Martial Arts

1. मी एका दिवसासाठी सराव करू शकतो/शकते का?

   Mī e-kaa di-va-saa-saa-thī sa-raav ka-rū shak-to/shak-te kaa?

   Can I train here for just one day?

   Usage

   The basic way to ask about a drop-in session. Traditional akharas in Maharashtra are not membership clubs; with the coach's permission you can usually train from day one

   Grammar Note

   The final particle "kaa" makes it a yes/no question. Marathi verbs agree with the speaker's gender: "shakto" for men, "shakte" for women

2. मी आधी सराव बघू शकतो/शकते का?

   Mī aa-dhī sa-raav ba-ghū shak-to/shak-te kaa?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   Use this to check the atmosphere before committing. An akhara is often just an earthen pit and a rack of equipment, and visitors are welcome to watch. Never step onto the earth with your shoes on

   Grammar Note

   "Verb stem + ū shakto" expresses ability. The stem "bagh" from "baghne" (to see) plus "ū" gives "baghū"

3. मल्लखांब कुठे शिकता येईल?

   Mal-la-khaamb ku-the shi-ka-taa ye-īl?

   Where can I learn Mallakhamb?

   Usage

   Mallakhamb, performing gymnastic holds on a wooden pole or hanging rope, originated in Maharashtra and is the state sport. Several gymnasiums ("vyayamshala") in Mumbai and Pune let visitors watch or try a session

   Grammar Note

   The name joins "malla" (wrestler) and "khaamb" (pole). "Shikta yene" is an impersonal possibility construction meaning "for learning to be possible"

4. मी अगदी नवीन आहे.

   Mī ag-dī na-vīn aa-he.

   I am a complete beginner.

   Usage

   Say this up front and the coach will keep you on basics. Akharas post no skill levels and rely on you speaking up; stay quiet and you may be grouped with experienced wrestlers

   Grammar Note

   "Navīn" is an invariable adjective, so men and women use the same form. "Aahe" is the first-person singular of the verb "to be"

5. कृपया हळू सुरुवात करा.

   Kru-pa-yaa ha-lū su-ru-vaat ka-raa.

   Please start slowly and go easy.

   Usage

   Use this to ask for lower intensity in drills or grappling. Kushti akharas sometimes throw newcomers straight into real bouts, so do not hesitate to say it. Free sparring normally waits until you can fall safely

   Grammar Note

   The ending "-aa" is the polite imperative used with strangers and elders. The blunt form would be the bare stem "kar"

6. माझा गुडघा दुखतो आहे.

   Maa-jhaa gud-ghaa dukh-to aa-he.

   My knee is hurting.

   Usage

   Say this before training starts — there is no intake form, so speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap "gudagha" (knee) for "khaanda" (shoulder), "kambar" (lower back) or "ghota" (ankle)

   Grammar Note

   The possessive "maajhaa / maajhī / maajhe" agrees with the following noun. "Gudghaa" is masculine, so it takes "maajhaa"

7. महिन्याची फी किती आहे?

   Ma-hin-yaa-chī phī ki-tī aa-he?

   How much is the monthly fee?

   Usage

   A monthly rate is usually cheaper if you are staying a while. Some traditional akharas take no tuition and run on donations ("dengī") — then offer a contribution rather than insisting on paying a fee

   Grammar Note

   The genitive suffix "-chaa / -chī / -che" agrees with the following noun. "Phī" is feminine, hence the feminine form "mahinyaachī"

8. एका वेळेचे किती पैसे?

   E-kaa ve-le-che ki-tī pai-se?

   How much is it per session?

   Usage

   As a traveller this is the practical question to lead with. City gyms and karate dojos in Mumbai or Pune typically charge 200-600 rupees a session, while traditional akharas are usually free or donation-based

   Grammar Note

   "Paise" is always plural and simply means "money"; dropping the verb and saying "kitī paise?" is the natural colloquial way to ask a price

9. महिलांसाठी वेगळा वर्ग आहे का?

   Ma-hi-laan-saa-thī ve-ga-laa varg aa-he kaa?

   Is there a separate class for women?

   Usage

   Mallakhamb has a large number of female competitors and thrives as a school activity, whereas many kushti akharas remain male-only. Asking in advance avoids an awkward arrival

   Grammar Note

   The postposition "-saathī" (for) attaches directly to the noun, which takes the oblique plural "mulīn". The adjective "vegalaa" is masculine to agree with "varg"

10. वर्गाची वेळ काय आहे?

    Var-gaa-chī vel kaay aa-he?

    What time is the class?

