Kalarippayattu: The ancient Indian martial art that probably inspired Kung Fu
You might be aware of international martial art forms like karate and Kung Fu. But do you know that we have our own martial arts form too? Yes, it's called Kalaripayattu which is indigenous to Kerala, a south Indian state. As per Dhanurveda, an ancient (1500 BC) Hindu scripture on Military Science, there are 64 art forms that exist in Indian mythology and Kalaripayattu is one of them. While the exact story and time of its origin are still not known, many local stories revolve around its origin. In fact, Kalaripayattu might be the inspiration behind the origin and evolution of Kung Fu! Read on to know more.
Origin of Kalariyapattu
Kalariyapattu originates from the Sanskrit word ‘Khalurika’, meaning ‘battlefield’ or ‘threshing floor’ or ‘military training ground’. The earliest evidence of kalaripayattu was found in Kerala in around 200 BC in the form of palm leaf manuscripts depicting the fighters. However, it is possible that this martial art form is a few hundred years older than that! That’s the reason why Kalariyapattu has earned the name ‘Mother of Martial Arts.’
Bodhidharma and the birth of Kung Fu
While Kalariyapattu is the Mother of Martial arts, Bodhidharma is said to be the Father of Martial Art. He was a prince hailing from the city of Kanjipuram in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The third son of the ruling king Pallava, Bodhidharma learnt Buddhism and was trained in the Kerala style of Kalaripayattu.
Having adopted Buddhism, he gave up his title of Prince, and dedicated his life to being a monk. He set out from his kingdom to spread Zen Buddhism. In AD 522, he went north to China where he found shelter in a newly established Shaolin monastery. There he is thought to have penned two books on training the body for control and flexibility. Further, he designed a strict physical and mental training routine which he started teaching to the Shaolin monks in the monastery. His exercises were most likely based on the moves of Kalaripayattu and are thought to be the beginnings of what evolved to Shaolin Kung Fu. This is why Bodhidharma is known as the Father of Martial Arts.
Ankam, the death duel in Kalarippayattu
Ankam is a duel between two Kalarippayattu warriors called as Chekavars. During the 14th century, Ankam was one of the ways to settle family disputes. During this time, the responsibilities of local justice lay with the landlords. However, when the disputes could not be resolved peacefully, the battle of Ankam was used as the last resort. The parties involved in the dispute brought a Chekavar each to fight from their side. The warriors fought each other and the one who lost would be killed by the other Chekavar. The side represented by the surviving Chekavar was considered the winner. Though there is no place for Ankam to get justice in today’s society, it used to be an important of Kalarippayattu.
Myths surrounding the origin of Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu has been mentioned in the Hindu epic of Ramayana. After one of his battles, a warrior from the Brahmin caste called Parasurama, threw his axe into the sea. Parasurama is said to be one of the avatars of lord Vishnu. At the place where his axe sank, a strip of land emerged from the sea. This land was Kerala or Parasuramakshetram. To protect the newly created land, Parasurama taught the technique of Kalarippayattu to 20 of his disciples. As per legend, this is how the art of Kalarippayattu might have come into existence. Incredibly, there is another story that involves Lord Shiva and his wife, Parvathi. Once Shiva and Parvathi stayed in a dense forest for a short while, and witnessed a fight between a lion and an elephant. They observed the fight closely and learned many self-defence techniques. This is thought to be another possibility of the origin of Kalarippayattu. In fact, a weapon called the Otta used by Kalarippayattu fighters is said to mimic the trunk of an elephant. Interesting, isn’t it?