Diwali at Knots & Collar: Mats Off, Kurtas On
On Diwali the gis came off and the kurtas went on. Our jiu-jitsu family gathered at the studio in Defence Colony for a puja on the mats, a flower rangoli made petal by petal, diyas, sweets, a home-baked cake and a room full of the people we train with every week. This is how we celebrated, and why a jiu-jitsu studio makes time for it.
An invitation, not an event
The message went out to the members' group the day before, on Choti Diwali: a puja at the studio at 12:30, ethnic wear as the uniform for the day, and a request to bring your loved ones along. Nobody needed a ticket and nobody needed to have trained that week. If you are part of the Knots & Collar family, the door was open, and the same goes for the people you love.
That is the spirit we try to keep all year. A studio is only a room with mats in it until people fill it, and Diwali is the one day we fill it for no reason other than being together.
Getting the room ready
Everyone pitched in. Shiv lit up the space with strings of fairy lights along the walls and the mat edge. Shashi Kant made the rangoli, a flower rangoli in marigold yellow and orange, white blooms and deep pink rose petals laid out by hand on the floor. Karneet baked the cake. Diyas went on a brass thali, the puja corner was dressed in red and gold, and somebody scattered balloons in blue, white and pink across the white mats, which turned out to be the most popular decision of the day.
Mats off, kurtas on
It is a strange and lovely thing to see your training partners in something other than a gi or a rashguard. The people you usually meet in a scramble for grips arrived in a maroon kurta, a navy side-buttoned kurta, a dhoti with a shawl over the shoulder, a pink banarasi suit, a black suit with silver embroidery at the cuffs, a red saree. Feet were still bare, because some habits do not take a holiday on the mats.
The moustaches deserved their own photograph, and they got one.
And because this is still a jiu-jitsu studio, the kurtas did not stop anyone from showing off a little. Somebody was lifted clean off the mat, in silk, with both people laughing the whole way through.
The puja and the diyas
At the heart of the day was the puja. We lit the diyas together, one flame passed to the next, around the rangoli and the puja corner. Whatever each person believes, there is something in lighting a lamp side by side that feels close to what happens on the mat: you cannot do it alone, and it only works if you look after the person next to you.
Sweets, cake and balloons
After the puja came the table: boxes of mithai, a tray of namkeen, chocolates, marigold petals everywhere, and Karneet's cake, which did not last long. Plates were balanced on knees on the sofa, the balloons went up and came down again for most of the afternoon, and the conversations ran well past the point where anyone was keeping time.
The guest in the paisley coat
One guest arrived in the smartest outfit of the day: a small white dog in a paisley Diwali coat. Within minutes there was a queue of grown adults sitting cross-legged on the mats waiting their turn, and the photographs prove it.
Why a jiu-jitsu studio celebrates Diwali
Jiu-jitsu is a sport you cannot practise alone. Every technique you know was shown to you by someone, and every round you finish is one somebody else agreed to share with you. Over months and years that turns a room of strangers into something closer to a family, which is exactly how the invitation began: "Happy Choti Diwali, family."
On the mat we are not sorted by job, age or background. A beginner of three weeks drills next to someone with a decade on the mat, and both leave a little better. Diwali is the day we let that show off the mat as well. It is the same idea behind our philosophy of Kindness Over Toughness, and behind the way we think about building the jiu-jitsu community in India and keeping a warm open mat culture.
Back on the mats
The studio took the main days of the festival off so the team could be with their own families, and then the kurtas went back in the cupboard and the gis came back out. If this is the kind of room you would like to train in, your first class is free. We teach Gi and No-Gi jiu-jitsu for adults, kids' jiu-jitsu from age 3, and a women-only class every Saturday, seven days a week in Defence Colony, New Delhi. You do not need any kit; here is what to wear to your first class.
From all of us at Knots & Collar, a very happy Diwali to you and your loved ones. Schedule a visit and come and meet the family. Kindness Over Toughness.
FAQs
Does Knots & Collar celebrate Diwali at the studio?
Yes. At Diwali the studio in Defence Colony hosts a puja on the mats for members, their families and the team. There is a flower rangoli, diyas, sweets and a home-baked cake, and ethnic wear is the dress code for the day.
Is Knots & Collar open on Diwali?
The studio closes for the main days of Diwali so the team can be with their families. Holiday timings are shared with members in advance, and anyone planning a first visit around the festival can call the desk on +91 97179 56687 to check.
Can families and children come to studio celebrations?
Yes. Members are encouraged to bring their loved ones, and children are part of the day. Knots & Collar teaches kids' jiu-jitsu from age 3, so many families already know the studio well.
Can I try a jiu-jitsu class after Diwali?
Yes. Your first class at Knots & Collar is free and no experience or kit is needed. Classes run seven days a week, morning and evening, in Defence Colony, New Delhi. Book a visit and the desk will point you to the right slot.