KALARIPPAYATTU - The Treditional Martial Art of Kerala

Kalarippayat is the exclusive martial arts legacy of Kerala, taken to China by the Buddhist monks which became the fabled model for the modern martial arts. Kalari ppayat encompasses an invigorationg Ayurvedic herbal treatment for chronic ailments like arthiritis and spondylosis, and a massaging regimen which repairs physiological damages and makes the body young and supple. The fracture treatment system, developed as a corollary of the rough and tumble world of martial arts, does away with the risk-ridden x-rays and hit-or-miss plaster-cast method.

Kalarippayat literally means 'acquired skill' of art. "Kalari" means school or arena, and "payat" is skill training, exercise or practice. It is the most comprehensive personal combat training shceme anywhere in the world. The training includes exercises to develop sharp reflexes for unarmed combat and techniques of combat using mace, spears, daggers and sword and shield. There is also a unique Kerala weapon- the lethal flexible sword, called the 'Urumi' which can be concealed as a waist belt.

Kalarippayat also includes the 'marma' treatment which identifies the vital nodal points(marmas) in the body (107 of them in all) for suitable pressing and nudging to correct muscular and neurological problems. The massaging may involve standing full length over the patient and applying pressure with the feet. The system is acknowledged superior to any other method of massage.