the ultimate truth

The entire nation is rejoicing now. We have won three medals for the first time in any Olympics.And, for the first time, we have won a medal in boxing. Boxing, YES. Vijender Kumar is the new toast of the nation, and deservedly so.
I cannot help but be nostalgic at this moment. I have to flashback again,20 years back.It was the last day of my summer vacation. We were at our mamabari. The occasion, WBA title between Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks. The fight was at 5:30 PM, if I remember correctly. Myself,chotomama, baba and dada were all glued to the TV set, with a telebhaja and muri in a bowl. The fight started amid much fanfare. But lo behold!Within seconds, Tyson started punching and hitting like anything, and the fight ended nearly as soon as it started. I was stunned.Taken aback at the sheer power and brute force which Tyson exerted.
I come from a family of boxers. My cousin(Borda, as we lovingly call him) was the Northern India Heavyweight Champion. He stands 6 foot tall,was a dapper 83 kilos when he fought and knocked out a 6 ft3 inch Sardar to claim the title in Punjab. He could not compete in the National Championship due to injuries, but surely would have done something had he participated.Dada and I were perennially inspired by him. None of us were very strong, but the spirit was there.
Anyways, post the Tyson fight, I was big time hooked into boxing. I was practising all the time, and it took major persuasion on part of ma to take me out of it, citing studies and typical other such bangali types concerns(tabla class, drawing class etc-all rubbish).
As the saying goes, the spirit never dies. Around 1990, dada and I came in touch with Chiradeep da.Chiradeep da practised Kung-fu-praying Mantis style, and he is one of the very few proper exponents of the style in India.Dada got inspired big time and joined Kung-fu classes. I was not allowed because of my low age. Nevertheless, dada felt that he needed to do strength training as well. Then both of us joined Guru da and Tanu da's Gym. This was a turning moment in my life. It was then that I realized the importance of being fit. After an year, when the gym closed down, I joined KyoKushin Karate. The mission to search for the ultimate truth thus started. After nearly two decades, numerous tournaments and belts, it is still going on. Regular classes and daily training has not been possible, but the spirit is still there and will always be. Had this not been India and had I not been a middle class bengali(who is a sacrifical lamb for JEE since the day of his birth), you would have seen yours truly in a ring someday. Well, you still might.