Martial arts is a widely popular sport and if you talk about the King of Martial Arts, the only name that comes to your mind is that of Bruce Lee. This is because he is ‘the king’ of the sport, no one after him has made his name in martial arts quite like he has done. Using martial arts, Bruce Lee has performed many tricks and moves, which is why he has been able to garner fandom worldwide. Other martial arts athletes from his era and the newer generation, watch his skills and moves in an effort to learn from him.
To match the skills of Bruce Lee, one has to have an immense amount of discipline and willpower with years of dedicated practice. Such a man exists and lives in Pakistan, who learned his skills and used them to get his name in the book of Guinness World Records not just once but 73 times. This has led him being named the ‘Bruce Lee of Pakistan’.
Breaking a Guinness World Records title is often on peoples’ bucket lists, but this one serial record-breaker Muhammad Rashid Naseem, at the age of 40, holds 73 records to his name, beating his own records multiple times. This would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication that he put in over the years. Rashid first learned about Guinness World Records on TV back in 2003 and it took him nearly 10 years after that to finally see his name in the book of Guinness World Records.
“I used to watch a show on the TV where they showed how people were making world records on an international TV show. Since then, I began to think how can I participate and make a world record myself,” said Rashid. “But due to limited opportunities in Pakistan, it took me 10 years to make my first record.”
Rashid, who began Martial Arts 27 years ago, started giving training to the kids in 2001. From 2003 to 2013, Rashid saw each and every episode and the records that were made globally. “I saw each and every record and picked the ones I thought I would be able to break. Then in the year 2013, I went to the Punjab Youth Festival, where I got the opportunity to make World Records, and in my first attempt, I was able to make three records,” he said.
After 19 years, Rashid became the first Pakistani to make an appearance on TV shows for world records in Germany, Korea, and Italy and made it to the official Guinness World Records channel. “This is what I dreamt of, representing Pakistan around the world,” said Rashid, who wears an official green jersey of Pakistan while making a record-breaking attempts.
Although most of Rashid's 72 records involved smashing but in 2013, he was able to make records in; Most (68) Pine Board Breaking with Elbow in One Minute, Most (40) Bottle Caps Remove with Head in One Minute, and Most (50) Object Remove off People's Head Using Martial Arts Kick in One Minute.
That was the day when Rashid thought that if he could break three records in the first attempt, then the other records on his list could be achieved too. Since then, there has been no turning back for Rashid. Every year he made his training more challenging and made himself stronger. “I had it in mind that if I have talent, then I should take it forward. I had listed down all the records I saw from 2003 to 2013 and knew that I have the potential to do it as I broke three records in the first attempt,” he said.
Like every other parent, Rashid's parents wanted their only child to get an education and stay away from martial arts as they can cause injuries. But with his achievements on national and international stages, his parents started supporting him in every step he took. “This was a motivation for me. If your parents are not happy with what you are doing, then you cannot achieve anything, and neither will you be able to concentrate,” said Rashid.
Difficult Records
Rashid continued to make records every year, and years on, he made records in martial arts categories of knee strikes, elbow strikes, breaking things, with Nan Chaku, sticks, kicks, punches and head.
He has 23 world records in breaking, cracking and smashing categories, 11 world records with Nan Chaku, eight world records in knee strikes, four in the elbow strikes, eight in martial arts kicks, four in Bo Staff and 14 world records in punch strike category.
For him, every record had its own difficulty, and one record cannot be compared to the other, but some records impacted Rashid's life.
In April 2016, when Rashid attempted the record for Most Green Coconuts Smashed with the Head in One Minute. Rashid broke 35 green coconuts, and after that, he had a severe injury on his head and had to stay in bed for three months as he damaged his balance. But following his dedication and spirit, he was back on his feet to break more records. Now even after six years, he is fully fit.
Another record that he found difficult that he recently made was Most Full Contact Kicks in One Hour with 5KG Ankle Weight. He broke India's record of 2043 kicks with his 2162 kicks record. “I could have faced permanent disability from this, but as I knew the right tricks and that I had prepared myself enough, with the help of Allah, I was able to complete and break the record,” he said.
The third record that he faced difficulty making was the one with Nan Chaku. Most Double Nan Chaku hits in one Minute. He struck 557 targets. “It is tough to hit the target using both hands, and you have to keep the coordination of both hands and not miss any target,” he said.
He said that there were moments in his life when the injuries he got could have ended his career, but he took some difficult decisions to make an attempt and succeeded. “I get hurt a lot while practising and attempting. For this, I had to go through all the checks before attempting. This is really important. Many records seem as if they are easy, but if you don't go with preparation, then it could hit you with a lifelong injury,” he added.
