KALARIPAYATTU

Kalaripayattu  is an Indian martial art from the southern state of Kerala. One of the oldest fighting systems in 

existence, it is practiced in Kerala and contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as well as northeastern Sri 

Lanka and among the Malayalese community of Malaysia. It was practiced primarily by the martial castes of 

Kerala, like Nairs, and some other castes like Ezhavas and Muslims.

Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods. Regional variants are 

classified according to geographical position in Kerala; these are the northern style of the Malayalese, the southern 

style of the Tamils and the central style from inner Kerala. Northern kalari payat is based on the principle of hard 

technique, while the southern style primarily follows the soft techniques, even though both systems make use of 

internal and external concepts.

Some of the choreographed sparring in kalari payat can be applied to dance and kathakali dancers who knew 

martial arts were believed to be markedly better than the other performers. Some traditional Indian dance schools 

still incorporate kalari payat as part of their exercise regimen.

Etymology

The term kalari payattu is a tatpurusha compound from the words kalari  meaning school or gymnasium and payattu 

derived from payattuka meaning to "fight/ exercise" or "to put hard work into".

Belying the assumption that the compound itself might have an equally antique use as the singular kalari and 

payattu, the unpublished Malayalam Lexicon notes that the earliest use of the compound, kalarippayattu is in 

Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer's early twentieth century drama Amba when it is probable that the systems of martial 

practice assumed a structure and style akin those extant today. M.D. Raghavan has suggested that kalari was 

derived from the Sanskrit khal(parade ground, arena) while Burrow shares the generally accepted opinion that 

khal?rik? and its root, khala- (threshing floor) are Dravidian loan words.

History

South Indian state of Kerala where kalari payat originated

'KALARI PAYAT is the mother of all Martial Arts in the World'

Origins

Oral folklore ascribes the creation of kalari payat to the Hindu gods almost 3000 years ago. Phillip Zarrilli, a 

professor at the University of Exeter and one of the few Western authorities on kalari payat, estimates that the art 

dates back to at least the 12th century AD. The historian Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai attributes the birth of kalari payat 

to an extended period of warfare between the Cheras and the Cholas in the 11th century AD. The art was 

disseminated through the kalari, which served as active centres 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.

Kalari payat became more developed during the 9th century and was practiced by a section of the Nair community, 

warrior clan of Kerala, to defend the state and the king. In the 11th and 12th century, Kerala was divided into small 

principalities that fought one-to-one wars among themselves. These duels or ankam were fought by Chekavar on an 

ankathattu, a temporary platform, four to six feet high. The right and duty to practice martial arts in the service of a 

district ruler was most associated with Nairs and Ezhavas. The Lohar of north Kerala were Buddhist warriors who 

practiced kalaripayat.

The writings of early colonial historians like Varthema, Logan and Whiteway shows that kalari payat was widely 

popular and well established with almost all people in Kerala transcending gender, caste and communal lines. It is 

said to have eventually become as prevalent as reading and writing. Among some noble families, young girls also 

received preliminary training up until the onset of menses. It is also known from the vadakkan pattukal ballads that 

at least a few women of noted Chekavar continued to practise and achieved a high degree of expertise. The most 

famous of them was Unniarcha of Keralan folklore, a master with the urumi or flexible sword.

The earliest western account of kalari payat is that of the Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa 

The more part of these warriors when they are seven years of age are sent to schools where they are taught many 

tricks of nimbleness and dexterity; there they teach them to dance and turn about and to twist on the ground, to 

take royal leaps, and other leaps, and this they learn twice a day as long as they are children, and they become so 

loose-jointed and supple that they make them turn their bodies contrary to nature; and when they are fully 

accomplished in this, they teach them to play with the weapon to which they are most inclined, some with bows 

and arrows, some with poles to become spearmen, but most with swords and bucklers, which is most used among 

them, and in this fencing they are ever practising. The masters who teach them are called Panikars.

Decline and revival

Kalari payat underwent a period of decline when the Nair warriors lost to the British after the introduction of 

firearms and especially after the full establishment of British colonial rule in the 19th century. The British 

eventually banned kalari payat and the Nair custom of holding swords so as to prevent rebellion and anti-colonial 

sentiments. During this time, many Indian martial arts had to be practiced in secret and were often confined to rural 

areas.

The resurgence of public interest in kalari payat began in the 1920s in Tellicherry as part of a wave of rediscovery 

of the traditional arts throughout south India and continued through the 1970s surge of general worldwide interest 

in martial arts. In recent years, efforts have been made to further popularise the art, with it featuring in 

international and Indian films such as Indian (1996), Asoka (2001), The Myth (2005), The Last Legion (2007), and 

also in Japanese Anime/Manga Series Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple.

