Alumnus Credits Taido Class as Crucial Part of Ph.D. Journey

Since he was a child, Varun Agrawal always wanted to learn martial arts but never had the chance.

“It was something I had wanted since I was a kid,” he said. “Growing up in India, it wasn't known for martial arts.”

Agrawal knew he needed something to help him balance his physical health with the challenges of graduate school. He checked the list of classes offered by Georgia Tech’s Campus Recreation. One stood out: Georgia Tech Taido.

Taido is a niche martial art that applies a modern, scientific approach to traditional Okinawan karate. There is only one school in the U.S. that teaches it — Taido Karate in Peachtree Corners, Ga., which is currently the world’s largest taido school.

Taido means “the way of the body and the mind.” It was invented in the 1960s by Seiken Shukumine.