THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kalaripayattu is known as the mother of all martial arts. And there is much more to it, beyond the legend of the ‘Vadakkan’ hero Chanthu Chekavar. The revered martial arts of bygone warriors are still learnt and practised by common folk as well as celebs, including Bollywood and Hollywood stars. The debut National Martial Arts Mela organised in the state capital by the Central education and cultural ministries’ Indian Knowledge Systems will take the popularity of Kalaripayattu a notch above.
Organised in partnership with Agasthyam Kalari and Trinity College of Engineering in Thiruvananthapuram, the two-day event commenced on Friday at the IKS centre on the Trinity campus.
The first-of-its-kind meet involving 300 masters showcases the rich heritage and traditions of martial arts from across India.
Evolution of Kalari
Besides being one of the best self-defence techniques, Kalari has now permeated into the spheres of dance and theatre, too, says Ernakulam-based Kalari gurukkal U Ubaidh. The 42-year-old master, with three decades of experience, believes Kalaripayattu should be added to the school curriculum. “Under the Kerala Kalaripayattu Association, we have many certified Kalari trainers who can be utilised to train the school students,” he says.
“As the state government is initiating the anti-drugs campaign, introducing Kalari in school will be a great idea. It encourages one to lead a disciplined lifestyle, away from drugs and alcohol. It also boosts concentration and curbs hyperactivity among children.”
Ubaidh says Kerala should give Kalari the “same status as Yoga”. “There are regular sessions of Taekwondo, Kungfu, wushu and karate in some schools. Why not encourage our own Kalari, too?” he asks. The mela initiates such discussions, says S Mahesh, Kalaripayattu gurukkal and managing director of Agasthyam in Nemom. One of the 13 IKS centres across India, the hub at Trinity College is operated by Agasthyam.
“The fest comes under the Central culture ministry’s ‘Dara’ project,” says Mahesh. “Martial arts practitioners from the age group of 10 to 50-plus from across India are here. The motto of the mela is ‘Swaraksha Saharaksha, Rashtra Raksha’. The fearlessness and resilience among children who practise Kalari are something to be observed. Our aim is to create awareness about traditional martial arts.”
Interactive sessions and discussions on martial arts are on at the venues. Information display stalls on martial arts, live demonstrations of healing practices such as Siddhar Ayurveda and medicine preparation in Kalari, etc, are other highlights.
A “Kalari graham” has been set up at Agasthyam to showcase traditional practices and weapons.
Trinity College principal Dr Arun Surendran emphasises the fest’s motto. Suraksha, he says, is about self-defence training and encouraging the younger generation to think like a warrior, and evolve as humble citizens standing up for national integration and integrity.
“The mela is an ode to Indian culture and heritage of martial arts,” he adds. “Notably, many foreign students, too, have enrolled for online Kalari classes conducted by Agasthyam gurus at our IKS centre.”
A holistic wellness package
Arun believes the fest would help popularise this aspect of martial art. “Kalarippayattu used to be an important part of the old education system and lifestyle in Kerala. Beyond self-defence or combat, it helps boost mental strength confidence, resilience and concentration,” he explains.
“It helps reduce teenage depression. The New Education Policy emphasises on promoting Indian-origin sports and arts in schools. Kalari is, in a way, dynamic yoga and an acrobatic exercise for the body as well as the mind.”
Kottayam native Aswathy S, a student at Agasthyam, concurs. She has been learning Kalari with her 50-year-old mother. “Practising just the warm-up and basic chuvadukal (moves) are enough to burn fat and enhance physical and mental agility,” she says. “There are breathing and meditation techniques to soothe the mind, too.”
Heard of Kambu Shastra?
Visitors get to watch and learn about martial arts from other states, such as Gatka from Punjab, Malla Khamb and Mardani Khel from Maharashtra, and Silambam from Tamil Nadu. We meet 50-year-old Veeramani S, a guru from Silambam Kalari Martial Arts Charitable Trust, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu. He is here with a 24-member team, including 10 women, to showcase Silambam or bamboo staff fencing.
“Under colonial rule, our rich martial arts traditions got sidelined,” he rues. “Events like this reignite the fervour. Bamboo sticks were one of the first weapons used by mankind. So, probably Silambad came ahead of Kalari in terms of history.”
Veeramani says Saint Agasthya is believed to be the guru of the martial art, which follows the ‘Kambu Shastra’. “We will be displaying more than 20 forms of Silambam such as kalla kambu, kuravanchi, nagabandham, kurunthadi, maan kombu fight, kuntham fight, etc,” he adds. “As a guru, my life’s goal is to educate the next generation, and encourage them to preserve heritage.”
Take a bow, Govindan bang on target
Belonging to the Mullukurumbar tribe in Wayanad, Kochangodu Govindan has come to the National Martial Arts Mela with a set of bows and arrows he made using wood and bamboo. “For us, the bows and arrows are an extension of our arms. When every male archer dies, they are put on his pyre,” said Govindan, who teaches traditional archery for free. Govindan wants modern archery to be based on traditional forms.
“We should stay modern but should not forget our roots. Foreigners are approaching me to learn archery, but our countrymen are ignorant of its value. We practise archery based on Dhanurveda. In the past, our community members used to hunt animals using our own bows and arrow. We used to consume the meat, but never sold it as it was considered a sin,” said Govindan.
“We have our own blacksmiths who get us iron knives to make bamboo staff arrows. For hunting birds, we use ‘motta ambu’ made of wood. ‘Ootholi’ is a pipe bow. Poisoned arrows are shot at animals to make them faint,” he adds. He is on a mission to inculcate age-old archery skills mong youngsters. “I’ve nine grandchildren and everyone in our family knows archery. For us, it’s a way of self-defence. Girls also learn archery. It is also woman-friendly as it demands precision more than strength,” he says.