Knowing More.... Kalaripayattu
It is a new year, and a month has already passed..... wow how time flies! Anyway, let's get to it and know more about the icons on Karimeen Inc.'s Kalaripayattu T-shirt!
Now, for those who don't know about Kalripayattu, it is the oldest living martial arts in the world, with textual evidence going back to the 2nd century BC! modern Kalaripayattu as we know it evolved around 1500 years back, which still seems quite old! Once upon a time, Kalaripayattu was practiced throughout India in various regional forms, though now it exists in its ancient form mainly in Kerala.
Within Kerala, 3 forms of Kalaripayattu exist, mainly the Northern style, Southern style and Central style. The Northern and Southern style are the more well known forms and are distinct from each other in style and application.
With these 2 variants even come 2 originators. The Northern Kalaripayattu practitioners mention Parashuraman as their originator. Parashuraman was a badass avatar of Lord Vishnu, who is also the founder of Kerala after he thew his axe into the sea and the land rose from beneath.
The style of the Northern Kalaripayattu seems to reflect the interesting characteristics of the mythical legend: the use of weapons. We shall be covering these weapons which adorn the Karimeen Inc. T-shirts in a bit, but before that, we also need to look at the second originator of the martial art form, and the originator of the Southern style: Sage Agastya.
Sage Agastya was a short but knowledgeable monk, and in Hindu scriptures you could say he was like the Professor X of monks, with ultimate knowledge of everything. Some legends say he developed his style of Kalaripayattu in order to defend against wild animals. Hence the Southern style uses bare-handed attacks, as well as the art of attacking specific vital points in the body known as varmam.
All 3 styles also constitute learning medicine and treatment of joints and massages as part of the curriculum, as Kalaripayattu is also about healing. It is said that some art forms in Kerala like Kathakali encourage dancers to practice Kalaripayattu in order to increase their flexibility and fitness, as it is sort of a yoga mixed with kung fu and kickass massages! Oh yeah, speaking of Kung-Fu, it is also said that the man who originated Kung Fu, Bodhidharma, may have learnt Kalaripayattu before evolving it into his own style!
So yeah these dudes are the legends of the art form and its descending art forms. Before I talk about the icons, how about a few beautiful snaps of the martial art at work!
Okay, now lets check out the Icons that make up the Karimeen Inc. Kalaripayattu T-shirt!
Poothara
This Icon represents the deity of the practice floor. Before starting Kalaripayattu practices, the practitioners must bow down to the deity (usually Shakti or Shiva) before sparring or practicing.
Paricha
This is a metal shield, used during weapons practice against swords of various types. This is pretty much a relic of medieval times.
Katari/Kataram/Katar
This is a dagger design used not just in Kalaripayattu, but in many parts of India, in various forms. The style of design is indigenous to this part of the world (the subcontinent). However, most of these daggers tend to be ornamental, while the Kalaripayattu Katari has been designed with bodily damage in mind.
One wears this by holding on to it and tying it to the arm so it can be used in a punching-style, evoking maximum damage to the enemy! This picture is a modernized version of the dagger and in the west it is also known as a 'punch-dagger'.
Urumi/Chuttuval
Finally, we come to the most badass weapon in the arsenal of Kalaripayattu, the Chuttuval or curved sword. Unlike the typical sword blade you find on every other sword, this one is a flexible blade which can allow the user to wear it like a belt! Being a long blade also gives it far more range than a typical sword!
However, such badassery comes with responsibility... this weapon is extremely difficult to master owing to its flexible blade, and the risk of cutting oneself. Therefore in the weapons, this is the last one taught to the student. I mean, I wouldn't blame them, it's crazy! To see it in action, check out this video on youtube for a quick demo. For pictures of the Urumi, check these out!
So here we end the brief look into the icons of your Karimeen Inc. T-shirt, or soon-to-be purchase of the Kalaripayattu T-shirt! I won't get into too much further details into the martial arts, as it will make this blog super long. For that, just Google to know even more!
Disclaimer: I do not own the photos in this blog, with exception to the karimeen inc. Kalaripayattu icons
