Today we’d like to introduce you to Shravan Avyukta.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Thank you for featuring me. My name is Shravan Avyukta. I’m a 30-year-old Martial Artist, Performer, and aspiring Martial Arts Instructor specializing in Wu Style Tai Chi. Currently, I study and train at the Wu Yi Shaolin Martial Arts Center in Coppell, TX. As a child, I was captivated by martial arts movies and TV shows, often dubbed in my native language, Tamil (தமிழ்). Watching legends like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Jet Li speaking Tamil was truly inspiring. Fun fact: I always believed they spoke Tamil exclusively.
Back then, Karate schools were popping up on every corner. When I expressed interest in taking Karate classes to my parents, it was immediately dismissed. They assumed I would become arrogant and felt threatened by my request. Honestly, I wasn’t attracted to the violent side of martial arts; I was inspired by one factor: ‘self-discipline.’ As far as I can remember, those Martial arts movies emphasized human discipline as the main principle for strength and self-improvement. I observed that both heroes and villains in those movies were on the same page in terms of cultivating discipline to reach the ultimate human potential. I wasn’t interested in fighting anyone; I just wanted control over my mind and body, and martial arts seemed like the path to achieve that.
Fast forward, I put all my martial arts interests behind me and focused on building a strong engineering background. I pursued my master’s degree at Cal State LA, landed my dream job, and found the love of my life, and everything was smooth. Until I gained some unhealthy pounds and ailments due to unnecessary stress. Despite going to the gym consistently from 2012 to 2020, when the pandemic hit, my gym routine got disrupted. Nobody taught me how to handle adult stress without going to the gym. I was sure that stress could be handled in a meaningful way, but I was struggling to find the key to unlock that release door. I was stress eating without realizing it. I never believed that human stress was a real thing until I experienced it myself. It was about time I learned that there are instances when humans are under terrible stress without even realizing it.
One day, I woke up and told myself, “Ok, that’s it, it’s time to pursue my martial arts journey.” I knew I always wanted to do it but never had the chance, the cash, and the time to pursue it. Now, feeling stressed out, I realized if not now, it may be never. I immediately jumped on Google and searched for ‘Tai Chi classes near me’ and I went to the first unsponsored Google ad-word school that popped up, only to realize that my life was about to change for good. On October 21, 2022, I walked into the martial arts school for the first time in my life and took the classes. What an exciting moment! Ok, let me tell you this: Tai Chi isn’t easy. Training yourself to move slowly is just as difficult as training yourself to move fast.
Now, the million-dollar question: Of all the martial arts & practices, why in the world would I pick Tai Chi? As an engineering professional, when I make decisions, I naturally try to future-proof myself. It’s called second-order thinking, where you think more about the long-term outcomes of your decisions and less about the immediate results, but you’re not completely unaware of the immediate results of your decisions. After reading a few blogs, I realized that Tai Chi is likely a long game, and it seemed to synchronize well with my priority to learn more about myself and my flaws.
After a year and a half of super-consistent Tai Chi practice, learning, and being trained by experienced martial artists – here I am, one of the very few young Tai Chi practitioners in the United States specializing in Wu Style Tai Chi. In such a short time, I’ve performed in over 15 events with our school’s Tai Chi Team, and I’m actively blogging about Tai Chi online. I’m also in the process of ideating, writing, and releasing a book on Tai Chi because more people deserve to learn about how incredible Tai Chi and its benefits truly are.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I was all in for Tai Chi learning baby steps, but I knew I needed to catch up for all the missed years of martial arts training in the past. I needed to find a way to expedite my training regime. In my Tai Chi class, everyone had been on their martial arts journey for about 15 to 20 years, and my biggest challenge was how to catch up to them to make it onto the Wu Tai Chi demo team. I needed to devise a method to improve my Tai Chi forms as if I had practiced them for 5 years, and there were clearly no shortcuts to do it. The only way was to put in extra hours of practice, so the first thing I did was start practicing at home every single day.
