Man on Fire

12. World Record Numbers 3 and 4: 133 backhand push-ups in one minute; smashed 3 concrete slabs of 18kg each in the groin by a sledgehammer (2001)

As you will recall from the previous chapter, I was confined to my bed for three months after my success with sit-up record. My only comfort during this inactive spell was the thought of embarking on another great sporting journey as soon as my body had recovered its full power. I freely admit to you that I had become hooked on the special feeling record breaking provided. I could no longer imagine my life the way it had ticked over before I committed to this adventurous path.

This is what you must understand: in my country the common man is many but his chances to shine are few. Either he is Sachin Tendulkar or he is Salman Khan or he is nothing at all. The people labour in darkness only to fill their bellies while their dreams are forgotten in the dust. They do not complain because they believe this is God’s plan for them. I am here to tell them that God has another plan, and if only they will lift their eyes from the ground they will see it clearly. The almighty has given me one life on earth of one hundred years or less and he has conveyed to me his instructions for what I must do with it: to show the common man what can be done with dedication and positive spirit.

There is actually no limit. This is the remarkable thing I have discovered.

When he sees me on the record stage or romping into limelight of media coverage I want him to say, ‘There is a man who has achieved his dream with no help from rich father or corporate sponsorship. He has beaten the pain alone through strength of mind and body. Look how happy he is. If he can do it then so can I.’ I would like to be the example to awaken the fate which lies sleeping in his heart.

When I told you that I awoke from my coma on fire, this is not so far from the truth. Because while I was sleeping I received a powerful vision from my past which ignited the flame of desire that my injuries had snuffed out hitherto.

The vision was a memory of the time when a fire-eater visited my native place. It is the most important event to occur in my childhood and it is from this root that every branch of my life has grown to provide rich fruit. I was only seven years old and I had not yet discovered the purpose of my life. The fire-eater was a large man with wild orange beard who came out of the forest while I was tending my father’s goats. He had been travelling for many days and was in need of food and water. I took him to my home and my mother fed him. He accepted my father’s offer to stay with us one night, wanting only to rest his feet and recover his strength before he continued on his journey to Puri in time for Bahara Chandana, which is important festival taking place at the Jagannath temple there.

During his short stay the fire-eater would not tell anybody his name. He said it was not important. He did not need a name in any case, for the children of my village had already crowned him Ram because he came from the forest. Ram is the seventh incarnation of Vishnu who was born to free the earth from the cruelty of the demon king Ravana and killed many demons in the forest. This is what we believed as children.

The man we called Ram became a god for the one day that he was among us, because he was so large and had such a fine physical presence and also because we had not seen a man eat fire before. It was very exciting for us as youngsters to watch Ram take the torch, lit before our eyes from the fire of my mother’s tandoor, and swallow it without any sign of pain. The first time was quite a shock and we all gasped in surprise. Then we asked him to do it again to prove that what we had seen was not a trick or a strange dream we were all having. Surely enough he repeated the feat and we were convinced he was indeed a divine incarnation. He did not speak because words were unnecessary to him in this moment.

Then to further entertain us he covered the torch with paraffin and this time when it was lit the flame it produced was awesome in scale. He blew the flame to make it leap like claws of a wild beast. Again he swallowed with no ill effects but great feeling of calm and happiness. Also he ate a coal from the fire.

This day was magical in my childhood. The time passed very slowly and when the sun went down my native place had been changed into a land where the wildest dreams of our lives were coming true. Ram slept in my bed with me beside him on the floor. He snored heavily all through the night. In my childish mind I imagined the snores to contain secrets to his art that I might learn if I swallowed them. So I kept my mouth open to receive his wisdom. When I awoke the next morning he was gone.

Through the days and months I kept wishing for his return but he never came back. However he left behind a clear indication that God’s power existed in the world. From thenceforth onwards I tried to harness it the way Ram had done. I now believe this was my first inspiration for the extreme sports path I would later follow. God was talking to me but I was too young to hear his unaltered voice so he spoke through Ram the fire-eater.

