Kerala Kalaripayatu
Kalaripayattu, a martial art originating in Kerala, India, is among the oldest martial disciplines in existence, dating back over 2000 years. Renowned as the precursor to Chinese martial arts, its techniques were reportedly introduced to China by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma.
Its roots lie in the Dhanurveda, an ancient Vedic text on warfare, and it is recognized in the Vishnu Purana as one of the eighteen traditional branches of knowledge. Training takes place in kalaris, schools led by gurukkals (masters).
Legend credits Parasurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, with creating Kerala by hurling his axe into the sea, which receded to form the land. He is also said to have established forty-two kalaris, training twenty-one masters to protect the newly formed territory.
Kalaripayattu merges Kerala’s mytho-historical heritage with a scientific physical culture system. Its origins blend Dravidian martial systems like varma ati (vital point strikes) with Aryan influences that migrated to Kerala. Two principal traditions define Kalaripayattu: the Northern and Southern schools.
Northern Tradition
In this tradition, training progresses systematically:
- Body exercises for flexibility and strength.
- Combat with weapons, emphasizing coordination and precision.
- Unarmed combat, focusing on mastery of self-defense techniques.
Southern Tradition
Attributed to the sage Agastya, this style emphasizes:
- Footwork and movement, essential for agility.
- Targeting vital points (marmas), with 108 considered lethally vulnerable. Agastya’s legendary wisdom is central to this tradition, and mythology ties him to key events, such as training Lord Rama for his battle against Ravana.
