In an impressive display of both mental and physical endurance, 42-year-old software engineer Sidhu Kshetri has broken the record for the longest marathon punching a punch-bag.
Sidhu, a lifelong martial artist who has represented India in numerous Taekwondo championships, achieved a time of 55 hours 15 minutes, surpassing the previous record by five minutes.
“I have been practising martial arts for the last 25 years,” Sidhu said. “I am interested in contributing to my country, so I decided to attempt this world record.”
Breaking this world record is a gruelling test of stamina – the rules require the challenger to throw a punch at least once every two seconds for the entire duration of the attempt, and after each strike of the bag, the arm must return to its original position.
As with all ‘longest marathon’ records, after every continuous hour of activity, the challenger is permitted a five-minute rest break, which can be accumulated if not taken straight away. Only during these breaks could Sidhu eat, sleep, or use the bathroom.
“The pain started around the 20-hour mark,” Sidhu revealed. “At that point, I reminded myself that it was a test of my limits. I believed that if I stayed emotionally strong, I could endure the pain.
“The toughest phase was the second night, approximately 30 hours in, as it was a continuous period without sleep. Enduring that was tough, but the encouragement and support from my friends and family kept me going, allowing me to push my limits.
“Although I hadn't thought of stopping, I kept telling myself: ‘Just one more hour.’”
Sidhu spent six months preparing for this record attempt, training for eight hours every day.
His daily routine involved a four-hour training session from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., followed by another one in the evening.
“The most challenging aspect was the mental preparation,” Sidhu said. “I had to be mentally and physically strong for this attempt.”
Sidhu’s world record comes over 10 years after he earned his last one, which was for the most martial arts kicks in three minutes using one leg (620), achieved in 2013. He also performed the most martial arts kicks in one minute using a single leg (168) in 2011.
Both of those records have since been broken by Ahmad Amin Bodla (Pakistan), but Sidhu has plans to take them back, in addition to one of Ahmad’s other records for the most martial arts kicks with one leg in one hour (6,970), which Sidhu is confident he can beat.
Holding this record fills me with joy, and honestly, it leaves me speechless, already urging myself to prepare for the next challenge. - Sidhu
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