Therefore it was no surprise that in my coma Ram came back to inspire me again. He told me I must not step off my path at the first setback. I must bounce back from injury to continue on my journey to the same place he had come from. So this is what I did.

My wife was troubled by my decision to go on after walking so close to expiry. She can be very stubborn but fully devoted to me, she has always praised the strength of my body and although we were not a love marriage we fit together quite comfortably.

‘Not to worry,’ I told her. ‘I will make provisions for my safety henceforward. The first records were just a stepping stone, now I am a Guinness man I will approach things with a professional attitude. I will not repeat the mistakes of the past.’

And so I approached the job of selecting my next record with great vigour. I was in high spirits having finally received the certificate from Guinness after a nail-biting wait of nine months. Guinness World Record, 1,448 stomach sit-ups in one hour, Bibhuti Bhushan Nayak of Airoli, Navi Mumbai, India. After small celebration with nearest and dearest for unveiling of the certificate in pride of place on the wall of my home, I retired back to privacy to plan the next phase in my sports career.

You may be asking why there was such a large gap of two years between my previous record and the next. Unfortunately this is not an unusual sequence. It is with much regret that I convey to you the difficulties the dedicated sportsman of my country must endure: India may be booming in certain aspects but in less high-profile areas such as individual and extreme sports it remains poor. The government does not make adequate provision for people like me. We are not considered important despite the great works we do for our communities, and there is lack of facilities all round. This is reason why Indian athletes fare so poorly at the Olympics despite the huge numbers of children and young people across the length and breadth of the land who could make great strides if right encouragement was given. (I personally trained two of my students for Beijing 2008 in floor exercises, they made it to the nationals but failed to qualify for the big show. What I have observed over the years of training is there's lack of zeal and interest among the youngsters nowadays in the changing scenario, thanks to careless government and distractions of cellphone and couch potato lifestyle.) Plus the sponsors do not recognise us. They give all their attention to the IPL and even to the inter-state cricket leagues which often display to empty stadiums.

Painful result is I must fund and organise my own events. It is always an uphill climb. In addition to raising the funds to stage an event — to hire a venue if one cannot be obtained by favour, to provide equipment necessary in the practice period as well as the event itself — there is also the cost of administrating any record attempt. An official record must be made of the event and sent along with any supporting materials to be ratified. This is a cheaper method than having an official adjudicator attending in person, as their presence attracts a hefty fee for travel and accommodations expenses, etc. Really it is very expensive and time-consuming process which must be achieved around the demands of the daily life.

Many changes were arriving in my life during the two years between the last record and this day. Firstly I had missed my regular income during recovery period and it took many months to replenish my savings to their former level. I took on more responsibility at the newspaper, adding the culture beat to my sports coverage and freelancing for the Hindustan Times as well. Working night and day to recover lost earnings. Then God showed his kindness by presenting me with a new opportunity in the shape of no less a man than the managing director of Konkan Railway.

He had heard of my record feats from Rajesh Battacharjee, who at this time knew everybody of pull in my city and beyond. Being the first and only multiple World Record holder in Mumbai and state of Maharashtra it attracted him as he then called me up and offered me the job of technical director of fitness on contract basis to train their employees in martial arts, yoga and fitness. This was a plum role as Konkan Railway is very important project for my country, an 800km coastal rail system linking Mumbai to Mangalore, completed with great speed due to skills, courage and team spirit of best Indian engineers and fittingly redeemed in the fiftieth year of Independence.

However such a monumental development attracted many unfortunate problems. The innovation and beauty of the system and its connection to major cities made it a target for terrorist threat and liquor smugglers from Goa and adjoining area. Thus a need for professionals of the highest order to keep security of the line, ensure passengers' safety, keep a tab on train ticket examiners and antisocial elements on train duty.