Personally, I found Wu Style Tai Chi to be beginner-friendly because the forms were in alignment with my body frame, and the stances were realistic and achievable for most beginners like me. The most crucial training was the Tai Chi Walk; perfecting it took more than 100 hours of my time, and I would most definitely say I’m still not there yet. I started practicing the Tai Chi Walk every day as part of my daily routine. Have you heard of this famous martial arts saying? – “Fear not a person who practiced 10,000 different types of kicks once but fear the person who practiced one kick 10,000 times”. I kept telling that to myself as a way to stay motivated on the journey.
Another challenge I faced, which I’m still unsure if it was a struggle or a blessing, was losing weight quite drastically due to the intense physicality of Tai Chi training. I lost more than 20 lbs. within a year of practicing Tai Chi. It’s important to note that during this time, even if I went to the gym, I focused solely on Tai Chi and didn’t engage in weightlifting. As I lost weight, I found myself going back to square one in terms of balancing myself during my Tai Chi stances. My body had to recalibrate and adjust to the new weight, putting me back to square one in practicing my moves and stances. It was both painful and blissful because it helped me gain a better understanding of my body and its uncertainty. My teacher emphasized the importance of listening to my body when it tries to communicate with me, and so I did.
Tai Chi and impatience don’t go well together. Although I initially began practicing Tai Chi with a serious lack of patience, I gradually grew into someone who was able to cultivate it through the journey rather than focusing solely on the destination. I’m unsure if Tai Chi made me a patient person, or if I became patient to expedite my Tai Chi journey, or perhaps both. I am still trying to find out.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As someone specializing in Wu Style Tai Chi, I’m currently dedicating more time to researching the benefits of practicing this style and its self-defense applications. While self-defense is an added benefit of Tai Chi, mastering it can take years of dedicated practice. I’ve found that the stances, forms, and movements in Wu Style Tai Chi are practical and closely aligned with the body frame compared to other styles.
I’ve begun blogging about Tai Chi on the internet instead of creating videos or context-less short-form content. However, I initially wanted to share my learnings through videos but stopped after consulting with my martial arts teachers and doing some research. I learned that it’s recommended for anyone interested in martial arts to join a reputable school to receive personalized training and guidance for optimal growth and learning.
I firmly believe that an intelligent person is not someone who has all the right answers but rather someone who asks the right questions. This belief sets me apart as a Tai Chi practitioner. I’ve been posing a question to long-term Tai Chi practitioners: “What is the one thing you regret about starting your Tai Chi practice?” Interestingly, they all share a common response: “I wish I had started practicing Tai Chi earlier.” This insight has been a game-changer for me because it reassures me that I’m not late for Tai Chi—I’m just on time. I aim to continue being someone who can ask the right questions and identify patterns in those responses.
I’m eagerly approaching my 2nd anniversary in my Tai Chi journey in 2024, and I couldn’t be more excited. Little did I know that martial arts would play such a significant role in my life. As an aspiring Martial Arts Instructor, I’m actively learning to teach other students under the guidance of my teachers and grand teachers in our small but strong Tai Chi community.
What does success mean to you?
Success, to me, is about personal growth, fulfillment, and making a positive impact in the world through martial arts. It is not just about achieving external milestones like anniversaries but also about inner peace and alignment with one’s values.
As a martial artist specializing in Wu Style Tai Chi, success is marked by continuous improvement of skills, achieved through a laser focus on learning and applying one golden nugget at a time. It involves deepening my understanding of the art by consistently reaching new learning milestones and sharing its benefits with others in textual forms to connect with like-minded individuals. Success entails embracing challenges, learning from setbacks, and staying dedicated to my journey, knowing that it’s uniquely mine. No one else can walk this path for me.
To me, learning Tai Chi isn’t a competition, but it is; understanding Wu Style isn’t a career path, but it is; building a Tai Chi community is not my priority, but it is.
Yes, it is a paradoxical perspective, but my relationship with Wu Tai Chi is ever-evolving. Thanks for having me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shravanavyukta.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shravanavyukta/
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@ShravanAvyuktaVlogs
