'Bharat Dojo Yatra': Rahul Gandhi teaches martial arts

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday shared a video on martial arts sessions held at campsites of his east to west Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra earlier this year and said a 'Bharat Dojo Yatra' is coming soon.

Dojo broadly refers to a training hall or school for martial arts.

'During the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as we journeyed across thousands of kilometers, we had a daily routine of practicing jiu-jitsu every evening at our campsite. What began as a simple way to stay fit quickly evolved into a community activity, bringing together fellow yatris and young martial arts students from the towns where we stayed,' Gandhi said on X along with the video of the sessions.

'Our goal was to introduce these young minds to the beauty of the 'Gentle Art' a harmonious blend of meditation, Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, and non-violent conflict resolution techniques,' the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

'We aimed to instill in them the value of transforming violence into gentleness, giving them the tools to build a more compassionate and safer society,' Gandhi said.

On this National Sports Day, he said he wants to share his experience with the people, hoping to inspire some of them to take up the practice of the 'gentle art'.

'P.S.: Bharat Dojo Yatra is coming soon,' Gandhi added.

Gandhi undertook an over two months long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that began on January 14 from Manipur and ended in Mumbai. It was a hybrid journey that was the second phase of his earlier Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir padyatra undertaken from September 2022 to January 2023.

In the video, Gandhi is seen holding sessions on martial arts techniques with children.

The Congress leader is seen telling the children that he is a black belt in Aikido and a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu.

He teaches them various techniques and also practices the 'gentle art'.