Okinawan Matayoshu Kobudo Yonabaru Shubukan India

Our place is located at A 103 Sai Sarjan Apartment. It’s inside the Shubhlaxmi Society, not too far from the Saibaba Temple in Zadeshwar. The name is a bit of a mouthful—Okinawan Matayoshu Kobudo Yonabaru Shubukan India—but most people just know we’re the martial arts group in the apartment complex. It’s not a big fancy gym with neon lights. It’s a simple space where we practice. We spend a lot of time working with wooden weapons and learning the old ways of doing things. It’s physically demanding and sometimes the room gets pretty warm when everyone is moving, but that’s part of the training. We aren’t trying to be the next big fitness craze or anything like that. We just follow the traditions we were taught. Usually, you’ll find a mix of people here, some who have been training for years and others who are just starting out and feeling a bit clumsy. That’s how it starts for everyone. We keep the mats clean and the atmosphere is pretty focused. It’s not the kind of place where people come to show off. We just show up, do the work, and then head home. It’s a bit of a quiet community we have here in Zadeshwar. If you walk by in the evening, you might hear the sounds of practice, but otherwise, we’re just another part of the neighborhood, tucked away in the society building.