Tuesday, November 13, 2012


What is Kalaripayattu?
Kalaripayattu is a martial art native to the state of Kerala in Southern India. It is believed to be one of the oldest Asian martial arts, and may in fact be the basis for many martial arts practices in Asia. Records of people practicing kalaripayattu date back to at least 1,000 BCE, illustrating how venerable this martial art is, and how remarkable it is that people continue to practice kalaripayattu today. Resemblances to kalaripayattu can also be seen in many traditional Asian martial arts disciplines, suggesting that they have a common root.

The term “kalaripayattu” translates as “practice in the arts of the battlefield.” Practitioners work in a structure known as a kalari which provides a great deal of space for instruction and practice, along with room for bouts in which two students work with each other in a mock duel. In addition to being a noted method of combat, kalaripayattu is also an art in itself, and it has heavily influenced the dance and performance traditions of Kerala.    

 By.  www.wisegeek.com/

History of Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu is believed to have originated with the land itself. The history of Kalari dates back to the Vedic era. Dhanurveda, upaveda of Yajurveda, mentions about the practices used for warfare. Agnipurana has extracts from Dhanurveda which clearly depicts the weapons used and the training which was given during the Vedic period.

During the Sangom Age (BC200-AD600) is the time when many famous Tamil literary works were compiled. Many of these sets of poems like Puranaru and Akanaru mentions about Verakalu, the stone laid down for the valiant hero, and also of the martially inclined practices that were rampant among the people during that period. The Kalaripayattu has been used repeatedly in these anthologies. 

According to one school of thought, the proponent of Kalaripayattu is Sage Agasthya and he passed down the knowledge to 18 disciples or sidhas. Eminent among them were sages like Kumbhamuni, Pulasthian, and Bogar from whom it was passed on to the next generation of sages like Parashurama and hence on.
Another belief popular in the Malabar area speaks about Lord Shiva as the one who developed the art during his wrath over dakshayaga, and he taught this to Parashurama, his disciple, who later passed it on to 21 Brahmins. 
With time, there developed shalas (centers of learning and healing) where the practitioners perfected martial techniques and used their healing skills in service to the community. When need arose they were called upon to protect king and country. These shalas came to be known as kalaris. The practitioners were mainly Nairs. 
The Portuguese traveler Durate Barbosa mentioned the practice of Kalaripayattu in his travel log in the 12th century A.D. 
Kalaripayattu, the divine art form of Kerala, is believed to be the oldest martial art in the world today and the progenitor of all existing martial arts, hence reverentially called, "Mother of all Martial Art". Da Mo Sardili, (also popularly known in Chinese scriptures as Bodhidharma) a Buddhist monk from South India, is credited with having introduced Kalaripayattu into China in the early part of 6th century A.D. His theories and practices molded on the tenets of Kalaripayattu form the basis of martial art Shao Lin Kung-Fu which in turn sired other forms like Karate.
By. www.healthyholidayskerala.com




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