Forging A Destiny Through Acts Of Randomness ...

"And so the trials and tribulations will begin for this mortal. The mortal we chose out of the many. A boy who would transform into a man through iron and steel. And we will make him the warrior that he is destined to become. But what we never thought, what we never expected or ever saw coming was that this warrior had a power of his own. He had the will to challenge his own mortality. He had the courage to look fate right in the eye and say, "I bow down to none."

-The Book Of Prophecies.

The 1st day when you enter a Boxing or Mma class, you are excited as a little boy with candy. You want to hit all the bags as hard you can and you want to show your master that you know everything already. You take up all the opponents he throws at you and eventually 'cause of your foolishness you get your ass handed to you. Then, when you are down at the mat, beaten, you realise you have a long road of training ahead of you to become the fighter that you dream to be. And then, as the days go by you become more focused and calmer and you become selective. In other words, you evolve and become better. The same thing goes with me and my blogs I guess. When I started writing these blogs, they used to be once a week almost for 2 years or so. Of course, I'm not saying that they all were bad but now, when I go back and view them, well, let's just say they weren't presented that well. But now, I know I am selective about my topics. I know that whenever I open my laptop and start writing, it has to have some deeper meaning to me. So ya, writing less doesn't affect me anymore. But writing with purpose and depth truly does.

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

-Steve Jobs

Today I am at home resting and recovering from a fever which kicked in yesterday. I felt a terrible pain on the left side of my body and I thought it was just soreness from the crossfit session I did on monday. But when my kicks weren't going high enough and when my stamina was depleting faster than the air from a torn ballon, I realised that a fever was creeping up on me. The doctor told me today either it is a throat infection which is the devil or over-training. Al though I know the throat infection has done this, I am not taking any chances with pushing myself unnecessarily towards an over-training state. And yes, the rest has really helped. I can already feel the cells in my body recovering and within a day or two I will be back on track. And by back on track I mean listening to my body more and doing 'Smart' training instead of 'Balls-Out' training. And speaking of training I recommend everyone to try Crossfit! It is absolutely revolutionary! To be honest, when I was in Phuket, I was completely against the Crossfit Training 'cause I didn't know how it would help me achieve my goals. But since the last 45 days in the Crossfit Training world I can tell you it is the best thing that fitness and science has to offer today. There are of course many gyms which provide crossfit training and also like a 1,000 websites which do the same too. If you are looking for a solution to achieve your fitness goals by just being in the gym for only 60mins, well, then crossfit is for you!

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

-William Shakespeare

Staying at home does have it's advantages as well. I get to spend more time with the pets. I get to catch up on all my favourite tv shows. I get to read all my comics through the marvel comics app. And I get to sit alone and count my blessings and see how many things there are there for me to be grateful about and look up at the Universe and say, "Thank You". I hope you do that also. You know the feeling-immense-gratitude-part. At first, it may feel all superficial and funny and weird but as your progress into this habit in finding the good in everything, you will eventually, by default do that and later on, even in your weirdest and saddest of moods, you will see the light in the darkness and automatically feel great about everything. As I had told in my last blog that I promised myself that I would never sit idle again and I am proud to say that now 'Staying Active' has become my life's mantra. And for the record, staying active doesn't mean that you have to run marathons or climb mountains or stay out throughout the day. No. Staying active means that you emerge yourself in activities which are productive for you. And those activities can literally mean anything. It can be bungee jumping 5 times in a day or writing your 1st book or just being with yourself and being content with what the universe has offered to you.

"As long as we are persistence in our pursuit of our deepest destiny, we will continue to grow. We cannot choose the day or time when we will fully bloom. It happens in its own time."

-Denis Waitley

I just finished reading my 7th book of the year. It was called 'Intensity' and yes, as the name goes, it was truly intense! It was by far one of the best thrillers I have ever read and every page kept me at the edge of my seat! I still have 5 more books to go in order for me to finish my Goodreads Reading Challenge. And my next read will be 'The Blood Defence.' It is a courtroom drama/thriller and the author is the famous lawyer who fought the O.J. Simpson case. I am very much excited to read it! Ooohhh, I love thrillers! Do any of you read? If you do, then trust me, you have a best friend right there in those books. Books teleport you to a world where you are filled with these amazing characters that you bring to life and as the stories go ahead, these characters become alive in your head and in a way become a part of you. Whenever I am engrossed in a book, I loose track of time and that is how deeply submerged I get in my book-reading world. I still can't believe that I am the same boy who took 2 months to finish Jurassic Park when I started reading it in school. I never knew that reading novels would eventually become such an important part of my life.

