Tanka Bahadur Vishwokarma is something of a raconteur. The 28-year-old, who runs Pyuthan Dai Ko Tapari Mo:Mo in Dhobighat, Lalitpur, has many stories and anecdotes to tell. For his regular customers, his tales are an indispensable aside to the delicious momos he serves from his tiny stall.

He is a gregarious, self-assured man. And yes, he is also a karate master, who has won several medals in domestic and international tournaments. His eyes light up when the topic of his martial arts career is brought up.

Vishwokarma, who hails from Hansapur, Pyuthan, says he dreamt of becoming a fighter all his life.

“I was a feisty little boy who got into many fights,” he says. “The only thing that piqued my interest at the time was action films.”

When he was just 15, he left his home for Delhi, India, to forge a professional fighter’s life. In Delhi, he found a hotel job and signed up for a local karate class.

“I used to work all day and take karate lessons in the mornings and evenings,” he says.

Vishwokarma stayed in Delhi for three years and returned home as a karate black-belt. After coming back, he took part in a local tournament, where he won a silver medal, which he says was a great confidence-booster.    

 “I had been training hard for years, but my actual launch pad was that tournament,” he says.

After the tournament, he went on to compete in the 2013 Delhi State Karate Championship, where he won a gold medal. He also bagged gold at the third Shito-ryu Kosho Kai Karate Championship, also held in Delhi.    

Vishwokarma’s exploits in martial arts made him something of a local celebrity in his hometown. He continued to train along with other karatekas under karate master Rajendra Ojha and to compete in tournaments.

In 2016, he and his fellow team members participated in the ISKU International Karate Cup in Gujarat, which had participants from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mali, Algeria and Canada. Once again, Vishwokarma proved his mettle as an accomplished fighter, becoming the only Nepali player to win gold in the men’s kumite 84kg category.

At around the same time, Vishwokarma started working as a karate instructor in his hometown.

“I started with 12 students and soon the number rose to 40,” he says. “I was doing well. Even the local government had noticed my work and offered me a job as a karate teacher in local schools.” 

Vishwokarma’s students say he was a doting yet strict teacher. “He could really push you to bring out your best. Giving up was never an option when training under him,” says Sanjay Samat of Darban, Pyuthan. Samat learned karate under Vishwokarma for two years.

Many of Vishwokarma’s students have competed in several domestic and international tournaments and won gold medals.

Sushant Gain says Vishwokarma taught him that karate was a discipline of self-defense not violence.

“He was patient with his students. Always smiling, never angry,” Gain says. “I have learned a lot from him—not just karate, but also the importance of patience and non-violence—and to lead a happy and contented life.”

Vishwokarma appears content even though he is no longer pursuing his martial arts dreams. He says the life he had imagined for himself was upended by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I had no way to earn a living as the classes were closed, so I came to Kathmandu in hopes of finding a job,” he says.

Outside of teaching karate, the only job experience he had was when he worked in India as a little boy. So he heeded the suggestion of his friends and family members and jumped into the momo business. 

“It’s been nine months since I opened this shop. It’s hard work but things are looking up,” he says with his characteristic optimism. “I had never imagined that one day I would be selling momos, but here I am.”

Vishwokarma has not given up on his dream though. He still wants to do something in the field of martial arts and recently started teaching karate at a school.

“I think I have got my second wind. One day I plan to open my own karate class in Kathmandu,” he says.

Absolutely. He’s still got the fight—and age—to pursue all his dreams.