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Episode 259

EPISODE 259  ·  COMBAT SPORTS  ·  49 MIN  ·  MAY 30, 2025

Siddhartha Bhat

Kids' Self-Defence

Listen on Apple Podcasts  ·  Spotify  ·  YouTube  ·  Download MP3

In this episode

Siddhartha Bhat, a 14-time Team Canada Taekwondo national champion, shares his journey from being a troublemaking child to becoming one of Canada's most decorated martial artists. He explores the discipline martial arts instilled in him and why he believes every child should learn some form of self-defense.

• Growing up in Toronto as a child of Indian and Sri Lankan parents shaped Siddhartha's cultural identity
• Siddhartha was placed in Taekwondo at age three because he was "disrespectful" and "obnoxious"—traditional discipline wasn't working
• Why striking martial arts (Taekwondo, Karate) are better-starting points for children than grappling arts
• How martial arts gave Bhatman confidence as a "skinny brown kid in the 90s" who faced bullying
• The unique character development that comes from individual sports versus team sports
• Coming to terms with not achieving his Olympic dreams while finding purpose in coaching
• Why today's generation is intelligent and creative but lacks resilience and toughness
• Siddhartha's Khombatmaf program combines personal training with martial arts for complete development

Follow Siddhartha Bhat on Instagram @kombhatmaf to learn more about his training programs and classes at All-Star Martial Arts in Toronto's Leslieville neighborhood!

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Chapters

0:00  Batman Joins The Athletes Podcast
10:32  Growing Up Brown in Toronto
18:43  From Troublemaker to Taekwondo Champion
28:56  Individual vs Team Sports Character Building
38:13  Coming to Terms With Olympic Dreams
47:15  Staying Grounded and Perspective in Life

Read the full transcript →

More Combat sports episodes →

Coach Sean Spence – Mat Pressure To Peak Performance (Ep. 274)  ·  Dr. David Griffin – MMA to Fire Service (Ep. 237)  ·  Tommy Duquette – FightCamp (Ep. 161)  ·  Aaron Jeffrey – Bellator MMA (Ep. 138)

← Ep. 258: Marie-Eloise Leclair   |   All episodes   |   Ep. 260: April Hutchinson →

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