Posts Tagged ‘Kalaripayattu’
Kalaripayattu is a martial art practiced, performed, and celebrated in Kerala. It is one of the oldest combat techniques in the world. Kalaripayattu is practiced in dedicated schools, called kalaris. Education in Kalaripayattu is given at these schools.
Placing the students on a mat, and giving them oil massage starts of the Kalaripayattu training. The oil massage supposedly gives the body a lot of vigor and agility. Kalaripayattu uses agile movements like sprinting, running, jumping high, pouncing, somersaults etc. It also uses war-weapons like swords, knives, and daggers. Kalaripayattu education will cover the use of weaponry, and also the use of bow and arrow.
It is easier said than done to do an education in Kalaripayattu. It takes a lot of physical and mental stamina. The training is rigorous, and unrelenting. There is no room for wavering hearts, indecisive minds. Kalaripayattu education purely focuses on training for war, even if it means an imaginary war.
Kalaripayattu education is all about attacking-cum-self-defense mechanisms. There is a strong undercurrent of religion as well. When training starts, it never stops until the person has achieved mind-body coordination like no other. Kalaripayattu practitioners are known to flay their swords and spears, as if they were extended limbs of their body. There is a tremendous need for control and accuracy when using these dangerous weapons, and it is always advised to take up Kalaripayattu education only at the kalaris.
It is interesting to note, that free-hand combats are kept for last. All weapon related combats are taught in the beginning, and hand-to-hand fighting is done later. The most distinguishing factor in Kalaripayattu is that students are given education on healing techniques. They are taught the various traditional ways to formulate herbal medicines to heal various types of wounds.
There are different phases to Kalaripayattu education. The phases are namely, Meithari, Kolthari, Angathari, and Verumkai. The first phase is about conditioning the mind and body. The second deals with fighting with wooden weapons, and later graduating to real weapons in the third phase. The last phase is all about using free-hand combat techniques.