Power Punch

Every Sunday, at the crack of dawn Anuj Puri is up for his routine kickboxing session. This is a part of his overall fitness regime — something he is extremely finicky about. While other activities include swimming and tennis, kickboxing is what he prefers the most.

It was during a routine business trip to Thailand, a few years ago, that Puri first heard about kickboxing. Curiosity drove him to try his hand (or rather leg) at it and soon enough, it became an integral part of his lifestyle. “It gets rid of excess energy and is an excellent stress reliever. And it keeps me supple and limber,” explains the chairman of Anarock Property Consultants. That session on Sunday keeps him going for the rest of the week.

The venue happens to be the gymnasium housed in the building. Puri calls his home his fortress and a place where he is totally comfortable practising. That’s not entirely without reason. Kickboxing is a noisy pursuit and can create a bit of an issue with the neighbours. It’s not an easy sport to pursue, especially when he is travelling since not every hotel has a gym with a kickboxing arena. “I tried doing it in my room but the other guests did not see the fun side to it. There were a bunch of unhappy weary business travellers and that’s the last time I ever tried it in a hotel,” he laughs.

Puri is clear that kickboxing is not just a stressbuster but also something that sharpens his mind. “Over time, I have managed to focus a lot more on important tasks because of kickboxing. I call it a 'laser focus', which percolates into various facets of life as well,” he says. Puri is not too fussy about practising with friends and believes it is an excellent solo activity. “It is a form of martial arts with training imparted in the form of sequences. I continue to follow some of the routines I was taught, early on.” 

Puri thinks it’s not really the best sport to pursue with a family — thanks to the competitive advantage that can creep in, which obviously might not be a great thing. “Kickboxing is not really the most handy conflict resolution tool to have in a family,” he signs off with a grin.