KALARIPAYATTU – ORIGIN MARTIAL ARTS

Some karate masters can kill you just with a little touch. Killing somebody with touch is not the big deal… The big thing is when you touch someone and they came awake.
Sadghuru

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With a simple touch, the whole system can come awake. That’s a big thing.

Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form. Kalaripayattu is so old, its origins are traditionally attributed to the gods. But as with many aspects of Indian culture, this incredible martial art form comes from none other than Agastya Muni.

The fighting system that originated in Kerala and practiced by warriors. It is considered to be the oldest martial art still in existence, with its origin dating back to the 3rd century BCE. (Rome became the most important power in the western Mediterranean. Qin Shi Huang (the first empire of China) conquering the six other nation-states and establishing dynasty…

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Kalaripayattu “art of the battlefield.”

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Huge emphasis placed on overall health and fitness. All martial arts promote health, of course, since they’re all forms of exercise, and most actively encourage a healthy lifestyle outside the dojo. But in kalaripayattu, health is a fully integrated aspect.

Masters of the art are often versed in traditional medicine as well. Getting massages for health and improved flexibility is a routine part of students training. Beginner students may even use daily massages to help acclimate them to the demands of training. Recently, the art itself has begun to be used as alternative medicine.

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But we want to open up the mystical dimension into human life. This needs work, a different level of commitment, focus, and dedication. To penetrate through the limitations which naturally exist for our species, to know life beyond the limitations set by nature, it needs a certain kind of people.

Indian Heritage mother of all martial arts! The Bodhidharma himself was a Kalari practitioner. He then went to China to propagate Buddhism and this is where he taught them some form of Kalari which is now known as Kung fu!

Empty hand, self-defense. Call it what you will. The most powerful martial art is the art of fighting without fighting.

Bruce Lee

Tai Chi is a defense against the offense, same thing. When you find love, you have no need to defend yourself, no need for Martial arts.

Traditional martial art kalaripayattu also require this kind of strengthening to be able to fight without damaging the system. Boxers and American football players often end up with neurological ailments in the latter part of their lives – like Muhammad Ali and many others.

Muhammad Ali

People with a strong will to win will succeed for a period of time, but their system will take a beating. This is not to be judgmental about them – they are great in their own way. It is just that they have been thrashed on the head too much. Not just that – even punching something constantly can have a jarring effect on one’s own system. Even if the muscles are strong, strengthening the fundamental fabric of the body is a different game.

• It boosts flexibility:
  Just like martial art teaches you several flexible moves to protect yourself during a fight, so does Kalaripayattu. This is what makes it better than the other forms of fighting.

• It improves the strength in an individual’s body:
  As mentioned earlier, the strength within your body is first focused upon. Kalaripayattu trainers and practitioners believe that you can never call yourself strong unless you are internally healed, fit and healthy.

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• It ensures to make you fast:
  There are a lot of quick moves that you learn while practicing this art. You are required to defend yourself for protection and attack, both within friction of the second so that you are saved from getting injured, but are able to hurt the opponent.

• It cuts down the "laziness" in your body:
  If you have been lazy all your life, this is the form of martial art that you have got to learn to get the best out of your body. It takes you to a different zone in life.

• Your concentration power increases the more you practice this art:
  If you want to boost your focus on a specific thing, Kalaripayattu can help you with the same. You learn the true meanings of dedication and determination when you are a Kalaripayattu student.

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• Your patience is improved with the practice of this art:
  This form of martial art requires patience because it is not something that you can learn overnight. It teaches you to be calm at the same time.

• If you are stressed, the hatha yoga Asanas taught in this art ensure to de-stress you:
  There are various Yoga asanas taught during the process of Kalaripayattu. Thus, if there is any sort of stress in your life, you can get rid of it by learning and practicing this art. It promises to bring a major positive change in your life and improve the way you think about yourself. It also boosts your confidence level.

• Your presence of mind is improved as you learn new moves for the battlefield:
  There are countless moves that you are taught when you are being trained by a Kalaripayattu expert. Also, you develop a few moves on your own after a certain period of time and, that requires a strong presence of mind.

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Feats like “chattom” (jumping), “ottam” (running) and “marichil” (somersault) are also integral parts of the art form. There are also lessons in using weapons like swords, daggers, spears, maces, and bows and arrows.
Acrobatic rolls jump and dives are used to evade both armed and unarmed attacks. You can also see some kalaripayattu moves reflected in the traditional dance styles of southern India, which is a further indication of its elegance.

These martial art forms are not just about kicking and punching or stabbing. It’s about learning to use the body in every possible way. So it not only involves exercise and other aspects of agility, but it also involves understanding the energy system. The art involves knowing the secrets of the body and healing the body quickly to keep the body in a regenerative mode.

Maybe in today’s world, there are very few Kalari practitioners who dedicate enough time, energy and focus, but if you go deep enough you will naturally move towards yoga because anything that came from Agastya cannot be any other way than being spiritual. It’s just another dimension – every possible way of exploration.

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More knowledge you can gain by watching BBC documentary series about Asian martial arts. The Way of the Warrior is an eight-part 1983