Turning personal loss into strength through martial arts, Diljeet Kour built her life around discipline and self-defence from a young age. She has earned multiple medals, including a gold medal at the 2024 Karate World Championship in Kazakhstan, while training students at her academy.

Certified Self-Defence Coach Diljeet Kour is the Director at Indian Martial Art and Self Defence Academy, Indore. Coach Diljeet Kour has built her identity around martial arts, self-defence training, and youth development.

A Third Dan Black Belt in Karate, Black Belt in Taekwondo, and a JuJutsu Player, Kour is also a National Referee in Karate, Taekwondo, and JuJutsu. Through the Indian Martial Art and Self Defence Academy, she and her team train children in multiple martial arts disciplines while focusing not only on sports performance but also on confidence, discipline, mental strength, and self-protection.

Apart from being a Third Dan Black Belt in Karate, Diljeet Kour has actively participated in multiple martial arts disciplines at the national level. She has competed in Kalaripayattu and won a silver medal in the discipline at the national level. In Taekwondo, she secured a bronze medal at national competitions, while in Jujutsu she also progressed up to the national level and earned a silver medal. One of the proudest moments of her competitive career came in 2024, when she won a gold medal in Karate at the World Championship held in Kazakhstan. Even today, she continues to push herself with the goal of converting every previous silver and bronze achievement into future gold medals.

Among her recent achievements, one of the most special moments for her was officiating as a referee at the All India University level. She considers this a major milestone in her professional career because opportunities to officiate at government-recognized university-level competitions are highly respected in the martial arts field. She believes referees not only supervise matches but also continue learning deeply about the technical and competitive aspects of the sport through such experiences.

At the academy, the training structure primarily begins with Karate because, according to Diljeet Kour, it provides children with a safe and easy foundation to understand martial arts techniques and discipline. Since Karate is not a full-contact sport in the initial stages, younger children can learn punches, kicks, blocks, and movement patterns comfortably without fear of injury. Even children as young as three-and-a-half years old are able to understand the basics gradually through structured practice. As students progress through belt promotions, they are further introduced to advanced disciplines like Taekwondo and JuJutsu depending on their skill development and interest.

Coach Kour explains that Karate is broadly divided into two important aspects — fighting skills and Kata demonstration. While sparring and tournament participation help children build courage, reflexes, and competitive confidence, Kata helps them develop rhythm, focus, body control, and technical precision through individual non-musical performances involving blocks, strikes, and defensive movements. According to her, martial arts training is not only about winning medals; it is about helping children become mentally stronger, more disciplined, and more confident in everyday life.

Alongside Karate, the academy also provides JuJutsu training, particularly focusing on fighting, contact techniques, throws, and groundwork. Since many fighting basics are already developed through Karate, JuJutsu helps students strengthen practical self-defence abilities further, especially techniques related to grips, sweeps, takedowns, and escaping physical holds. Diljeet Kour believes such training gives children and young individuals the confidence to react calmly and protect themselves during difficult situations.

Martial Arts Expert Diljeet Kour’s own connection with martial arts began during her school years when she was in seventh standard. Initially, she joined martial arts classes simply as a summer vacation activity with no long-term planning in mind. However, as she continued training, her interest grew deeper with time. What started as a short-term activity slowly became an inseparable part of her life. Over the years, martial arts not only transformed her personally but also gave her a sense of purpose, helping her realize that through self-defence and training, she could positively impact the lives of many others as well.

Coach Diljeet Kour’s connection with martial arts became deeply personal during one of the most difficult phases of her life. When she was studying in eighth standard, she lost her mother, a moment that completely changed her emotional world. During that period, when she was struggling to move forward emotionally, academically, and personally, Karate became her strongest support system. What had initially started as a simple activity during school years slowly turned into her healing point, helping her regain stability, focus, and strength during an emotionally challenging time.