Variations

There are several styles of kalari payat which can be categorised into three regional variants. These three main 

schools of thought can be distinguished by their attacking and defensive patterns. The best introduction to the 

differences between these styles is the book of Luijendijk which uses photographs to show several kalari payat 

exercises and their applications. Each chapter in his book references a representative of each of the three main traditions.

Northern Kalaripayattu

Northern kalari payat is practiced mainly in North Malabar. It places more emphasis on weapons than on empty 

hands. Parashurama, sixth avatar of Vishnu, is believed to be the style's founder according to both oral and written 

tradition. Masters in this system are usually known as gurukkal or occasionally as asan, and were often given 

honorific titles, especially Panikkar.

The northern style is distinguished by its meippayattu - physical training and use of full-body oil massage. The 

system of treatment and massage, and the assumptions about practice are closely associated with ayurveda.The 

purpose of medicinal oil massage is to increase the practitioners' flexibility, to treat muscle injuries incurred during 

practice, or when a patient has problems related to the bone tissue, the muscles, or nerve system. The term for 

such massages is thirumal and the massage specifically for physical flexibility chavutti thirumal which literally 

means "stamping massage" or "foot massage". The masseuse may use their feet and body weight to massage the 

person.

There are several lineages/styles (sampradayam), of which 'thulunadan' is considered as the best. In olden times, 

students went to thulunadu kalari's to overcome their defects (kuttam theerkkal). There are schools which teach 

more than one of these traditions. Some traditional kalari around Kannur for example teach a blend of arappukai, 

pillatanni, and katadanath styles.

Southern Kalaripayattu

Jasmine Simhalan demonstrating kalari payat and silambam in Borobudur.

Southern kalari payat was practised mainly in old Travancore including the present Kanyakumari district of Tamil 

Nadu primarily by the Nairs and Thevars. Emphasising empty-hand techniques, It is closely connected to Tamil 

silambam and Sri Lankan angampora. The founder and patron saint is believed to be the rishi Agastya rather than Parasurama

Masters are known as 'asaan. The stages of training are chuvatu (solo forms), jodi (partner 

training/sparring), kurunthadi (short stick), neduvadi (long stick), katthi (knife), katara (dagger), valum parichayum 

(sword and shield), chuttuval (flexible sword), double sword, kalari grappling and marma (pressure points).

Zarrilli refers to southern kalari payat as varma ati (the law of hitting), marma ati (hitting the vital spots) or varma 

kalai (art of varma). The preliminary empty handed techniques of varma ati are known as adithada (hit/defend). 

Marma ati refers specifically to the application of these techniques to vital spots. Weapons include bamboo staves, 

short sticks, and the double deer horns.

Medical treatment in the southern styles is identified with siddha, the traditional Dravidian system of medicine 

distinct from north Indian ayurveda. The siddha medical system, otherwise known as siddha vaidyam, is also 

attributed to Agastya.

Central Kalaripayattu

Central kalari payat is practiced mainly in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and certain parts of 

Ernakulam districts of Kerala. It is a composite of the northern and southern styles that includes northern 

meippayattu preliminary exercises, southern emphasis on empty-handed moves and its own distinctive techniques 

which are performed within floor drawings known as kalam.

Styles

Various kalari styles as specified in Vadakkan Pattukal,

1.   kadathanatan kalari
2.   Karuvancheri Kalari
3.   Kodumala Kalari
4.   Kolastri Nadu Kalari
5.   Kurungot Kalari
6.   Mathilur Kalari
7.   Mayyazhi Kalari
8.   Melur Kalari
9.   Nadapuram Kalari
10.   Panoor Madham Kalari
11.   Payyampalli Kalari
12.   Ponniyam Kalari
13.   Puthusseri Kalari
14.   Puthuram Kalari
15.   Thacholi Kalari
16.   Thotuvor Kalari
17.   Tulunadan Kalari
18.   Training

Gurukkal praying before puttara CVN Kalari, Ettumanoor

Initiation ceremony

Students begin training at approximately seven years old with a formal initiation ritual performed by the gurukkal. 

On the opening day of the new session, a novice (mostly Nairs , Ezhavas in the olden days) is admitted to the kalari 

in the presence of the gurukkal or a senior student and directed to place their right foot first across the threshold. 

The student touches the ground with the right hand and then the forehead, as a sign of respect. He is then led to 

the guruthara, the place where a lamp is kept burning in reverence to all the masters of the kalari, to repeat this act 

of worship. He then offers the master some money as dakshina in folded betel leaves and prostrates himself, 

touching the master's feet as a sign of submission. The guru then places his hands on the pupil’s head, blesses him 

and prays for him. This ritual - touching the ground, puttara, guruthara and the guru’s feet - is repeated everyday. It 

symbolizes a complete submission to and acceptance of the master, the deva, the kalari and the art itself.

