What happens when someone claims mastery without putting in the work? This is the story of Premude Gaswami, self-proclaimed “master” of seven martial arts, who found himself in the spotlight of McDojoLife, a platform dedicated to exposing fraudulent martial arts practitioners.
The saga began innocuously enough when Gaswami reached out to Rob from McDojoLife, asking to collaborate on content. During their initial conversation, Gaswami made extraordinary claims: he had allegedly trained in over 30 different martial arts styles and “mastered” seven of them. These included Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Capoeira, Wing Chun, Kalari Payatu, and Ninjutsu.
Rob‘s skepticism was immediately triggered. As someone who has made it his mission to identify fraudulent martial arts instructors, these claims warranted investigation.
During their recorded interview, Gaswami‘s claims began to unravel. He stated he had mastered Muay Thai in just one year without ever having competed in a single fight. When pressed about Wing Chun, he claimed mastery after only six months of training. For Ninjutsu, he admitted to learning primarily online rather than from an actual instructor.
Perhaps most telling was his approach to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Despite claiming mastery, Gaswami acknowledged he had never competed in an actual MMA match. His definition of “fighting experience” consisted solely of sparring with local students.
When confronted with these inconsistencies, Gaswami became defensive and challenged Rob to a fight, boldly claiming he could defeat him in just 20 seconds.
“I will beat you within 20 seconds. If I’ll not then I’ll quit martial arts forever,”
McDojoLife‘s breakdown of Gaswami‘s instructional videos revealed techniques that ranged from ineffective to potentially dangerous. His ninjutsu forward roll technique, for instance, involved catching oneself with the hand in a way that could easily result in a broken wrist.
Other questionable demonstrations included:
– Sliding between an opponent’s legs when their back is turned (giving up a dominant position)
– Break dancing moves presented as ninjutsu techniques
– Improper double-leg takedown execution
– Illegal MMA techniques such as elbows to the back of the head
– Incorrectly demonstrated arm bars
– A bizarre “front flip butt attack” presented as a legitimate MMA technique
Beyond the technical deficiencies, there’s a financial aspect to this story that makes it particularly concerning. Gaswami charges premium rates for his courses:
– His Martial Arts Master Course costs 726,000 rupees
– Individual martial arts courses cost 47,500 rupees each
For context, the average household income in India is approximately 32,000 rupees per month or 384,000 rupees annually. This means a single course costs more than the average Indian family earns in 1.5 months, while the master program costs nearly two years’ worth of income.
After the heated interview, Gaswami blocked Rob and deleted his confrontational messages. Despite issuing the challenge himself, Gaswami never responded to follow-up attempts to arrange the fight through a professional MMA promoter.
This case raises an important question: What truly makes someone a master of a martial art? While Gaswami suggested that understanding “core values” and techniques was sufficient, most martial arts traditions would consider mastery to require:
1. Years (often decades) of consistent training
2. Practical application through competition or real-world testing
3. Recognition from established authorities in the discipline
4. The ability to effectively teach and develop others in the art
Stories like this one matter because they affect real people. Students who invest their time, money, and trust in instructors like Gaswami may not only learn ineffective techniques but might also find themselves in dangerous situations if they mistakenly believe they possess fighting skills they haven’t actually developed.
