“My day begins early with Karate classes, training students and building discipline. After that, I manage our kirana shop, and in between, I take Rapido rides to earn extra income. It’s a packed routine, but I’ve never believed in sitting idle.
Growing up, I watched my father run a kirana shop and a small hotel. Even when we were struggling, he always helped others. As a child, I didn’t understand why he put people first when we had our own worries. Years later, when I took over the shop, I realised it was never just about business—it was about trust.
A few years ago, I expanded into wholesale, hoping it would help us grow. For nearly two years, I didn’t realise how much we were losing. By the time I understood, the damage was already done. For a while, it felt like nothing I was doing was enough. My wife stood by me through it all—she even sold her jewellery to support us. I remembered my father’s words: money comes and goes; you just have to keep moving. There were no big victories—just longer working hours and days that slowly became manageable again. Over time, we cleared the losses.
Those months changed me. I became quieter, more careful with money, and more aware of how fragile stability can be.
During this phase, I returned to martial arts. I’ve been a black belt for years, but life had pulled me away. Teaching Karate and Kung Fu brought me back—especially training children who cannot afford fees. Seeing some of them go on to compete at the national level reminds me why I started.
Today, I teach Karate at Nrupatunga Group of Institutions in the mornings and train students at Health League Self-Defense Camp. We’ve also started a Karate facility at Decathlon, Secunderabad, under Japan Karate Association Telangana, where I train students on weekends. Alongside work, I volunteer in food distribution, blood donation camps, and animal welfare.
Between teaching Karate, running the shop, riding, and volunteering, I’ve learned one thing—stopping was never really an option.”
— Damodar Nayak, Karate Trainer