Talking about the time he took to practice before making an attempt for the world record, he said that some records take years and months. The longest time that he practised for a record was one and a half years, which involved Nan Chaku. Then the one with the kicks took him a year of practice. Now he focuses on the records that take three months of training.
International Competitions
Along with making world records, Rashid is a professional martial artist who has taken training in Lahore. Since he began martial arts in 1996, he has participated in the championship at all levels, and Rashid has made his name remembered from school level competitions to World Championships.
In 2013, he won a Silver medal at the World Kung Fu Championship 2013. Then he won another Silver medal in the Full-body contact category at the Asian Championships. Altogether he has eight International Championships Medal in Weapons, Fight, and Kicks completion.
“International competitions have always taught me so much. I did win medals, but I learned that fighting against others was incredible. It was the most precious thing I bring back from international competitions,” Rashid said.
Biggest Achievements
Rashid's life is itself an achievement compared to an ordinary person’s life. But for Rashid, his most significant achievement was when he defeated Indian Martial Art Master in a one-on-one fight in Italy. “Beating a player from India is always a pleasure. This match is one the most exciting ones, and if you win, the feeling is indescribable,” he said.
He also said that he cannot forget the first three records he broke in 2013. “It was the first attempt, and I had been trying for so long. Breaking three at once was the biggest achievement of my life back then. I did make four attempts, but one is still pending approval. That is the day that changed my life, and that led me to where I am, so that day can never for forgotten,” he added.
He further added that although he has achieved a lot for himself, seeing his students making records makes him prouder. Apart from his 72 records, Rashid has 14 records named to his academy. The 10 students he has been training have also made 14 World Records and participated in International competitions representing Pakistan.
“This is what makes me happy. This is a big achievement that all the skills are not restricted to me only, but I love to see my students making records and representing the green flag internationally,” said Rashid, who runs Pakistan Martial Arts Academy in Karachi.
Rashid is currently the world top martial artist with the most world records overall in martial arts. Then he is also the record holder with most records involving Nan Chaku, Stick, and Punches.
How much a record cost?
Making records requires years of practice and dedication, and it also involves a lot of funds to make an attempt. It can cost a Pakistani anywhere between Rs 50,000 rupees Rs 1,000,000. There is noone to support Rashid in this area, and he earns and saves the money he makes breaking records.
“From all the records that I have attempted and made, the most expensive record cost me Rs 300,000 whereas the cheapest was Rs50,000. I didn't go for the records that can cost above Rs300,000 rupees as I don't get support from anyone and have to bear the expenses myself. So this is the maximum that I can afford,” he said, adding that in three of the records for his students, he got some sponsors, but that covered only 10 per cent of the expense.
“If I had financial help, I would have much more records than I do now,” he said. There are many records that he can attempt and break, but he is unable to achieve them due to financial reasons. He covers the expenses from the fees he gets from the 40 students at his academy and more than 1000 students in the schools of Karachi. To date, he has trained more than 10000 students.
Next Generation
Rashid, the father of three kids, is now focusing on making the next martial artist in his family, his nine-year daughter, Fatima. He started training her when she was three years old, and after four years, just like her father, Fatima made her first world record at the age of seven when she broke the record of India in Most Alternate Elbow Strikes One Minute. She also became the youngest girl to make a world record with this record.
After years of hard work, Fatima was recognised by the ‘Inverex Humary Heros’ programme during Pakistan Super League season 7. But still, she has a long way to go. “I want Fatima to grow up as a fighter, and I want her to represent Pakistan at international competitions. I have been working hard for the last six years so that she not only makes records but the ultimate aim is to get her to the international stage and represent Pakistan as a fighter,” he said, adding that it is a tough task, but if she keeps working hard and stays put then this day is not far away when she will make Pakistan proud.
He also said that although he wishes to see Fatima becoming a martial artist, he wants Fatima to follow her dream of joining the army. “My wish is my wish, and I am working on it, but if she really wants to join the army, then I will be the first person to support her and make her serve the country,” he said.
The need
No matter what Rashid has achieved, it is more than half of what he has aimed. Still, in all these years, he hasn't been recognised by the government.
“Any sportsman representing Pakistan wishes to be recognised by the government, and the financial support is an additional help. I wish that before I get to retire, I get recognition from the government,” said the 40-year-old Rashid.
"People who do martial arts, or any other sport they should work hard and not lose hope because if they keep on making efforts and doing hard work, they will soon be paid back for those efforts," he concluded.