The Kalaripayattu Federation of India (KFI) is planning to introduce a grading system by presenting a coloured kacha to students. The belt system in kalaripayattu has been charted out keeping in mind the belt system followed in Chinese martial arts. The kacha, which is a cloth wound around the combatants, will be considered equivalent to the belt. Students will be presented the belt after they have passed an examination set by the KFI.
The criteria for presenting the kachas will be charted out by the ethics committee of the KFI. Students will be presented each kacha after completing a test. “The students will have received eight kachas by the time they complete four years. By then, they will have received enough training to take on the position of a master,” says T Sudhakaran Gurukkal, Ethics Committee member and Kozhikode district president of the KFI.
KFI decided to introduce the kacha system after noticing that many underqualified kalari students started opening kalari classes claiming that they have years of experience. Besides the eight kachas, two more kachas will be presented to senior most and highly experienced kalari grandmasters. “The last two kachas will be presented to those who have either presented a paper on kalari or has written a book. They should also have indepth knowledge about kalari treatments as well,” said Sudhakaran.
With the introduction of the kachas, the KFI will be taking kalari one step closer to their aim to take it to national and international level as a competition.
KFI, a recognised organisation of the Indian Olympic Association, aims to take kalaripayattu to Olympics. However, Kerala Kalari Association secretary Poonthura Soman has a different side to the story.
He said, “How can an organisation, which is not recognised by the Kerala Sports Council, suggest or implement anything? Our association had also introduced grading system earlier.”