She especially credits her Karate mentors, Shihan Ashok Sen sir and Senpai Mona Lisa Yadav, for helping her come out of that difficult phase. According to Diljeet Kour, their guidance, encouragement, and constant support played a major role in rebuilding her confidence and shaping the person she is today. She believes that the academy she now runs and the position she has achieved in martial arts have been possible because of the support and direction she received from them during those years. Even today, she considers them among the biggest role models in her life.

At one stage, she found herself standing between multiple responsibilities where she had to decide whether to focus on studies, earning, or sports. However, with the support of her mentors, she gradually managed to balance all three together. Through Karate, she continued her education, completed her post-graduation, and also became financially independent. Looking back, she believes every individual has some form of healing point in life — something that helps them recover emotionally and move forward despite difficult circumstances. For her, martial arts became that source of inner strength.

During the early phase of her training, she spent nearly two years simply learning and simultaneously working small jobs in schools. Gradually, she realized that helping people is not limited only to financial support. She understood that sharing knowledge, confidence, and practical self-defence skills with others could also change lives in meaningful ways. As she started teaching students and training individuals, especially girls and women, their enthusiasm and progress became a major source of motivation for her own growth as well.

Over time, self-defence awareness became one of the most important parts of her work. In the last year alone, Diljeet Kour trained nearly 2000 girls through self-defence workshops conducted in government schools. Through these sessions, she not only taught physical techniques but also tried to build awareness, confidence, and mental preparedness among young girls. Seeing students actively learn techniques they believe could help them protect themselves in real-life situations gives her a deep sense of purpose and satisfaction.

She also shares that whenever she feels mentally low or emotionally disturbed, practicing Karate Kata helps her regain clarity and calmness. According to her, the rhythm, discipline, and concentration involved in Kata practice help refresh her mind and restore emotional balance.

Born and raised in Indore, Diljeet Kour completed her schooling, higher education, and post-graduation in the city itself. Even after achieving the level of Third Dan Black Belt, she continues to pursue advanced certifications and training programs because she believes continuous learning is necessary not only for personal growth but also to train her students more effectively.

One of the most memorable moments for her comes when students from her academy participate at international platforms. While they officially represent India at those events, she says there is a special emotional connection in watching her own students perform on such large stages. Whether they win medals or not, seeing them compete internationally motivates her to continue improving herself as a coach and guide her students toward even greater achievements in the future.

Hanuman Chalisa has remained one of the strongest emotional anchors in Diljeet Kour’s life. Whenever she feels mentally low, emotionally disturbed, or exhausted, listening to Hanuman Chalisa helps her regain calmness, positivity, and inner strength. Over time, it has become a part of her daily routine, something she listens to regularly regardless of her emotional state. According to her, during difficult moments, listening to it repeatedly gives her mental clarity and helps her feel refreshed and motivated again.

Her professional growth as a coach has also expanded steadily over the years. The first academy she started was in Mahalaxmi Nagar, Indore, and gradually the academy network expanded to nearly five to six branches across the city. Through these branches, multiple trainers work together with a common focus on developing students physically, mentally, and competitively. Her vision is to further expand the academy to more locations and create opportunities where students from every branch can eventually compete at international platforms.

According to Trainer Diljeet Kour, martial arts is not only about competition or medals but about overall personality development. She strongly believes that practicing any form of martial arts improves both physical fitness and mental strength while also building discipline, confidence, and self-control. She encourages every individual, especially young people, to learn self-defence because the ability to protect oneself has become increasingly important in today’s environment.

Along with regular academy training, she actively conducts self-defence workshops and awareness programmes through various NGOs. Recently, she conducted training sessions for female drivers, where she observed tremendous enthusiasm among participants who were eager to learn practical self-defence techniques. Seeing women become more aware and confident about protecting themselves gives her immense satisfaction.

Indian Martial Art and Self Defence Academy Director Diljeet Kour believes self-defence education should begin from childhood itself because even children today need awareness and basic techniques that could help them escape dangerous situations like kidnapping or physical threats. Through her work, she continues to encourage people across all age groups to make self-defence an essential part of life.