Leverage Radio

A woman of many talents, Avantika Kochar is a writer, a dancer, a Yogini, a somatic healer, a Physiotherapist and much more. We had an extremely interesting talk with Avantika on her reflections during the lockdown. We talk about solitude and its role in our life. We discuss movement, morality and motivation for life and work, How to incorporate the concept of play in life, if you love what you do - you don't have to work a day in your life. We talk about the emotions related to any process, while working toward a goal. A yogi in the true sense, Avantika provides a very intelligent, truly unique and creative perspective on life, yoga, discipline and the self.  We really enjoyed hosting her and look forward to following her work in the future.

We speak to Khriemelie Metha, one the top minds in Indian MMA. Head Coach to the Combat Academy Nagaland, his analytical approach to all facets of combat is very intriguing. What truly stands out is his analysis and breakdown of the mental side of the game. We discuss at length the Mindset required for fighting, training strategies for combat, wrestling's relevance in MMA, the Combat Academy Nagaland and his Pro MMA promotion X1.International. It is always refreshing to speak to open minded and spirited self starters like Khriemelie, it gives us all inspiration to work that much harder. Hope you enjoy!

Pushkraj Shirke is the Director of Project Battlefit. He is an advertising creative director and fitness photographer with a passion for strength training, motorbikes and teaching Krav Maga. He is a K11 trained fitness and nutrition consultant, a fitness columnist for THE DNA, a guest editor for KRUNCH Fitness Magazine. Pushkraj is a digital marketing savant, a filmmaker and one of India's top fitness photographers. In this episode we speak extensively on training habits, nutrition knowledge and the misconceptions people have, we then go DEEP into the world of mexican supplements (Steroids) and get an idea of who would be taking what. Pushkraj is unapologetically up front, honest and very easy to speak with. It was a pleasure to host him and we hope to have him on again soon. Enjoy!

In conversation with Devesh Thakur. Devesh is the 88kg ADCC India champion and is one of the top prospects out of the institute of Jiu Jitsu in Bangalore. We discuss missing training due to Covid, training with injuries, working in Jiu-jitsu full time and the mindset necessary to accomplish your goals. He is a meditation master, highly positive and motivated, super insightful and humble. It was a pleasure speaking with Devesh and we can't wait to see what's next for him.

Had a very interesting chat with Kush Dhebar, who is a Phd Candidate at Deccan College in Pune. Kush is an archaeologist who's work is dedicated to the finding of traces of sophisticated grappling through history in India. He shares part of his research, which was spectacular and fascinating, we speak about the past and the role of grappling in culture. Kush is humble, learned and has a very positive disposition, the kind of energy we need to bring more people together. Hope you enjoy!

We literally had the best time speaking with Miles Lukas. Miles is a certified Wim Hof Method Instructor & Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, who has developed a comprehensive breath system applicable for just about everyone. We speak to him about his journey through jiu jitsu, his infamous match against Mike Murrell, how this breath work has changed his game, the chemical changes in the body through breathing and how he incorporated the Rickson Gracie breathing techniques to the Wim Hof Method plus a heck of a lot more.

In talks with the brains behind @Desibeatdown. Von Brian Saxena is the founder of Desi beatdown - a platform for the promotion of local and national level MMA talent in India. Von has extensively covered both the amateur and professional MMA circuit for many years. We pick his brain for inside information on the inner workings of event production in MMA, we discuss the emerging talent in India, the challenges still persisting and the future of the sport. Apologies in advance we had some mic issues for ourselves, but Von was clearly audible throughout. We had a great time talking with Von and although you'll be able to hear everything, just sounds @Mochavz is in a bubble. Forgive & forget. Enjoy!

Today we are speaking with Daniel Isaac. Dan is a 3rd generation martial artist and a true pioneer for the Martial Arts in India. We speak to him about his life long journey in Martial Arts, we discuss the politics of Sport and the Evolution of MMA in India. He recently spearheaded development of a world federation - GAMMAF - an organisation to steer and grow professional MMA in India and Globally.

For someone who has achieved so much, Daniel is a down to earth, humble & honest and we thoroughly enjoyed our time speaking to him.

We got a chance to catch up with our good friend and training partner Mayank Kohli. Mayank is a multi-time national grappling & jiu-jitsu champion and has recently turned Pro in MMA. He talks to us about his experience in the cage and how he's been keeping focused during the Quarantine. We talk about his origin story, some coping strategies for Covid-19, training protocols, his fight name and future in the sport. Truly one of the nicest guys we know, super humble and always willing to step up, Mayank is a top friend and a true martial artist.

This week on Leverage Radio, we speak to Renjith Ravindran, co-founder of Lockerroom.in one of the country's top MMA & Combat sports outlets. The Idea behind LockerRoom is to be a one-stop destination for all the combat sports updates in India. Renjith is soft spoken, insightful and dedicated to his craft. We discuss the Indian MMA scene, his past covering WWE, some upcoming fights & the growth of talent in India. He, like us, believes that the fighters need to be raised up, given a platform and elevated in order to become world beaters. Hope you feel the same way! Enjoy!