Ranjeet Chingtham : Manipuri martial art performer in 26 countries

James Khangenbam *

photo courtesy : Ranjeet Chingtham

People ask what you would do after learning martial art. It is a way of life. It has life time value. Learning martial art enhances discipline, moral character in day-to-day life, artists should preserve it.

Parents are happy to come at my residence as their kids learn punctuality and culture. In martial art one has to know self, perfect self. We have to know the potential of the individual self. It is a much to acquire total self-confidence. If I beat or defend, I have to have confidence which is applicable in all life.

In book you can copy but in martial art if you copy you might get hurt so there is no unfair means when you are on the bout. These are very interesting parts”, says a soft spoken Chingtham Ranjeet Khuman who have shown his performance in 26 countries bringing recognition for an excellent Manipur.

“Martial arts have played a big role in administration, defence, safeguarding of the independent Manipur Kingdom. It was a great means in Manipur Kingdom.

I was in HULA for 25 years. During my training days also, teachers do not take fees so I follow the trend. There is no state government support personally it is my passion that I trained the interested candidates at my residence.

There is no livelihood out of this profession. I also teach aboard. In Taiwan I was invited to teach martial art. Also, some Bangladesh students want to learn martial art and they came until Kolkata and I taught them in Kolkata. Japanese and Poland citizen came at my residence and learnt the art form and left for their country”, says Chingtham Ranjeet Khuman.

“Martial art is one form of Art which goes deep and deep as we learn. Thang ta is helpful in day-to-day life. It is helpful in the utility of time. Perfect timing habit. Cultivating time efficiency. People regard us because of punctuality when I toured outside”, he continued.

Interestingly Ranjeet Chingtham also assisted in choreographing martial art performance in one of the song sequences for Bollywood movie "Omkara". Eighteen Thang – Ta and Pung artists performed for that song which was rated number one in the chartbusters of various music channel for quite a long time.

He has performed traditional Manipuri Martial art in countries like Spain, Indonesia, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, South Korea, Bangkok, Singapore, Taiwan, South Africa, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, London, Germany, USA, Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico, China, Italy, Sweden.

Besides conducting workshop and lecture cum demonstration as workshop director of thang ta at Spain, Taiwan, Peru and across the nation mostly in Kolkata and Manipur also in Punjab Bhopal UP, Mumbai, Kerala.

In his early stage of learning the Manipuri Martial art he received national scholarships from the Ministry of culture, Government of India. Now Manipuri Martial Art – Thang Ta is included in the Khelo India sports and several national tournaments have taken place so far.