Kalarippayattu, The divine martial art of Kerala


	1. What is Kalarippayattu? Different websites spell Kalarippayattu differently. Which is the correct one? Well. Kalarippayattu may seem to a casual observer as yet another form of oriental martial art, this time from India. Yes, it IS a martial art � perhaps the most comprehensive system of martial traditions evolved anywhere in the world. But it is more than that. A student who undergoes Kalari training for the prescribed 12 years of training would be a master of: � Empty hand fighting � Grappling � Traditional weapons like long staff, short stick, dagger, spear and sword � An expert masseur � An expert in the traditional Ayurvedic/Marma (pressure point) treatment � Would have a deep knowledge in the Vedic tradition of India. � Adept in the art of Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) and yoga ( those who practice the yogic way of Kalarippayattu) Well, the list may goon a bit more. To be frank the disciple of Kalarippayattu would become a complete human being. Yes there are different spellings used by different websites - kalaripayattu, kalaripyatt, kalarippayat, kalripayat , kalaripyat, kalaripayatu, kalarippyatt and so on. See the original word is a Malayalam one and people who get associated with the sound spell it according to what they have perceived. In kalariworld we use the nearest spelling that comes to the original Malayalam world - Kalarippayattu. The sound p should always be p+p. Top
	2. There are many other martial arts in the world like karate, kungfu and so on. So what makes Kalarippayattu different from the others? Martial arts/ science are a part of any human civilization. In fact the system of fighting is the most necessary adaptation required for any living creature for survival. Thus different civilizations adapted different martial techniques over the course of the evolution of mankind. What makes the system of Kalarippayattu different from the other styles of martial arts is that this is a complete system by itself. Empty hand techniques, weapons, flexibility and strength training, traditional treatments and above all a great philosophy based on the Vedic concepts of ancient India makes Kalari the most complete system of martial training. Top 3. If all that I want is to train in survival techniques, what is the point in spending 12 years in learning a comprehensive system. If you are interested in learning street survival techniques only, then you can learn only that part of the Kalarippayattu and later, if you have the desire to learn more you can continue at any time. Most people begin Kalari training for street fighting/survival but in due course become full fledged Kalari practitioners. Top 4. Who can practice Kalarippayattu? Practically anyone can learn the techniques of Kalarippayattu. Younger the better. But I know persons aged 40 years and above making tremendous progress in health and fitness. Even persons over 60 years of age can benefit from Kalari training but of course such trainees should be selective in their training. Top 5. How is the system of Kalari training structured? Students start with doing solo forms and progress periodically to · empty hand fighting · grappling · long staff · short stick · dagger/knives · swords · urumi(flexible sword) And finally · otta (specially made training instrument in the northern style of Kalarippayattu) · and kottukampu or thavikkana ( a small stick used to hit the vital points, in the southern system of Kalarippayattu) Those who stay with the school and master after this may carry on with the study of the vital points and the treatments based on the Ayurveda and Marma. Top 6. Many martial arts make people invincible in the dojo but almost helpless in the open street. Is it the same with Kalarippayattu? Well. If someone is invincible in the dojo but helpless in the street when confronted with real life situations, the fault is either with the training imparted in the dojo or the mindset of the particular practitioner. Maybe both. In Kalari system students are imparted training to deal with real life situations that in the unfortunate incident of a street confrontation the Kalari practitioner will almost always survive – provided the student undertakes the training program in the jutsu version ( lethal techniques). If one learns Kalari for the pleasure of learning and interested in philosophy and like then such a person may find himself helpless in the street. Top 7. I do lot of weight training and bag work using kicks and punches. The strength training is sufficient to survive against a physical attack. In that case what is the relevance of a martial art like Kalari in the modern world? Agree with you. You do lot of strength training and bag work. Ok, if the other guy is a bit stronger than you what will happen? You will be floored 9 out of 10 times. If strength vs. strength is all about fighting then the stronger will always win and none of the martial systems of the word would have evolved or survived. Kalari techniques teach you ways to use your own strength and that of your opponents for your own advantage. Mere bag work and lifting weights will not give you this advantage. Top
	8. A pistol can kill a person quickly and efficiently. In that case is there any relevance in learning to fight with daggers and swords? The answer is yes and no. If every one has access to a pistol and everyone is authorized to use a firearm in every situation then what you say is absolutely right. But you cannot always carry and use a pistol or a gun. Only the extreme situations demand such extreme measures. It may compare to driving a motorcar to the toilet or to the kitchen. Even if you have a gun you need the martial mind to use it and martial traditions develop the martial mind. Further you have to answer to the law enforcing authorities. Again the physical and health benefits of exercise built in the system of Kalarippayattu cannot be obtained by the mere possession of a gun. Top 9. What is the Ayurvedic or traditional system of treatments? An answer to this question needs a complete book of at least 500 pages. Well Ayurveda means the life science. It is a collection of knowledge passed down through thousands of years by the great saints or rishis of ancient India. Ayurveda lays down the required methods for maintaining a healthy life and ways to keep oneself devoid of diseases and if necessary treatments and medicines to combat diseases. The Kalari system has borrowed many of the traditional Ayurvedic techniques and uses them along with the unique mama or pressure points treatments. Top 10. Most Hindus follow a vegetarian diet. Is it a prerequisite for training in Kalarippayattu? It is wrong to say that most Hindus follow a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian diet is advised for those who follow satvic karma like meditation, Pranayama and so on as it prepares the body for the rigors of certain