"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped."

-Tony Robbins

You all must know by now that I am a gadget freak and I get excited about new electronics and apps and updates and how I can connect one device to another and make the machine into a bad-ass transformer look-a-like. Well, thanks to the suggestion of Anna {his name is Ganesh} I recently installed the Office's Surround system at the flat and connected all the devices to it. And with Netflix now in India I connected my account with the apple tv and whenever I am there I am either watching Sherlock or watching funny 'epic fail' videos on youtube. And speaking of youtube, I always go into 'freeze mode' when I see 'Sniper' in the 'suggestions for you' section. Imagine blinking your eyes, drinking a glass of water and cleaning the table from the dust the air poured in and then suddenly when your eyes see the word 'Sniper' you stop doing everything and become transfixed to that word. I  automatically get transported into this fantasy realm where I am a special ops sniper sent on the most deadliest mission in order to save the world. How do I explain this to you? How do I make you feel how I feel when I see myself inserting those .50 cal bullets into the cartridge. With the rain making it's presence felt on the earth outside my base camp. With thunder and lightning proving mother nature's point that you don't screw with her. How can I show you how serene it feels to be all alone in the heart of the jungle amongst those beautiful animals the god created? How do I show you the beautiful terrains and landscapes that I crawl and walk through to get the perfect aim for the terrorist I am assigned to send straight to hell with a bullet with his name written on it? How do I begin to express my happiness when I know I went through Sniper training and I was pushed by my drill sergeants to become the most lethal warrior in the history of the world? How can I show you the tears of joy in my eyes when I finally see that scumbag through the scope of my rifle and just before I squeeze the trigger I look up at the heavens and say a prayer and thank the powers that be for making me this lone wolf who went through hell and back, who survived and embraced the horror of pain and who now is doing an act of valour by ending the life of a monster who only deserves punishment? I guess I won't ever be able to make you understand what I see and feel 'cause maybe sometimes the best experiences are felt when you feel them yourself.

"Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful. Your life is always moving toward something."

-Ralph Marston

So why the topic such as "Forging a destiny through acts of randomness"? And why would I write whatever popped up in my head without a certain 'order'? Well, that was the idea to begin with, wasn't it? More than making a point to all of you, my readers, I wanted to make a point to myself. And this 'making point' intervention came only a few days ago when I was reading an article on Tarot Reading and Astrology and Numerology. Al though I respect the people who practice it and also the people who believe in it, I personally don't anymore. I am a man of science and what all my courses in Astronomy and Astro-Biology have taught me is that whatever is backed up by years and years of data is the hard proven fact and nothing can challenge that. And to make my belief in science and Free-Will more gratifying was when I saw the last episode of DC's Legends Of Tomorrow where it was mentioned that we all are the Masters Of Our Own Fate and nobody or no entity has the right or power over us. Even my favourite actor Jake Jyllenhal believes in the power of the universe and sees the Signs and Signals it lays in front of us. Of course, I am just a mortal who is giving his own point of view and I know I will be challenged for this but what I am trying to say is that there is a major difference in walking the path laid in front of you and letting someone else decide what path you need to walk on. A part of me does believe and is also convinced that I am meant for things that I can't even believe to imagine myself. But a part of me also believes that I can't let a prediction or a card or a number dictate my actions towards my future. Whatever I am today, whether it is good or bad or simply screwed up, I am 'cause of my own choices and actions. And I made those choices 'cause something deep within me told me to do so. And since the day I was born, I have always done the things which have brought me a certain degree of joy and happiness and a certain amount of contentment. I have trained in the heat and also embraced pain in the cold. I have bled and cried and have gone to hell and back, all with my own will. Today, there is this uncontrollable power in me. A quest to learn more. A positivity which can't be broken by any negative encounters I face. Today I have the power of belief and I am convinced 100% that my time to shine in the sun will come. And when it does I will be ready for it. So now, writing this blog and being in this moment, I have come to learn that there are only two things you should depend upon. One, is the Trust in the Mighty Universe. And Two, the belief in your own capabilities. So that is why I walk in the path laid in front of me. I don't crib about the things that I thought we were meant to be mine or which slipped through my fingers. I don't complain about the things I don't have and which others get without putting in the effort. I don't mind that I have to wait in line while others get the fast pass. I do these things today because I know there is a plan for me and not because I believe that some stone or some colour or some number is going to change my destiny or fate.

