Child of 'Gujarat 2002' steels today’s karate kids

AHMEDABAD: Altaf Saiyad, 23, learned karate to keep bullies at bay in school. And when life threw a nasty punch at him, the martial artist used his fighter’s spirit to rebuild his life.
An instructor of the Gujarat chapter of Shito Ryu Karate Koshiki (India), Altaf’s house is adorned with 40 gold, five silver and bronze medals won in the past decade.He prides himself on being a tough mentor.
But there was a time when he had almost given up on karate. In 2002, he was on a high after being adjudged the best fighter at a national tournament in Chennai as an 11-year-old when post-Godhra riots broke out. Altaf’s house in Mithan Saiyyed ni Chali was burned down and all his medals were lost. His family escaped with nothing but their lives.
“We stayed in a relief camp for eight months. Getting to eat well was a miracle,” Altaf says. Stifled in the crowd of helpless humanity, Altaf would sleep on the footpath under the open sky. Months after riots, his coach Nazar Soni sent a student to look for Altaf in the camps.
“Riots had shaken my confidence and wanted to give up on karate. But my coach put me back in school and restarted my training,” recalls Altaf.
When his family relocated to a shanty, Altaf went to Nepal for an international tournament. He ranked third. “I felt blessed. I took up small jobs to run the house.”
His mother Sarvari, who was cook, became jobless. On the day of his board exams, she passed away.
Altaf channelized all his angst in karate. “I started teaching at a school and later set up my own. Today, I teach 100 kids and earn close to Rs 50,000 per month. My ammi is not around to see my success, but whenever a kid gets tough after learning karate, it feels I have added to my country’s strength.”