exercises in meditation etc. the benefits of following a vegetarian diet from the view point of health is being accepted allover the world. Many of the Hindu wrestlers who weigh as much as 200lbs of more structure their diet around milk, almonds and ghee (clarified butter). Again in the Ayurvedic system of medicine many of the benefits of the meat and other non- vegetarian ingredients of a diet described elaborately. So it comes to one’s personal preferences. If you want to follow a vegetarian diet, ok that is good. Again if do not want to go the vegetarian way then still it is ok you can carry on with the kalari system of training. Top 11. Shall I undertake the uzhichil or oil massage before the beginning training everyday? Uzhichil or massage using herbal oils has some health benefits if done properly. Again it is a personal choice. There are thousands of kalari students and masters in the Thekkan system who never undertake the uzhichil as a mandatory practice but still possess a high degree of skill in the kalari techniques. In the northern system the uzhichil is an integral part of the training but if someone is not interested, the practitioner may discontinue with the practice. Anyway the uzhichil has some benefits and those benefits will be discussed along with the kalari treatment and the daily routines prescribed by the Ayurveda. Top
	12. What is kalari chikitsa? What are its benefits? Kalari chikitsa or kalari treatment is a system of medicine practiced by kalari gurus or masters. Some of the principles are the same as that of Ayurveda but kalari treatment differs from all other system because the science of vital points or Marma is incorporated into the system. Top 13. In kalarippayattu it appears that sparring it is always prearranged, How does one make the jump from these to real life situations? Do you have a level of free sparring? Yes. There are some prearranged sparring sessions that crop up everyday but not always. Let me give an example. You look at the Olympic sprinter. As a child he crawled before he sat up. He sat up before he stood up and stood up before he walked. He walked before he ran. As a new comer to the kalari system you need to understand certain concepts. The prearranged sparring sessions are there exactly for this purpose. Then you do not have to make a jump or leap from these to real life situations. You will be guided by the maters and you will find that all the necessary footwork and other techniques are at your disposal. In fact the prearranged sparring sessions are a stepping stone to real fighting. Top 14. Clarify whether the Vedic weapon "chakra" is used in Kalarippayattu and whether the kalari weapon called as "urumi" came from the "Mahabharata" era. The weapons used in kalari system can be generally classified into three categories: · Mukta - means one which get released from the hand of the warrior. Sub categories are panimukta and yanthra mukta. Pani means hand and yanthra means machine. Examples are throwing axe and spears for panimukta and bow and arrow and catapult for yanthramukta · Amukta - means one that does not leave the hand of the warrior. Examples are sword and shield, long staff and so on. · Muktamukta - means one that can be used handheld and or thrown. Examples are certain types of spears and "valari" (boomerang). Charka is certainly a mukta category weapon and its use in battlefield has been described in detail in the classic epic "Mahabharata". In Kalarippayattu the charka is not used at present. But in the case of southern style Kalarippayattu and Silambam, there is a weapon called "valari" which is nothing but a boomerang and at present only certain tribal people in the mountain regions of Tamilnadu use it. Top 15. Are Sages Parasurama and Agasthya muni disciples of Lord Shiva and did they learn kalari from him? Yes. Both Parasurama and Sage Agasthya are decuples of Lord Siva. Both received the martial knowledge from Lord Siva. Sage Agasthya is considered as an immortal according to the Hindu mythology. Parasurama is the 6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Top 16. Is Kalarippayattu considered as the oldest Vedic art in India today as I have read that in north India Hanuman Shastra vidya and Shiva Shastra Vidya are the oldest , is this true? Certainly Kalarippayattu is the oldest martial art in India and probably in the whole world. India is a vast country and the roots of the Vedic tradition go back tens of thousands of years. The knowledge that Lord Siva passed on to his disciples spread all over the sub continent. In different parts of India people call the martial art in different names. Since kalari originated from the Samhara thandava - war dance of Lord Siva, you can safely say that Siva Shastra Vidya and Kalarippayattu are the same. Lord Hanuman is another immortal and he was trained in the art of warfare by Lord Siva. Lord Siva can be considered as the source of knowledge in many of the Indian folk arts like bharatanatyam - classical dance and the exercises system called as Yoga along with the various martial systems present in different parts of India. Top 17. Now I see some "research work" being published by certain persons claiming that the word kalari is a Malayalam one and that available record suggest that this word and possibly the art came into existence only by the 13th century A.D. What is the truth? You cannot judge the antiquity of Indian arts from the written data available to modern day western historians for the following reasons. Western historical research relies on records available from around the 13th century AD. But India's civilization dates back to thousands of years may be millions or even billions of years. The Vedic texts categorically give all the details regarding this. For example Srimad Bhagavatham give the age of the universe according to the chaturyuga and the life of Brahma. Any body seriously interested in research work should study texts like the above one seriously. Even after that someone is unable to understand these texts then they should at least stop publishing “historical facts” For the word kalari and its origin in the 13th century: Malayalam is an offshoot of the ancient Tamil language and the Sanskrit. Without doubt, the Malayalam language took its own shape only about 900 years ago. But the traditions of the Keralites go back into the time - to the period of the ancient Indian civilization. The Sanskrit word Kaloorika is used to denote a place of learning. A similar word in Tamil , Kalloori is used in place of university even in modern days. Kaloorika, Kalloori and Kalari are nothing but words used from time immemorial to denote places of learning like schools, colleges and universities. The historical studies that you have mentioned in your question seem to be conducted to bring disrepute to the most ancient civilization on earth and a great martial art rather than to establish any historical facts. Top