"Actions are the seed of fate deeds grow into destiny."

-Harry S Truman

So, my dear readers I urge you to believe in yourselves. Believe that you and the universe are always tuned in together and trust your own instincts and trust what the universe gives you and I promise you when you truly accept these things, you will find peace and when you find peace, you will find joy and when you will find joy, you will eventually find your purest form of being and that being which is inside of you will thank you for it. Don't care what society thinks of you. Don't care how much people will talk behind your back or will bitch about you. It is their job and they will continue to do so no matter how great you will become one day. You only have one job to do and that is to get up, dress up and show up every single day until your moment comes. We all come with our destinies and our own fates. We all come with making this world a better place to live in so become that person. Don't end up being the person people want you to be. Be the individual people follow rather than the person who follows the crowd. It takes courage to be abnormal. To be left out of the crowd and walk in the wilderness alone. But in the end it is courage that truly counts. I know I have made choices which are not liked by many. And I know many of my choices have also pushed people away. But whatever the cost is I am willing to bat on it. I am willing to do what my gut tells me too. And no matter how tough it gets I am never going to stop. And I hope neither do you.

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."

-Jean de La Fontaine

This is Me, Mahaakshay Chakraborty and I Am The Master Of Fate. The question is, are you?

With All My Might,

Your No.1 Fan,

Mahaakshay Chakraborty.
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I Am The Fight ...

"And this mortal of ours, He will finally know his calling. And then, he will vanish into the wilderness. He will go on a quest to find the true meaning of his existence. And he will go through hell and back and he will touch his own darkness. And then one day, when the world will need him the most he shall return. But until that time comes, this mortal will fight the monsters and the mayhem. He will rise his sword and vanquish the evil from the face of the earth and in the end, when he will finally hear the siren, he will return and he will bring the fight with him."

-The Book Of Prophecies.

Yes, it has been a while. I remember, the last blog I wrote was before I was leaving for Fight Camp. And now, it has been more than 45-50 days that I am returning here to write my newest entry. I guess like all writers, I only open the laptop and start typing when the words in my head can't be contained anymore. Like all writers, sometimes the words just come out at the right time and I guess this is that right time. This is that time when the world needs to read something more about me yet again.

Yes, I do know you all wanna know about Fight Camp and trust me, I am ecstatic to tell you all about it as well. But before I begin, I just want you to know that going to fight camp was by far the most amazing and evolved experience of my life!

I left for fight camp on the 1st of September and I returned back to Mumbai a month later. Everyone who met me after I returned were in awe of the transformation that occurred. I thank everyone for their lovely words and I also thank all the people out there who were very kind to leave wonderful comments on my pics and trust me, it is because of all of you that I do that little extra. It is because of your belief that I go the extra mile. So thank you from the bottom of my heart to be there for me. :-)

To be honest I was petrified to go to camp! It was the 1st time in my life that I was going to a different country all by myself and living in a new environment outside of my family's and that scared me yet excited me! Along with the fact that I was going away for a month was the promise that I gave to my family that when they see me again, they would meet a new me. And I am happy to say that, that is what exactly happened. I did change a lot. But more than the physical appearance I think I changed more mentally. I evolved more when I was alone for 30 days. Of course, I made wonderful friends over there and I know that my friendship with those amazing people will last forever but being there, day in and day out, attending 3 classes everyday, in the scorching heat, dripping sweat like water, I realised that I was always meant to be this man. This man, who was always part of the wilderness. And the man who always meant to Fight.

"I do what I do because it is the right thing to do. I am a warrior, and it is the way of the warrior to fight superior odds."

-Paul Watson

I still remember the 1st day of camp. I arrived in the afternoon and I met the manager of Tiger muay Thai and Mma. His name was Jolan and he was very kind and sweet and showed me the entire camp and also gave me a brief introduction of all the facilities that the camp had to offer. I was thrilled and I wasn't going to wait until the next day to start training so I went for the 4pm Muay Thai Beginner's Class. The class lasted 2 hours and by the time the class was over, I was tired and dizzy in the dry Phuket heat! I also got my ass handed to me 'cause I was sparring against many Muay Thai fighters who were kind enough to show us a few moves. All in all it was the toughest 2 hours of my life and I knew that this was only the beginning!

