Nair defeated famed ‘arnisadors’ such as Veka Rounevaara from Finland and Josh Bilon of the host nation to take the gold.