Kalaripayattu

I am witnessing the 6.30 am class at CVN Kalari, Thiruvananthapuram. Kalaripayyattu is one of the martial arts from the state of Kerala aka God’s own country. The boys are wearing langhottis (loin cloth), oiled, look shiny, lean and mean like black panthers. The lamps have been lit by the gurukkal, the deities and the sword  have been decorated with flowers and the students have offered their pooja. The place, the students, their outfits  and the gurukkal make me feel like I have gone back to ancient times. The floor is made of red mud, there are lots of weapons like sticks, sheilds, swords, spears, wooden daggers arranged neatly against a wall.

The gurukkal has asked the students to start the warm up in malayalam.  I notice that he is already criticizing some students to put in more energy in those legs, kaal kondhanum mone. The warm ups themselves look spectacular, with students having to kick the leg so high up while walking that it should touch the shoulder. Like a military parade, but the leg goes all the way up, like a standing splits. That is the aim and most students look very close to doing it.

There are plenty of warm up sequences where the students walk back and forth in the rectangular kalari. Each one of them is a treat to watch. The students are sweating even before the actual sequences begin. The gurukkal is so talented that he needs to work the entire class with students in various levels and experience. The gurukkal knows every student by name and the practice is structured to a student as to what the student is capable of doing. He knows exactly where one is beginning and how the practice needs to be built over time. The students are advised to begin learning kalari at the age of seven. The children at this age are flexible and easier to train. It also needs many years of training to be a kalari warrior, so starting early makes sense. But one is allowed to start at any age if the student is physically fit without any medical conditions or injuries.

Almost every single action in kalaripayat requires the hip joints to be super flexible. The body needs to be stable, always in control even while kicking or in mid air. The body requires intelligence, balance and control to perform any of this. I think the stability is provided by the hip joints and that could be why all the starting sequences concentrate on the hips. All the actions in kalari is a fighting action. A lot of them look like animal poses, crouching tigers and hidden dragons. The essence of the animal has to be felt in a pose. A few poses remind me of yoga like the virabhadrasana the warrior. But very animal like with the readiness to pounce and attack.

The picture is from Nicolas Chorier’s book “A Kite’s Eye View: India: Between Earth and Sky”.

Gurukkal is very knowledgable, experienced and talented. One gets to be gurukkal only after years of work. No wonder the gurukkal automatically commands so much respect. The word gurukkal is plural, meaning you honor the guru and the lineage of his gurus. The guru assumes the title only when he has reached a sufficient age of mastery, ability and accomplishment.   Since kalari is a high energy, action filled martial arts, the teacher needs to be extremely qualified. I can see how the gurukkal is constantly assessing what the students are doing and what they are capable of doing. If such a knowledge is missing, there sure will be lot of injuries.

This reminds me of a saying in India, monkey with a garland. This is what will happen if the teacher is inexperienced and teaches kalaripayattu. I cannot help thinking how easy it is to be a yoga teacher today. Just a month’s training or a six months weekend course makes one eligible to teach yoga. I hear there are yoga teacher trainings that can be done from home! Me, my grandpa and my dog are yoga teachers! But, I guess teaching basic poses in yoga is not as complex as martial arts and as long as the yoga teacher does not behave like a monkey with a garland, it is ok.

Coming back to kalari, there is a slight fear among the students. There is plenty of criticisms, the student cannot proceed in a sequence having done it wrong or sloppily. It has to be done right, with focus and the correct understanding. Shraddhikanum, is a word I hear so much in the class. It means faith, focus, hardwork and dedication. I can also see the love of kalari in the gurukkal, that he does not get tired of repeating how to do an action so many times, until the student gets it. The distance between the feet, how low the hip needs to be, how much the body needs to be extended, how to use the entire body in a pose is told so many times. It is by repetition that the student learns. The student needs to attend the class every day and hear it from the gurukkal. That is the only way to learn kalaraipayyatu and I am so happy it has not been diluted just to fit a western audience.

There are so many levels for a student to go through before the weapons can be used and then it starts to look a like a fight. Until then, the students have to prepare their body and this process can take years. I found it interesting that all students are wearing white langottis. The langottis are worn snug and is supposed to apply some pressure in the lower abdomen. Reminds me of uddiyana bandha of yoga. Unlike karate, there is nothing visually that can tell if a student is a beginner or a senior. When the gurukkal thinks the student is ready for the next level, then the new sequences of the next level are taught. I am fascinated by this system of teaching, where you learn from the gurukkal every day.

Although kalaripayattu was used for warfare and duels, it also helped kathakali performers help with the body awareness that helps them while performing. From what I see, kalari is popular among people that wants to use this art for fitness, by dancers for body awareness, by yogis and other martial arts followers to learn a complementary body art. A few will continue to become the gurukkal after many years of work.

Respond | Trackback |