Bhubaneswar: Real empowerment is when a woman can live life on her own terms, take her own decisions and make her own choices. Taekwondo coach Sudipta Das was fortunate to have all of this. The end result is that today, she is successful in the career of her choice and is a sought after coach in the twin cities.
Unlike other girls in the family and neighbourhood, Sudipta was inclined towards outdoor games. Her parents noticed this and enrolled her for training in martial arts in Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium.
“I started my career 18 years abck. I learnt Taekwondo from my coach Gopal Chandra Roy. I have learnt Gymnastics and Karate too,” said Sudipta.
I was fortunate that I had the support of my husband and in-laws after getting married. My father-in-law encouraged me to pursue my career.
Today, she has five training academies in the twin cities. Apart from giving professional training, Sudipta also organises camps on Taekwondo for slum children, especially girls, in the twin cities, free of cost.
“My family members have never differentiated between boys and girls. But I have observed that many people do discriminate. There are many restrictions for girls. I always think that every girl should have the kind of freedom that I have. A lot can change in society if girls are confident” said Sudipta.
“Both self-defence and self-confidence are of utmost importance. Women should be confident to tackle each and every situation of their life,” she added.
“Women who have learnt self-defence techniques can protect themselves to some extent, especially in view of the rise in crimes against women. The skill instills a lot of confidence in them. Sadly, only 30 percent of girls turn up ” said Sudipta.
“My aim is to spread awareness that every woman should take at least a 15-day long course in self-defence training. Parents should understand the necessity of martial arts,” said Sudipta.
Sudipta is also a Vastu practitioner, biker, professional photographer and a social worker. A resident of Jagatpur in Cuttack, she is the owner of S N Taekwondo Academy and has more than 150 students.
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