Ayurveda and martial arts; Kalaripayattu
By Syama Mehta
Ask anyone to name a martial art and almost no one will mention Kalaripayat (or, Kalaripayattu) even though it is one of the oldest martial arts and probably the originator of every other style in the world. Kalripayat was first mentioned in Dhanurveda which is an upaveda of Yajur veda. Kalaripayat developed into it’s present form in the 11th century. In 1804, the British colonial government banned kalaripayat and it’s practice was limited to rural areas in southern India. Around the 1920s, it began to see a resurgence as the people stood up against the British oppression. Traditionally, children, both boys and girls were initiated in the art of kalarippayattu at the age of 7. In modern times, it is practiced mainly in the south Indian state of Kerala though it has been slowly rising in popularity within and outside of India. In Malayalam, the language spoken in Kerala, “kalari” means training ground or battlefield and “payattu” means training in the art of combat.
Kalaripayat is steeped in tradition and rituals. Every practitioner must perform certain rituals to be accepted as a student by the guru. Before each session, practitioners pray to the gods and touch their guru’s feet for blessings. In fact even before they step into the kalari which is the space where they train, they touch the floor with reverence. Kalaripayat is not just a physical and mental discipline but also a spiritual practice. Students are taught to respect others, show compassion and to use their skills only when absolutely necessary.
This is a fighting style that trains the body and mind for agility and precision. While it is a fighting martial art with a focus on learning about the sensitive points on the body to inflict pain, it takes this knowledge of the body and applies it to heal the body too. These areas are called marma points which in Sanskrit means hidden or secret. There are a total of 107 marma points on the human body of which 64 are considered to be deadly points since piercing them can cause severe injury and even death. An expert kalarippayattu practitioner can use these vital points to hurt or to heal. Kalarippayattu teachers also massage their students with hot medicated oils to make their muscles supple. In fact in some schools before they can start their training, every practitioner undergoes 2 to 4 weeks of hot oil massage to prepare their body for the training.
Kalaripayat and Ayurveda are closely related. Both are rooted in the vedas; Kalaripayat comes from Yajur veda and Ayurveda from Atharva veda. Practicing kalarippayattu makes the body healthy, the mind clear and the spirit reverent which is also the aim of Ayurveda.
Kalarippayattu gained the knowledge of marma points from Ayurveda. Kalarippayattu’s hot oil massage is similar to ayurveda’s abhyanga. Many kalaripayattu teachers are also healers in their community.
Ms Mehta is a Taekwondo teacher Brushy Creek, Texas. She is studying to be an Ayurveda Counselor.
