Pacing around while on the phone has helped Nazara Technologies founder Nitish Mittersain keep fit during the lockdown. “To ensure that I cover at least 14,000 steps a day, I walk while on the phone or during Zoom calls, and before I realize it, my daily target is done, even if that means going round in circles in my living room,” he told ET Panache.
On the rare occasions that pacing doesn’t work, Mittersain likes climbing up the stairs or honing his Krav Maga skills. “Climbing stairs has been fun and it serves as a quick yet intense cardio activity. I am also practicing Krav Maga by myself at home as it keeps me energized. It’s also a superb strengthening and confidence-boosting activity.”
“Being contact combat, Krav Maga is difficult to practice alone and I dare not experiment it on anyone at home. However, I practice core techniques and shadow moves and (work on) strengthening my core so that I will be ready for more advanced training once I am able to resume post the lockdown. Right now I have been practicing for 30 mins every alternate day which has been sufficient to keep the rhythm going.”
“Post my Krav Maga training, I find that there is a heightened level of mindfulness and alertness both in personal and business life which is extremely helpful,” he added.
Understand Your Opponent
A certified Level 2 practitioner, Mittersain has been training in the martial art ever since he was first introduced to it during a YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) trip to Israel two years ago. “I first learnt about Krav Maga during a training session hosted by the Israeli Defense Forces outside of Tel Aviv. I was amazed by their level of fitness and self-defense as well as attacking capabilities. On returning to Mumbai, I was lucky to train under Sadashiv Mogaveera who heads the IKMF (International Krav Maga Federation) in India.”
One of the key principles that Krav Maga has taught Mittersain is knowing when to fight and when to avoid a fight.
“The ethics of Krav Maga requires a fighter to avoid combat as much as possible and only engage if it is unavoidable. In that case, the intent is to finish the fight as quickly as possible with high levels of speed and aggression,” he explained. “This matches well with my approach to business. I try to avoid conflict as far as possible but when necessary, I am ready to defend my position with quick and aggressive action to resolve a challenging situation.”
