‘Karate helps me feel alive after heart attack’

A doctor who cheated death after a heart attack is celebrating achieving his Black Belt in karate.

Dr Surinder Singh, who works in the emergency department at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, could barely move after a triple bypass operation to restore blood flow to his heart, let alone exercise.

But last week the 64 year old completed a gruelling four hours of fitness tests, including sparring, culminating in 1,000 kicks and 1,000 punches, to achieve his Black Belt in Martial Arts at Ashford-based club Karate Leadership UK (KLUK).

The achievement comes just three and a half years after Surinder took up karate in a bid to improve his health and fitness.

He said: “I feel as if I have gone from being nearly dead, to feeling truly alive.

“It was a matter of survival at first, and when I was lying in a hospital bed I never imagined I would be in this position now.

“This extent of physical strength rarely happens after a heart attack; age is not on my side so I know I will get older and weaker but I intend to carry on as long as I can.”

Surinder originally joined a martial arts club in 2007, after his children and then his wife became members. But when the original club folded, and a second succumbed to the same fate, he abandoned the practise.

He said: “Work and home life was busy so we ended up not bothering about it. The health benefits were not something we considered back then, or the implications of not paying attention to health.

“Now I tell my patients about my experience to give them the courage to push themselves.

“One patient told me they couldn’t pick up a bag because they had experienced a heart attack, so I told them what I could do – and my heart attack was more recent than theirs.

“People can be scared of exercise but I hope to encourage people. I can’t say if it will increase my life expectancy but I do believe quality of life is so much better if you exercise.”

Surinder was at work when he began experiencing chest pains, which he initially dismissed after an echocardiogram appeared normal.

But his symptoms worsened, and he found himself needing the life-saving care of his colleagues.

He said: “My team looked after me. When I was on the cardiology ward, there were four other patients that I had treated and then I was the fifth.

“The arteries were so blocked that the cardiologist could not put stents in so I had to be transferred to London for the triple bypass surgery.

“When I woke up I could barely lift my arms or legs, but I was determined to recover and I knew I had the capability.

“KLUK had confidence in me and slowly and steadily built me up. They never pushed me and let me go at my own pace. At first, I didn’t do the sit-ups or push-ups, or fight with others, but I slowly started improving and my confidence increased.”

Sensei Mark Paton, 5th Dan at KLUK, said everyone at the club was delighted with Surinder’s achievement.

He said: "Age is no limit in karate, and what may be perceived as physical disability can actually still allow you to perform many functions. Karate is a martial art that teaches discipline and promotes the maintenance of your health."

The British Heart Foundation has some tips on exercising after a heart attack: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/activity/first-exercise-steps

You should check with your doctor or cardiac rehab team before returning to or starting exercise.