I have always been fascinated by the Manipuri culture and wanted to explore it. Through the internet I found out about Thang ta, one of the two martial arts that originated in India. But even on the internet there was not enough information about it. I wanted to know more. So I decided to do a visual ethnographic study of Thang ta. My aim was to observe and study the art from and the life style of people who practice it. I wanted to find out how the art form originated, stories and lore behind it and the art form in the present time and document it in form of sketches, photographs and videos. As an animation student it would help me know about the behavior of people and the way they interact with their surroundings and more importantly it would help me sensitize myself and the people around me to be more sensitive towards the culture. The first few days in Imphal went by uneventfully, trying to adjust to a new place, food, time schedules, transport. I asked around about Thang ta. Everyone seemed to know about the art but I was not able to find someone who practiced it. On the third day I heard from a friend about the indigenous sports festival that was taking place in Manipur University. That is where I saw Thang ta performance for the first time. I talked to a master who seemed more than willing to talk about the art. Unfortunately he was very busy throughout my trip and we couldn’t meet again. So one night while going back to my hotel I got to talking to the taxi driver who happened to know the principal of a school where Thang ta is taught. He gave me his number, I took an appointment with them and went to the school the next day. This was something common in my experiences at Imphal. Most people I met in Imphal would know about Tang Ta and tell you stories of someone they know, who has learned Tang Ta.