‘It will be my honour to take the job,’ I conveyed to the managing director. ‘I will whip your men into tip-top shape for the national interest.’

First batch of trainees lined up one week later in stockyard of Thane train station and very keen to be put through their paces. Many different skill levels but united in their desire to serve their country with life-giving dedication. What a proud moment for me to be overlooking their meeting with destiny. In following months and years I would take weekly sessions here and at various stations between Mumbai and Mangalore such as Goa, Karwar, Ratnagiri, Chiplun, under bright sun and pouring rain, listening with joy to the combined sound of one hundred-plus men honing the techniques which would protect them and make the railway a beautiful experience for every citizen. It was also here that I hit upon the idea of pulling a locomotive with my hair but this proved to be impossible despite many full-blooded attempts.

I was responsible for training over one thousand employees in martial arts from 2002 to 2008, till my last date of job. Out of these, twelve were given black belts after five years of vigorous training. They were inducted in a newly constituted wing in Konkan Railway on the lines of national security guards who provide security to Prime Minister, President and other VVIPs in India. Konkan Railway was immensely benefited from their service as honest officers. It fills me with tremendous feeling of satisfaction when I introspect on the role I played in keeping my area of the country free from assassins and other bandits.

During this period Rajesh Battacharjee was working tirelessly to publicise my name to all corners of my city. With help of Vijay Five he arranged interviews with Mumbai Mirror, Twin City Times and my prestigious employers at Times of India, covering my meteoric rise from unknown status to multiple World Record holder. All this hard work paid off when the invitation arrived from Australian-based AXN channel, who are the world’s finest extreme sports specialist, to take part in unique upcoming event.

In fact the conditions were unusual as it was mass event with 7,500 fitness freaks from all over the world all taking part at the same time but in different locations globally. Competitive and entertainment element across many different disciplines for enjoyment of the worldwide audience, with only one dozen events titled to be World Record attempts. Mumbai segment to be held at the Grant Medical Hall on Marine Drive, a venue with great history, where many fine scholars have studied and a large number of weddings are held for the top members of Mumbai society. The scale of the opportunity could not be underestimated and the need to make up for lost time was keenly felt. Boldness came calling and I decided to go for two records on same occasion.

In keeping with the extreme nature of my speciality I chose two records of particular challenge. Both had remained unbroken for many years. The backhand push-up is an unpopular technique because it is very difficult to perform and the possibility of sustaining injury is very high due to the fragility of the area in question when put under stress. It is not usual to bear the full weight of the body on the wrists, and I broke the wrist of my left hand a fortnight prior to the event in the process of preparation (in fact I am yet to recover from the injury since 2001 as the bone has come out from its original place, but this does not cause me any undue impediment to daily functions). The Guinness people were very accommodating to my unfortunate setback and gave me special permission to use a wristband for the event — the question of my failing to go through with the attempt did not emerge even for one moment, and any pain I felt from the affected area in the build-up became extra fuel to spur me on to a success.

The grand venue was a full house and a special stage was erected for the event. The television cameras all around plus large contingent of local and national press to capture the drama. Students, friends and colleagues squeezed into the hall and swelling the grounds outside for my first test under spotlight of television broadcast. As this was mass event under global banner an AXN representative was on hand to adjudicate and announce my success in timely manner. Evidence would be submitted to Guinness for ratification after the filming. ‘One hundred and thirty-three! New world record, Bibhuti Bhushan Nayak of Navi Mumbai!’ This was fine as I had shattered the previous record of only one hundred and sixteen. My fellow fitness freaks interrupted their own preparations to greet the announcement with generous applause. This was an inspiring moment which gave me an extra boost to press on to my next attempt.

The record-breaking life is a solitary existence and the chance to mingle with like-minded fanatics is very uncommon: it is in triumphant times such as this that our connection is felt most strongly, and we may use the positive energy we share to stretch higher towards our individual goals. I am firm believer that the goodwill of others when blended with the desire of the almighty makes the most potent mix. When a person drinks from this source he truly becomes unbreakable. I am the living proof of this.

