Indian Martial Artist Shatters Guinness World Record With 55-Hour Punching Marathon

A 42-year-old Indian martial artist, Sidhu Kshetri, has punched his way into the Guinness World Records book for the longest marathon punching a punching bag. He spent a grueling 55 hours and 15 minutes throwing punches, exceeding the previous record by a mere 5 minutes.

Mr Kshetri’s feat of endurance required him to throw at least one punch every 2 seconds, as per Guinness World Records rules. He was allowed a 5-minute break every hour, but the breaks could be accumulated for longer rest periods. This meant Kshetri could take a longer break when needed, but he had to keep the punches coming most of the time.

This is not Mr Kshetri’s first brush with Guinness World Records. In 2013, he set the record for the most martial arts kicks in three minutes using one leg (620), and in 2011, he achieved the most martial arts kicks in one minute using a single leg (168).

“I have been practicing martial arts for the last 25 years,” Sidhu told Guinness World Records. “I am interested in contributing to my country, so I decided to attempt this world record.”

“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.'”