    Usage

    Akharas in Maharashtra run early morning (around 05:00-07:00) and evening (around 17:00-19:00) sessions to avoid the midday heat. The morning slot is the serious one, beginning before dawn with turning and levelling the earth

    Grammar Note

    "Kaay" is the pronoun "what" and sits mid-sentence. Placed at the very end it instead turns the sentence into a tag question, so its position matters

11. साहित्य भाड्याने मिळेल का?

    Saa-hit-ya bhaad-yaa-ne mi-lel kaa?

    Can I rent the equipment?

    Usage

    A kushti akhara expects you to have a "langot", the traditional loincloth, which is bought rather than rented for hygiene reasons. Boxing and karate gyms will usually lend you gloves ("glovhaj")

    Grammar Note

    "Milne" means "to become available" and takes the object, not the borrower, as its subject. "Bhaade" (rent) with the instrumental "-ne" forms the adverbial "on rent"

12. हा डाव मला शिकवाल का?

    Haa daav ma-laa shi-ka-vaal kaa?

    Could you teach me this move?

    Usage

    "Daav" is the kushti term for a throw or hold. The coach is addressed as "guru" or "vastaad"; thank him with "dhanyavaad" after being shown a technique. In some places students still touch the coach's feet as a mark of respect

    Grammar Note

    Inserting the causative -v- into "shikne" (to learn) gives "shikavne" (to teach). Using the second-person plural future "shikavaal" as a request sounds politely deferential

13. इथे आंघोळीची सोय आहे का?

    I-the aan-gho-lī-chī soy aa-he kaa?

    Is there somewhere to wash up here?

    Usage

    Traditional akharas train on red earth, so you finish covered in dirt. Facilities are often a well or a bucket wash rather than a Western-style shower. Bring your own towel and a change of clothes

    Grammar Note

    "Soy" means a facility or convenient arrangement; the frame "...chī soy aahe kaa?" lets you ask whether any given amenity exists

14. कुस्तीचा सामना कधी असतो?

    Kus-tī-chaa saa-ma-naa ka-dhī as-to?

    When do the wrestling bouts take place?

    Usage

    Kolhapur is the heartland of Maharashtrian kushti, with village-fair tournaments and the state championship known as "Maharashtra Kesari". Asking a local is the surest way to find out when a meet is on

    Grammar Note

    "Asto" is the habitual present, "does / usually takes place". For a single scheduled event use the future "asel" instead

15. हात वर ठेवा, समोरच्याच्या डोळ्यांत बघा.

    Haat var the-vaa, sa-mor-chyaa-chyaa do-lyaant ba-ghaa.

    Keep your hands up, look into your opponent's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. One of the most frequent cues during grappling. Kushti teaches you to watch the eyes and hips rather than the hands and feet — drop your gaze and you lose the grip battle

    Grammar Note

    The polite imperative in "-aa" is the standard form a coach uses with students and carries no rudeness. "Dolyaant" is the oblique plural of "dole" (eyes) with the locative "-t"

16. पूर्ण ताकदीने मारा, हात आखडता घेऊ नका.

    Pūrn taa-ka-dī-ne maa-raa, haat aa-kha-da-taa ghe-ū na-kaa.

    Strike with full power, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The standard call when they want full commitment during pad or partner drills. A hesitant, half-power strike is more likely to hurt your own wrist, so you are pushed to commit

    Grammar Note

    A prohibition is formed by putting "nakaa" after the verb ("gheū nakaa" = do not take). "Haat aakhadtaa ghene" literally means "to draw the hand in" and idiomatically means to hold back

17. पाच मिनिटे थांबा आणि पाणी प्या.

    Paach mi-ni-te thaam-baa aa-ni paa-nī pyaa.

    Take a five-minute break and drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Maharashtra summers approach 40 degrees and akharas are not air-conditioned, so frequent water breaks are built in. Some akharas hand out "taak", salted buttermilk, during the pause

    Grammar Note

    "Thaambne" means to stop or wait and doubles as the cue for a break. "Pyaa" is the polite imperative of "pine" (to drink) and is irregular in form

18. आजचा सराव इथेच थांबवू. छान केलंस!

    Aaj-chaa sa-raav i-the-ch thaam-ba-vū. Chaan ke-lans!

    Let us stop today's training here. Well done!

    Usage

    The coach's closing line. Students then greet him with "namaskaar", and in some places touch his feet as a mark of respect. At an akhara, turning and re-levelling the earth afterwards is also part of a student's duty

    Grammar Note

    The clitic "-ch" emphasises the preceding word, so "ithe" (here) becomes "right here". "Kelans" is the familiar second-person singular past, natural from a coach to a student

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