k4kannur: Kalaripayattu

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu , is the ancient martial art of the Northern Kerala .Thalassery is the threshold of the Kalari Payattu. It is considered as the forerunner of Karate & Kung-fu. The Kalari is treated as the temple of learning. Age old traditions and customs are still practiced inside the Kalari religiously till today. The weapons used were the sword, Dagger, Shield, short sticks, spears etc. The co-ordination of the body and mind is given maximum importance in this art.

Kalarichikitsa is a special type Physiotherapic treatment for diseases as well as for toning up the body is given by the Gurukkal (Trainer) to the students.
The northern style is distinguished by its meippayattu - physical training and use of full-body oil massage. 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 The system of treatment and massage, and the assumptions about practice are closely associated with ayurveda..

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.

KALARI

A Kalari is the school or training hall where martial arts are taught. They were originally constructed according to Vastu shastra 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. Traditionally, when a Kalari was closed down it would be made into a small shrine dedicated to the guardian deity.