The kalari

Main article: Kalari

A kalari is the school or training hall where martial arts are taught. They were originally constructed according to 

vastu sastra with the entrance facing east and the main door situated on the centre-right. Sciences like mantra 

saastra, tantra saastra and marma saastra are utilized to balance the space's energy level. The training area 

comprises a puttara (seven tiered platform) in the south-west corner. The guardian deity (usually an avatar of 

Bhagavathi, Kali or Shiva) is located here, and is worshipped with flowers, incense and water before each training 

session which is preceded by a prayer. Northern styles are practiced in special roofed pits where the floor is 3.5 

feet below the ground level and made of wet red clay meant to give a cushioning effect and prevent injury. The 

depth of the floor protects the practitioner from winds that could hamper body temperature. Southern styles are 

usually practiced in the open air or in an unroofed enclosure of palm branches.[2] Traditionally, when a kalari was 

closed down it would be made into a small shrine dedicated to the guardian deity.

Exercises

Specific commands associated with each exercise are called vaytari.

Kaalkal

Kaalkal literally means legs. In the kalari context, it refers to kicks as well as leg-raising exercises (kaal eduppu) to 

increase flexibility.

• Paada chakram (round kick- inside to outside)
• Paada Bhramanam (round kick- outside to inside)
• ner kaal (straight kick)
• kona kaal (right to left, left to right kick)
• veethi kaal (round kick - inside out)
• ner-kona-veethi kaal (combined kick)
• thirichi kaal (both side kick - kick straight turn around and kick)
• aga kaal (round kick - outside in)
• iruththi kaal (kick and sit)
• iruththi kaal 2 (kick and sit - turn and sit)
• Kaikuththippayattu  

Kaikuththippayattu is a compound of kai (hand), kuththi (hit) and payattu (exercise). Originating from the Tulunadan

lineage, it has been adopted into most other styles. It consists of punches, leg moves, stretches, twists, and jumps 

performed in a particular sequence. It is preceded by warm-ups or mukakattu. Like most exercises in kalari payat, 

kaikuththipayattu is divided into 18 stages and its complexity increases from one level to another..

Chumattadi

Chumattadi teaches how to attack and defend against multiple opponents from all sides. Divided into 18 stages, it 

consists of punches, cuts, throws and blocks. The movements are repeated in four directions. This exercise should 

be practiced with intense speed and power.

Meipayattu

Meipayattu concentrates on flexibility. Also divided into 18 stages, it is said to make the practitioner aggressive 

and increase battle awareness. This exercise should be practiced with speed and agility.

Adithada

Adithada comes from the words for hit (adi) and block (thadu). Unlike the exercises mentioned above, adithada 

requires two or more practitioners. When one exponent attacks, the other blocks and then counter-attacks.

Ottotharam

Ottotharam teaches how to use attacks as a form of defense. As with adithada, it is practiced by two exponent but 

the number can be increased as the students gain experience.

Stages

Training is divided into four main parts consisting of Meithari, Kolthari, Ankathari and Verumkai.

Meithari

Meithari is the beginning stage with rigorous body sequences involving twists, stances and complex jumps and 

turns. Twelve meippayattu exercises for neuro-muscular coordination, balance and flexibility follow the basic 

postures of the body. Kalari payat originates not in aggression but in the disciplining of the self. Therefore the 

training begins with disciplining the physical body and attaining a mental balance. This is crucial for any person 

and not necessarily a martial aspirant. This first stage of training consists of physical exercises to develop 

strength, flexibility, balance and stamina. It includes jumps, low stances on the floor, circular sequences, kicks, 

etc. An attempt is made to understand and master each separate organ of the body. These exercises bring an 

alertness to the mind, and this alertness helps one understand some of the movements and processes of the self 

defense sequences that are taught at later stages.

Kolthari

Once the student has become physically competent, they are introduced to fighting with long wooden weapons. 

The first weapon taught is the staff (kettukari), which is usually five feet (1.5 m) in length, or up to the forehead of 

the student from ground level. The second weapon taught is the cheruvadi or muchan, a wooden stick three palm 

spans long, about two and a half feet long or 75 cm. The third weapon taught is the otta, a wooden stick curved to 

resemble the trunk of an elephant. The tip is rounded and is used to strike the vital spots in the opponent's body. 

This is considered the master weapon, and is the fundamental tool of practice to develop stamina, agility, power, 

and skill. Otta training consists of 18 sequences.

