The Practice of Kalaripayattu in South India
Namaste my beloved soul friends,
Few months ago , I wrote a blog on how Kalari entered my life and why I call it “ The way of a peaceful warrior”.
Check that blog if you are interested :
Now, I’m going to take you more deeply into an introduction on the tradition and practice of Kalari :
Practicing Kalari in CVN Kalari Gurukkal in South India.
“Practice of Kalaripayattu”
According to CVNkalari school in Trivandrum :
“””Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest living traditions of martial training in the world, having its roots in the Dhanurveda, the ancient Indian science of warfare. Martial training and self-disciplining through a ritualistic and spiritual process of learning is synthesized in the Kalarippayat tradition that found its roots in Kerala, the southernmost state of India. “””
These are my practices of the first stage, Meithari (body preparative exercises) in Kalaripayattu in CVN kalari school under the guidance of my loving master Rajanj ( Rajaekharan Nair).
Kalarippayat training is mainly divided into three parts called Meithari (body preparative exercises) Kolthari (training in wooden weapons) and Ankathari (training in combat weapons)
Kalarippayat of southern India is one of the oldest one of the ancient Martial arts. It has about more than 3000 years of history.
The training of the student in the kalari begins at a very young age about 8-9 years old in the Gurukkal under the guidance of an experienced Kalari master.
But in the Gurukkal you’ll see all ages practice the rituals.
The practice of Kalari needs a lot of discipline, devotion and concentration.
Also lots and lots of patience!
The basics of kalari in CVN kalari is based on Ayurvedic principles. Before and along the practice an Ayurvedic oil is prepared which practitioners use and massage their bodies with it.
In the traditional Kalaripayattu, the pupil receives a full body massage by the master in order to prepare the body for the practice and combat.
One of the things I really loved was the way to enter the Gurukkal room and leaving it with paying respect to all the masters, the deities in the room.
So devotional and in a way to surrender to your own inner guru.
As I mentioned before, for me Kalari is the way of the peaceful warrior.
It takes lots of time and patience to master the art of Kalari. I am right at the beginning of the path and I hope to continue and explore more of this wonderful art.
There is a famous Zen story relating to the subject. Hope that you also like it as I cherish these “ Tales of awakening”
“”” A martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, “I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it.” The teacher’s reply was casual, “Ten years.” Impatiently, the student answered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice everyday, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?” The teacher thought for a moment, “20 years! “
Namaste 😌
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