Dubbed as the "Mother of All Martial Arts," it's easy to see why the Kalaripayattu discipline endures to this day.
There are actually many variants to this style of fighting, depending on exactly where it is being practiced.
Primarily considered an Indian form of martial art, Kalaripayattu is currently being taught and practiced in Tamil Nadul, Kerala, and some parts of Malaysia.
History Evolving from the need to fight, it is theorized that Kalaripayattu existed due to the war between the Chola and Chera dynasties, around the 11th century.
It suffered a decline upon the introduction of firearms, but prior that, the martial art was taught to thousands of people with Saint Thomas Christians having as many as 9,000 disciples within a single sector.
The widespread nature of Kalaripayattu turned it into a very fluid and extensive fighting technique typically classified into three major styles: Northern, Southern, and Central.
Discipline of Kalaripayattu A wonderfully comprehensive form of fighting style, Kalaripayattu focuses more on offense rather than defense because it evolved from war.
There are different techniques taught within the style, typically encompassing not just full-body contact but also the use of different weapons such as spears, daggers, bow and arrow, maces, and more.
Practitioners of the art typically become airborne during fights since part of the martial art includes jumping and somersaults.
Flexibility is a crucial part of the technique, utilizing lithe and graceful movements within a controlled environment.
In fact, training is usually done within a specific space - measuring 42 feet in length and around 21 feet in width.
Note though that this setup leans more toward worship as practitioners consider the space sacred grounds to focus on their internal energy.
It can, therefore, be said that despite evolving from war, Kalaripayattu still promotes internal development.
Practitioners of the art are encouraged to coordinate their mind and body, learning discipline to better grasp the concept of Kalaripayattu as a way towards personal development.
Typical Kalaripayattu training is often followed by an oil massage to boost flexibility and promote healing of the used muscles.
Kalaripayattu Today Although teachings today focus more on the spiritual nature of Kalaripayattu, that doesn't mean that the martial art is ineffective in real world scenarios.
In fact, it can be incredibly efficient since the movements are designed to end a fight instead of score points off the opponent.
As a form of self-defense, it can be incredibly effective and all-encompassing in its defense and attacks.
In pop culture, the martial art has been featured in several Indian films, including The Last Legion, The Myth, and Commando.
There are actually many variants to this style of fighting, depending on exactly where it is being practiced.
Primarily considered an Indian form of martial art, Kalaripayattu is currently being taught and practiced in Tamil Nadul, Kerala, and some parts of Malaysia.
History Evolving from the need to fight, it is theorized that Kalaripayattu existed due to the war between the Chola and Chera dynasties, around the 11th century.
It suffered a decline upon the introduction of firearms, but prior that, the martial art was taught to thousands of people with Saint Thomas Christians having as many as 9,000 disciples within a single sector.
The widespread nature of Kalaripayattu turned it into a very fluid and extensive fighting technique typically classified into three major styles: Northern, Southern, and Central.
Discipline of Kalaripayattu A wonderfully comprehensive form of fighting style, Kalaripayattu focuses more on offense rather than defense because it evolved from war.
There are different techniques taught within the style, typically encompassing not just full-body contact but also the use of different weapons such as spears, daggers, bow and arrow, maces, and more.
Practitioners of the art typically become airborne during fights since part of the martial art includes jumping and somersaults.
Flexibility is a crucial part of the technique, utilizing lithe and graceful movements within a controlled environment.
In fact, training is usually done within a specific space - measuring 42 feet in length and around 21 feet in width.
Note though that this setup leans more toward worship as practitioners consider the space sacred grounds to focus on their internal energy.
It can, therefore, be said that despite evolving from war, Kalaripayattu still promotes internal development.
Practitioners of the art are encouraged to coordinate their mind and body, learning discipline to better grasp the concept of Kalaripayattu as a way towards personal development.
Typical Kalaripayattu training is often followed by an oil massage to boost flexibility and promote healing of the used muscles.
Kalaripayattu Today Although teachings today focus more on the spiritual nature of Kalaripayattu, that doesn't mean that the martial art is ineffective in real world scenarios.
In fact, it can be incredibly efficient since the movements are designed to end a fight instead of score points off the opponent.
As a form of self-defense, it can be incredibly effective and all-encompassing in its defense and attacks.
In pop culture, the martial art has been featured in several Indian films, including The Last Legion, The Myth, and Commando.
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