Dai-Sensei Moses Thilak is one of the pioneers of Karate-do in India. Hailing from a well known warrior family in Nagercoil, who served the Maharajas of Travancore for centuries, he took to martial arts at a young age. Starting with Judo, he progressed to Karate under Sensei Alan Dwyer, a direct student of Dai-Sensei Kenei Mabuni, head of Shito-ryu Karate-do. With total commitment to training, he rapidly earned senior grades, culminating with the Hachi-dan or Eigth dan Black Belt.
Simultaneously, he trained in the Indian martial arts of Kalari, Silambam, Kuthu-varisai, Adi-Murai and the most advanced art of Marma-Adi. His interest led him to the Marma Shastras and he began collecting them. His intention was to document the various systems of Indian martial arts in order to preserve them. He spent years meeting Masters, filming and recording their systems. He trained under the finest Indian martial art masters, including Vasudevan Gurukal, Natesan Asan, Madhavan Asan, Balakrishnan Gurukul, Panikkar Asan and many others. Silambam was a passion, and he trained under Ramiah Doss Asan, Jalabudin Asan, Ali Asan and others. He published a book on Introduction to Marma-adi and Kalaripayatu in the early Eighties. He made it a point to encourage his Karate students to train in the Indian Martial arts, stating that it would help them understand Karate better. He was featured in the BBC documentary, “Way of the Warrior” as a leading exponent of Kalripayattu and Marma-adi.
An associate, Pandian had introduced him to the Chinese arts in the late seventies and this was reinforced by Sifu Luca Ghinolfi of Italy when he visited India twice. When Sifu Daryl Johnson, visited India, he started earnest study of Yang style Tai Chi Chuan. Focusing on the Chinese martial arts, he came full circle and finally developed the insight that all martial arts are one. He was working on a book contrasting the Indian, Chinese and Japanese martial systems which unfortunately, never got published.
Dai-Sensei Moses Thilak introduced Karate to every corner of India and is acknowledged as the pioneer of Karate in India. The Alan Thilak Karate School founded by him, at its peak, conducted classes in every state in India, an achievement that remains unparalleled till today. In 2001, the Alan Thilak Karate School became an affiliate of Kobe Osaka International under the leadership of Sensei Tommy Morris, 8th dan, Sports Commissioner and Chairman of the Referee of the World Karate Federation.
In 1976, he formed the All-India Karate-do Federation, with Renshi RVT Mani in Madras. Over the years, he built it up, district by district, state by state till Karate had spread all over the country. National Championships were conducted regularly, Indian teams were sent to World Championships and Govt. of India recognition was obtained in addition to membership of WUKO [later World Karate Federation]. Out of the 20 state federations, his students ran and managed 16 of them.
While conducting a National Championship in Coimbatore in January 2004, he passed away suddenly of a stroke. Masters and students from all over India attended his funeral in Madras. His legacy is carried forward today by a lot of his old senior students.