Before I went to Phuket, I had only googled TMT {Tiger Muay Thai} and so I had no clue as to how amazing it would be and how many various classes it had to offer. And if you thought that TMT was the only camp there you were so wrong! TMT had located me at the 2home Resort which was a 10mins walk from the camp and so while coming and going to camp, I also saw that there were 3 gyms, 2 more muay thai camps, 1 truly amazing cross fit centre and another Mma camp on the same street! And not to mention the countless Healthy Restaurants and the shops with multiple Mma brands to choose from! I was in Fitness paradise! Yes, that is the only way to describe it!

Everyone was always on scooters or motor bikes but I decided that I would rent a cycle. Well, a cycle with gears and that way I would cycle my way to camp everyday. Now, of course I realise that renting a bike would had been a much better choice but back then I really liked my Bike Rides, even when it was pouring and thunder storms would come and go. I had an amazing connection with that bike and when I do return to camp, maybe I would rent it again. :-)

And so my one month at phuket started. I was thrilled and excited and nervous and yet full of energy and as the days went by and I got the feel of the place and I knew it in my heart that this won't be the 1st and last time that I would visit this place. Only 4-5 hours away from Mumbai, I knew that this place would eventually be my 2nd home. :-)

"Each Warrior wants to leave the mark of his will, his signature, on important acts hetouches. This is not the voice of ego but of the human spirit, rising up and declaring that it has something to contribute to the solution of the hardest problems, no matter how vexing!"-Pat Riley

And so as the days went on I got engrossed into my training. Day in and day out I went deeper and deeper into this amazing world of training. Whether it was Brazilian Jui-Jitsu in the morning or Combat Conditioning with the russian fighters by 9:30am, I tested my abilities everywhere. And during these sessions I came across the Strength and Conditioning class which was by far the most packed and famous class in camp. And the reason it was so was because of the instructor John Priest. He was truly amazing in what he did and also the exercises he made us perform. The classed were tough and challenging but they were rewarding as well. 

John Priest was also one of the trainers who was coaching Roger Huerta, a veteran in the Mma world for his fight which was coming up in a few weeks. Mr. Priest was truly an inspiration for us all but what was more rewarding was that one day he came up to me and shook my hand and told me something that I would never forget. He told me, "I need more people like you in my class. You can motivate others and make them push more and you inspire me!" I was speechless after what I had heard and I knew that I had earned the respect of one of the best Trainers I had the honour of training with!

And if that wasn't enough, Sir came up to me a few days before I left camp and told me that he wants to train me one on one! Of course I did train with him and every moment of that class was like a dream come true for me! After that class sir shook my hand and told me that I want to see you back here again someday very soon and I told him, "I promise I would be back sir." Who knew that I would fulfil that promise sooner than I had ever expected. :-)

"Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men."

-Miyamoto Musashi

Everyday for me in phuket was an adventure. Whether it was the moody weather, or the amazing local food, I had the privilege to experience it all! The people were very friendly and thai sports massages after training were very relaxing and soothing as well. But there is one incident I really wanna share with you. I met this Russian Fighter in camp. His name was Alexi and he was preparing for his fight in Indonesia at the upcoming One Fc Mma event. I observed him for a few days and the more I did, this Navy Seal looking guy became my inspiration and hero! He never spoke to anyone and trained like an animal throughout the day. Even during dinner, he would sit alone and eat his meal with his head phones on. I knew I had to befriend him. Luckily for me, he was in the same classes as I was and we always gave each other a nod of recognition before starting class. There were also times when I tried talking to him but since he was the quit types our conversations weren't more than a word of Hi and Hello. But on that one fruitful day, everything changed. :-)

We were having our Wrestling class by 5pm and I was already 2 classes down with only one meal inside of me. Wrestling like Jui-Jitsu and Mma Sparring is very tough and it requires an enormous amount of cardio and agility. I of course as the over enthusiastic person that I am volunteered for the wrestling class 'cause I wanted to know how it is. Of course Alexi was there and after the 15mins warm-up and the 30mins Technical Drills, our instructor told us all to wrestle with one another in a 'friendly non-competitive' way. After the 1st round Alexi looked at me and told me to wrestle with him in the 2nd round. I of course was in candy land and said Yes and what followed was an experience I would never forget.

As soon as the bell rang we were grappling and 40 seconds into the round Alexi just applied a little pressure on my right shoulder and before I knew it, my shoulder popped! Oh yeah, you heard me, the Right Shoulder just popped out of the socket! The pain was excruciating and when he asked me what was wrong, I told him I was fine and then it took me one whole minute to bring the shoulder ball back in! After that was done I managed to wrestle with him for the remaining of the round and somehow survive the gruelling agony which I was feeling. Of course I went head on with him for the next 2-3 rounds and I think Alexi put me on the mat for more than 20-30 times! But by the end of the most toughest ass-kicking session of my life Alexi came up to me and shook my hand and smiled! Yes, he smiled! For me, that smile meant a lot and I knew that after all the wait and ass-whopping I had finally made friends with my hero on camp. :-)

"Courage, above all things, is the first quality of a warrior."

