Kalaripayattu is an Indian martial art from the southern state of Kerala. One of the oldest fighting systems in existence and is known to be 3000 years old. The art was disseminated through the kalari, which served as active centers of learning before the modern educational system was introduced. Still in existence, these institutions were schools where students could assemble together and acquire knowledge on various subjects ranging from mathematics, language, astronomy and various theatrical arts. Martial arts were taught in the payattu kalari, meaning fight school.
Kalaripayatt includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods. The kalari tradition is struggling to survive in the land of its origin. A few families in north Kerala, who are the repositories of this ancient knowledge, have been keeping the tradition barely alive by opening schools and clinics.
Taking kalaripayattu more seriously are modern dance enthusiasts in Europe and the US. They are attracted by the sheer physicality, the fluid body movements of the martial art. Their emphasis, however, is less on weapons and more on adapting the movements to their own dance forms.
No comments:
Post a Comment