Martial Arts of India: Kalaripayat (Kerala)
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- In our ongoing exploration of Indian martial arts, this sophisticated, powerful and agile Hyundai Creta has brought us to the southernmost tip of our country. We are in search of what is called by many as the ‘mother’ of all martial arts. It’s a form that has deep roots and long branches into history, philosophy and spirituality. It’s an art form that blurs the line between dance and damage.
The martial art, as you may have read above, is the famed Kalaripayat, from God’s Own Country, Kerala. To know about this evergreen art form we had to get this evergreen SUV. While it is available in various powertrain combinations, the Creta with us is in a conventional SUV (diesel engine/manual gearbox) form. It is as grounded as it gets - easy to overtake with, go long distances and above all, offer great fuel efficiency. It is as wholesome a car as most of India would want.
Our journey has brought us to a two-decade old institution - Ankam Kadathanad Kalari owned by a former school teacher and long-time Kalari practitioner,64-year-old Suresh Gurukkal. With over four decades of deep understanding of its techniques - passed on over many generations - he runs this quaint thatched-roof institute in Vadakara, a small town along the coast in Kerala’s Calicut district.
“As a kid I had a strange affinity to watch Kalari but I never practiced it,” recalls the guru, “When I was around 14-years-old, I happened to find out that my father who I had lost when I was very young, was a Kalari artist himself. That was enough motivation for me to start.” And he has never looked back since as he learnt and then imparted the knowledge alongside his day job as a Physics teacher at a local school.
Being such an ancient art, Kalari has evolved and spawned into various styles influenced by those who achieved god-level mastery over it. Nearly half-a-dozen variations exist and one can notice differences can be seen in the form they go about preparing and performing. For example, the one taught here is a North Kerala style, which is known to be more expansive in its approach, and tackles movement holistically. In contrast, the southern-style is more martial - direct and effective, to be used in combat for territory.
The arena is a rustic mud pit the size of a medium-sized swimming pool covered by a thatched roof. There is an elaborate display of weapons at one end with numerous lamps. It all starts with an elaborate step-wise salutation seeking the lord’s permission to enter, followed by an ode to their respective gurus and ancestors. Then there is a prayer, usually to Lord Shiva who is considered one of the patron gods of Kalari. It is rounded off by paying obeisance to the weapons and worshipping Naga (the snake god).
The salutations are followed by a series of excercises called Meypayuttu. These are postures and excercises for conditioning the body at the beginning of the training, just like warm-up before hitting the gym.
“Traditionally, all the people of this land, irrespective of gender and caste, were imparted the knowledge of Kalari, through the guru-shishya method,” says Nambiar. Most students start around the age of 7 years. While most learn a single form of Kalari from one guru, a few venture out to learn other forms but at different institutions as one place or coach cannot teach different forms of Kalari.
Quite against the norm, students here pick up weapons much before they begin to learn unarmed combat. There is a deep reason for this. Usually weapons are supposed to aide your fight. If someone can fight unaided it means you are obviously much stronger and capable. It spate also means that it is the final straw and calls for a final push which will be beyond the opponent’s capability. In which case it will be down to individual skill and body’s strength is all that matters. “This requires more training, a lot of patience and maturity, So, it is taught last,” reveals Nambiar.
This advanced stage of Kalari is the one based on an extremely deep and subtle understanding of the human body, its energy pathways, and its pressure points. This core science of Marma can be used for healing as well as disabling. Interestingly, this is also used in ayurveda therapies which not surprisingly, Kerala is quite well known for.
Kalaripayat is a deadly, effective, and extremely old martial art, but that is not its real purpose. They say that the true aim of its practitioners is to be able to access spiritual depths beyond boundaries and to realise the small-ness of human existence. Good Kalari artists turn out naturally humble, naturally radiant and naturally evolved. It’s a holistic martial art that has enabled fighters, dancers, stage actors as much as gladiators. Through this entire journey, we have seen many different forms of fighting, each with its own reasons and purpose. Only apt that we sign it off with this little gem from where it all began - in God’s Own Country.
I like how they emphasize lower body - leg - strength. It shows. Look at those massive leg muscles. Humble, Radiant and Evolved. Love it.
You are doing great work sir .....thank you for sharing
Depth of his knowledge in kalaripattu is tremendous and always updated with the art in changing times
Kerala’s own marital arts and Indian’s fav korean brand🥰
Great...
Nice
Stories of "Kalarippayattu being the mother of martial arts including kung fu", "Bodhidharma teaching Indian martial arts at shaolin temple", "bodhidharma being a Kalarippayattu practioner", "Bodhidharma being a tamil pallava King" is actually a myth and a big lie which is spread by Kalarippayattu practitioners and Indian pseudohistorians since late 1990's to popularise the art and to claim the superiority of Kalarippayattu over other martial arts.
China was already flourished with martial arts centuries before the arrival of Bodhidharma. Shuai jiao /jiao di which is said to be the precursor of kung fu said to have existed in China for over 6000 years ago even before Bodhidharma's birth. Bodhidharma's first chinese disciple Huike was an exceptional martial artist and a warrior (ex military), before he became a monk under bodhidharma and started preaching Buddhism.
Bodhidharma was a Zen Buddhism preacher. Not a martial artist. Bodhidharma's contribution to China was meditation and yogic practices. Not martial arts.
Yi Jin Jing is an exercise manual which as per legends say Bodhidharma supposedly wrote which paved the way for the creation of Kung Fu. Unfortunately, this book was written somewhere during 17th century, centuries after Bodhidharma's death. This manual never existed during Bodhidharma's life time. There are references to fictional heroes created long after Bodhidharma supposedly died. The exercises in the manual are of internal Taoist nature, not Indian or even Buddhist.
A fictional story called ‘The Travels of Lao Ts'an’ published in 1907 stated that Bodhidharma taught martial arts. This is the earliest reference that Bodhidharma knew martial arts. Also this book was written long after Bodhidharma's death.
Apart from Pseudohistoric articles written by indian Pseudohistorians and kalarippayattu practitioners on internet, youtube videos and some indian movies like 7 aum arivu (2011 film), baaghi etc. which spread false information about Kung Fu and Bodhidharma, there is no historical evidence to prove that Kalarippayattu is the mother of all martial arts including kung fu.
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