Kalaripayattu is an Indian martial art, it is considered to be the oldest form of martial art and referred as the mother of all martial arts in the world.
The word Kalari is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kalaoorika' which means battlefield.
And the word Kalari refers to space where the Kalaripayattu is practised i.e. the training room.
So Kalaripayattu is one of the martial arts in which one can fight using hands as well as a weapon.
HISTORY:
Kalaripayattu is originated between 300 BC and 300 AD during the Sangam Literature.
It is believed that the PARASURAM invented the Kalaripayattu. Parasuram is Avtar of Vishnu.
Parasuram is regarded as one of the most powerful warriors in the Hindu community. He taught Kalaripayattu to the people of Kerala to defend against Nagas. The Nagas were skilled fighters, known to use different types of weapons and they were expert in various types of fighting arts like spinning etc.
It is said that Parasuram was inspired by the flexible motion of Nagas and decided to create a martial art to repulse the Nagas by neutralizing their fighting techniques.
Later in 1362 AD, Kalari was first officially recognized as a martial art of Kerala.
C.V.N. Narayanan
The existence of Kalari was about to disappear and in 1920, it was preserved by Kottackal Kanaran Gurukkal and it was associated with the Hindu religion. C.V.N was the student of Gurukkal and both of them had woke up the Kalaripayattu practices.
C.V.N was the first person who disseminated about Kalari by organising various programs. He also went in foreign countries like Srilanka and performed also. He also established a well known Kalari (school to learn Kalaripayattu) in north Kerala. He did commendable job and spread the existence of Kalaripayattu during British rule.
Most of the Kalaripayattu schools in Kerala are by the names of C.V.N Narayanan.
Some schools by the name of C.V.N are also in France and the US.
During British rule, the practice of Kalaripayattu was illegal, if anyone gets caught while practising the Kalari, they used to put them in jail. Britishers destroyed various Kalaris and the weapons that were used to practice the Kalaripayattu. But Kalari had survived during the colonial period also because many people use to practice alone, away from Britisher's sight.
After independent, the lost glory of Kalaripayattu regained in many parts of India.
Kalari has its medicines and tactics to cure any injury, so Kalari has its treatment system called 'KALARICHIKSILA', it is a part of Ayurvedic Medicine which is orthopaedic. One of the useful treatment for body is massaging. The cognizance of learning about these medicines and treatments comes after the physical training and it depends upon your master whether he recommends you to learn or not.
Aim of Kalari is to get an ideal body by practising its various kinds of exercises.
Kalari is suitable for every kind of body. Anyone, who is fit can practice the Kalari. Kalari is basically about the movement of the body. It does not involve the muscular strength much but it involves neuromuscular strength.
There is no age bar for beginning to learn Kalaripayattu. Many students in Kerala start practising Kalari at the age of 7. Women also practice Kalari.
No one urges you to practice Kalari means your master would not force you or ask you to get up early in the morning, if you are willing to learn then you can practice and your master would support you.
They do not ask you that act like this, they just show you and you have to copy them to learn the correct action.
Nowadays, Kalaripayattu is practiced in many parts of India and it is much famous in Kerala. Also, it is a source of income for various people as they organise many shows for tourists.
Historically, Kalaripayattu has been proved one of the oldest martial arts in India and many other martial arts had been derived from Kalaripayattu.
THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE TRUE ORIGIN OF KALARIPAYATTU THAT WHO INVENTED IT, ONLY NARRATIVE ACCOUNTS FORMATTED AS MYTH AND LEGEND.
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