Ankathari

Ankathari in which both opponents are armed with chuttuval and paricha

Once the practitioner has become proficient with all the wooden weapons, they proceed to Ankathari (literally "war 

training") starting with metal weapons, which require superior concentration due to their lethal nature. The first 

metal weapon taught is the kadhara, a metal dagger with a curved blade. Taught next are the sword (val) and shield 

(paricha). Subsequent weapons include the spear (kuntham), trident (trisool) and axe (venmazhu). Usually the last 

weapon taught is the flexible sword (urumi or chuttuval), an extremely dangerous weapon taught to only the most 

skillful students. Historically, after the completion of Ankathari, the student would specialize in a weapon of their 

choice, to become an expert swordsman or stick fighter for example.

Verumkai 

Only after achieving mastery with all the weapon forms is the practitioner taught to defend themselves with 

bare-handed techniques. These include arm locks, grappling, and strikes to the pressure points (marmam). This is 

considered the most advanced martial skill so the gurukkal restricts knowledge of marmam only to very few trusted 

students.

Marmashastram and massage

Main article: Marmam

Practitioners meditate to develop inner energy.

It is claimed that learned warriors can disable or kill their opponents by merely touching the correct marmam (vital 

point). This is taught only to the most promising and level-headed persons, to discourage misuse of the technique. 

Marmashastram stresses on the knowledge of marmam and is also used for marma treatment (marmachikitsa). This 

system of marma treatment comes under siddha vaidhyam, attributed to the sage Agastya and his disciples. Critics 

of kalari payat have pointed out that the application of marmam techniques against neutral outsiders has not 

always produced verifiable results

The earliest mention of marmam is found in the Rig Veda where Indra is said to have defeated Vritra by attacking 

his marman with a vajra. References to marman also found in the Atharva Veda. With numerous other scattered 

references to vital points in Vedic and epic sources, it is certain that India's early martial artists knew about and 

practised attacking or defending vital points. Sushruta  identified and defined 107 vital points of the human body in 

his Sushruta Samhita. Of these 107 points, 64 were classified as being lethal if properly struck with a fist or stick. 

Sushruta's work formed the basis of the medical discipline ayurveda, which was taught alongside various Indian 

martial arts that had an emphasis on vital points, such as varma kalai and marma adi.

Kalaripayattu.

As a result of learning about the human body, Indian martial artists became knowledgeable in the field of traditional 

medicine and massage. Kalari payat teachers often provide massages (Malayalam: uzhichil) with medicinal oils to 

their students in order to increase their physical flexibility or to treat muscle injuries encountered during practice. 

Such massages are generally termed thirumal and the unique massage given to increase flexibility is known as 

katcha thirumal. It is said to be as sophisticated as the uzhichil treatment of ayurveda. Kalari payat has borrowed 

extensively from ayurveda and equally lends to it.

Techniques

Main article: Kalaripayattu Techniques

Techniques (atavu) in kalari payat are a combination of steps (chuvatu) and stances (vadivu). There are five steps 

and northern styles have ten postures (Ashta Vadivukal). Each stance has its own power combination, function and 

set of techniques. All the eight postures are based on animals.

Stances (Vadivu)

1. Gajavadivu Elephant stance
2. Simhavadivu Lion stance
3. Asvavadivu Horse stance
4. Varahavadivu Boar stance
5. Sarpavadivu Snake stance
6. Marjaravadivu Cat stance
7. Kukkuvadivu Rooster stance
8. Matsyavadivu Fish stance (Gurukkal Govindankutty Nayar and the C.V.N. Style)
9. Mayuravadivu Peacock stance (Gurukkal P. K. Balan Style)

Steps (Chuvatu)

1. Vatta Chuvatu Circular steps
2. Aakka Chuvatu Inside steps
3. Neekka Chuvatu Moving steps
4. Kon Chuvatu Corner steps
5. Ottakkal Chuvatu Single-leg steps

Kalaripayattu Weapons

Although no longer used in sparring sessions, weapons are an important part of kalari payat. This is especially true 

for the northern styles which are mostly weapon-based. Some of the weapons mentioned in medieval Sangam 

literature have fallen into disuse over time and are rarely taught in kalari payat today.

Weapons currently used in kalaripayat

• Val         Sword
• Paricha Buckler
• Pirambu Staff
• Muchan Stick
• Kuruvadi Short stick
• Lathi         Long stick
• Kuntham Spear
• Gada Mace/Club
• Churika Short sword
• Maduvu Deer-horn dagger
• Kattari Dagger
• Otta         Curved stick
• Urumi        Flexible sword

Weapons historically used in kalaripayat

• Venmazhu                  Axe
• Ambum Villum    Bow and arrow
• Ponti                 Kathuthala
• Trisool         Trident