Kalaripayattu

News: The relegation of Kalaripayattu to the demonstration section of the 38th edition of the National Games has sparked off a political storm. 

About Kalaripayattu

• It is one of the oldest and most scientific martial art forms in the world based on the ancient knowledge of the human body. 
• It originated in Kerala. Myths credit the warrior sage Parasurama with establishing Kalarippayattu.  
• The term Kalaripayattu is combination of two Malayalam words: Kalari (meaning training ground) and Payattu (meaning training of martial arts). 
• The martial art involves 4 stages: 
  • Maippayattu- It is the body conditioning phase where the person is taught to prepare their body for a fight. 
  • Kolthari- In the second stage, a person is taught attack and self-defence with the help of wooden weapons. 
  • Angathari- In this stage, sharp metal objects are introduced after the person overcomes the fear of fighting with wooden weapons. 
  • Verumkai- Research based bare hand fighting is emphasised in this stage to teach students body anatomy. The purpose is to make the person aware of what points they can hit and what they cannot. 
• There are two types of Kalaripayattu: 
  • Northern: In comparison to the southern type, more weapons are used, and all movements are in straight line- forward and backward. 
  • Southern: The participants can move in any direction while practicing it. 
• It is said that Kalarippayattu was introduced in China by Bodhidharma in the 5th century AD. 
• The martial art was added to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of India in 2009.