-Carl von Clausewitz

By the end of camp I was nicknamed as the 'Machine'! I shit you not but that is what everyone started calling me there. Whether it was me doing my Private Muay Thai sessions with Master Danai with my elevation mask on or whether it was me training 3 classes a day, 5 days a week at the most Advanced Levels of training at TMT and Unit-27, I was not Mahaakshay or Mimoh anymore. I was the Machine. For a guy like me who was always the fat kid in school, hearing the word Machine was like the best compliment ever! 

I knew that opting to come to this Camp was one of the best decisions of my life and when I think of it, I only smile. And that smile comes from a deep sense of joy and contentment that I kept the promise I gave to my family and to myself. But when I came back, I knew that My training here won't ever be the same again. When I got back I went to the same gyms I did before but something was different. The people were the same but the feeling felt a little different. It was like I knew I can do better and train harder and push more. Of course the Bodyholics Gym which just opened in Andheri is the only Gym which comes close to the level of training I had there and luckily for me, my Coach, Abbas Ali owns the gym!

But at times like these, I know I have to wait for that right film to come. I know I can do more than just wait for the opportunity to present itself. I can be prepared for it! And that is why I have opted to go back to camp for another 30 days in the month of November. I know how the camp is now and I also know that I can push myself more than I did last time and I can also enrol myself into Phuket Top Team, the Technical Fight Factory and the Muscle Bar Meal Plan. This is me, upgrading myself and pushing myself more harder than I ever have 'cause I know that only when I give, I will be given in return.

"To achieve the mood of a warrior is not a simple matter. It is a revolution. To regard the lion and the water rats and our fellow men as equals is a magnificent act of a warrior's spirit. It takes power to do that."

-Carlos Castaneda

You can ask me, "Why do you wanna go back to camp? You just came home!" Well, let me explain that to you then.

All my life I have fought. And now, after all these years, I have become very good at it. Whether the fight for me has been physical or mental, I know that I am at my best when I am in the battlefield. Going to Phuket gave me a taste of that Battle a little more and now I am hungry for more! I want to go back 'cause I feel alive when I am pushed and tested and when my Body is screaming for Rest from the heat of the sun or when my limbs tell me that they can't move an inch further. I am Myself when I am fighting. And that is why I choose to go back. At times like these I relate myself to Frank Castle aka The Punisher. In one of the most important stories of him ever told, there is a chapter when he is at Central Park with his family just before they get gunned down. While his children are playing he comes up to his wife Maria and tells her, "I am leaving you." She is in tears and asks him why? He says, "I feel dead inside. This life isn't for me. I am sorry." And before she could say anything the bullets start piercing them from all over and they die right in front of his eyes.

The reason this story is so close to me is because now I can say 'That I am Frank Castle' in more ways than one. For me, normality ins't exciting anymore. I spoil for a Fight and I lust for War. I truly am a War Junkie and I know that my end will truly be in the Battlefield. I have to go back and be alone. With myself, with my thoughts and with my true purpose. I have to look myself in the mirror and remind myself everyday that this is who I truly am. I am a man who has fallen in love with his War and I am a man who will never have enough of it. 

I can't wait to go back. I can't wait for my name to be heard when the Frankie gives the call-out for the people present in class. I can't wait to Wrestle in my Hayabusa Rash Guard and I can't wait to be the man who is turning into the Lone Wolf. The remnant of Ares himself.

I know I may sound weird. And I know that all of you are finding and fighting for something also. So I hope you maybe be able to connect with the way I feel. None of us have it easy. We all want something and that is why we fight. The only difference is we fight in different battlefields. As I said before I know my time will come and until that day comes, I will train and I will learn and I will make myself better in every possible way that I can. This is who I am and this is what I will always be.

This is Me, Mahaakshay Chakraborty and I Am The Fight.

"You are part of that horrid expression, the best and the brightest. It can be a terrible burden if you let it be, but it is the great challenge of your time. And being a warrior in that challenge should be wondrous."

-Paul Tsongas

With all my might,

Your No.1 Fan,

Mahaakshay Chakraborty.

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