My wife however has no understanding of such things. Unfortunately she is unable to enjoy my achievements fully due to narrowness of mind and persistent worries for my safety. I believe it is this fear which took her over in run-up to the double record event and almost ended my career in unfortunate circumstances. Just a few days before I took a tumble in the kitchen which could have produced show-stopping injury. My wife had washed the floor but forgotten to tell me. Entering the kitchen unaware I slipped on the wet tiles and in the mishap wrenched my shoulder and hit my head on cupboard. This on top of injury already sustained to wrist. My wife was horrified when she saw me getting up from the floor. Only grace of God and my supreme reflexes prevented more serious accident. Her worrying had made her forget to convey important detail and this is a timely reminder of the damage that may follow. This is why I do not allow undue worry to enter my mind and build a trap there.

With time only for brief meditation period it was on to the second record attempt of the day. I performed a final stretching, removed my trousers and climbed back onto the stage where a seat had been constructed for me from iceblocks covered with a towel to prevent any numbing effect from entering my groin area. My student Vijay Four accompanied me to deliver the fateful blow (Gopal Dutta was disappointed that I had not given him the nod due to his ongoing battle with enlarged tumour, but he swallowed his pride to attend at front of stage, dressed in his customary bandhgala for appearance in spotlight).

We had practised for many hours the correct speed and trajectory for a perfect swing and were confident that the slabs would be broken in the single action required to satisfy the record limits.

I took my seat and maintained a steady breathing while Vijay Four placed the three concrete slabs, each weighing 18kg, in a layered formation between my legs.

Here you may be asking why the Guinness people would allow such a dangerous event when they had refused to recognise my similar achievement of being kicked in the groin repeatedly. Really there is nothing to it: a record of two slabs already existed, and when I enquired of their support for this activity they were happy to confirm that as the concrete slabs would absorb most of the energy from the hammer’s impact before it reached my groin the risk was considered acceptable.

As luck would have it I was able to secure a supply of slabs of the right dimensions on which to perfect my technique. My student Mehtab was construction foreman and he provided me with quantity of used slabs for my heart’s content. Only expense incurred was the sledgehammer, and he advised on the right selection. Vijay Four made himself available to my needs and over many happy evenings in the yard below my apartment we hit upon the ideal method. The attraction proved so popular that I had to decline several kind offers from neighbours keen to lend a hand. Therefore I was quite comfortable when the moment came to put my practice into full effect. Needless to say, the outcome was as expected. The three slabs were broken with no difficulty, Vijay Four making a perfect swing on first attempt. Storm of praise greeting me when I lifted the broken pieces to confirm my success.

The enjoyment was felt across the world. I must say that this is a Guinness history, as I broke these two records within a span of ten minutes, a feat that had never been achieved before or since. But the main thing was this: I had proved that I could overcome major injury and return stronger than ever. This was all the confirmation I needed to march on with extra confidence through every obstacle which may lie ahead.

It is here that my story reaches a strange turning point. The attention I received nationwide after the AXN event introduced many shocking elements into my life for the first time. Think about it: one day you are a freelancer in Navi Mumbai, living a simple life with your wife and young son, doing your work so that you may have your two square meals per day and a roof over your head. You practise your martial arts and teach others the skills you have learned for their wellbeing and successful spirit. You follow your record-breaking journey alongside your daily trials because the almighty has planted the dream in you. It is a dream which you share with the common man and for no selfish motive. You do not seek money or fame, only to inspire the world through simple actions of duty and suffering. Your only reward is to know that you walked the path laid down for you from beginning to end.

But no man can be sure enough of his path until temptation blocks his way, and my temptations came all together like troop of monkeys to my door. If I welcome them or turn them away, this will decide the ending of my journey in darkness or light.

Thank you.