IS KALARIPAYATTU THE MOTHER OF ALL MARTIAL ARTS...???? THINK AGAIN...????

Well, befor I continue to write on this article, I would like to tell you, as to why I am writing this article.

Some of the readers from my other blog posts have questioned me asking that Kalaripayattu is the Mother of all Martial Arts, but  why is it that I write so about Kuthu Varisai and Silambam as the Mother of All Martial Arts...????

BUT - BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, FIRST, KINDLY READ THESE TWO BLOG POSTS THAT I HAPPENED TO COME ACROSS ALMOST ACCIDENTALLY

Punch into Google Search:

ORIGINS OF KUNG FU: THE INTRICATE RREALITY BY THACHOLI NAYER

THINK AGAIN...THE MOTHER OF ALL MARTIAL ARTS BY THACHOLI NAYER

For a while now, many people have been hearing that martial arts had its roots in India.

But where in India... what art would it have been?

Some tried to link the grappling art of Vajramushti as Kung-Fu's predesessor even though it resembles Greek Pankration wrestling.

Others with the Punjabi art of Gatka which is a sword fencing art.

However, during the 1990s the Kerala art of Kalaripayattu has came out from the dark. Many people seeing this art with its martial arts type of kicks, punches, and weaponry have were convinced that this must be the art which Kung-Fu has originated from.

There are a lot of web sites and articles stating that the art of Kalaripayattu was the martial arts introduced by an Indian prince turned monk by the name of Daruma Bodhidarma to China.

As a matter of fact many have jumped to the conclusion that it was the mother all martial arts.

Firstly, there is no connection whatsoever between Kalaripayattu and Kung-Fu. Kalaripayatttu was formed around the 13th century and Daruma Bodhidarma was alive around the 6th century who traveled to China. There is a 700 year gap between him and the formation of Kalaripayattu. 

Bodhidharma - The Tamil Guy: Father of Eastern Martial Arts

Also, Daruma Bodhidarma was born in the ancient Pallava kingdom of Kanchipuram which is situated in the state of present day Tamil Nadu where Kalaripayattu is not a native art of the state.

As a matter of fact Tamil Nadu itself has several martial arts which predate Kalaripayattu thousands of years and are even mentioned in the Tamil literature such as the Silappadikaram during the Sangam Age of the 1st century A.D. Another piece of Tamil literature which mentions of these martial arts is called the Purunaruru (Four Hundreds songs on War and Wisdom)written around 500 B.C.E.

Another thing I would like to point out is that India was not in existence before the arrival of the British around the 1600s. It was the British who unified the states and other regions into India along with Burma and Pakistan.

Before the British, the Indian sub-continent consisted of many countries and kingdoms. The latest parts of the sub-continent to be brought into the Indian Union were the 5 French territories of Pondicherry in 1956.

Before that, it was Assam, Manipur, and the other Eastern states which came under the British rule and became part of their India during the late 1800s which can be found at Thang Ta: Martial Art of Manipur.

At one time the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and even parts of Sri Lanka were originally called Tamil Akkam. It was one Tamil administration with three major dynasties being the Pandyan, Cholas, and the Cheras. The Pallavas were also part of Tamil Akkam at one time.

However, their empire was divided by Tamil Nadu and Andra Pradesh. The land where the Cheras ruled later came to be known as Kerala where they formed their own language out of Tamil called Malayalam.

Till 1956, Kerala was under the rule of Tamils. Kerala was NEVER a separate state until 1956.

The Malayalam language spoken in Kerala today, was derived from Tamil, with a mixture of Sankrit.

BUT – Until, 1956, befor Kerala became a separate state, the Malayalam language or the Language of North Kerala (from Malappuram to Kadathanadu) was known as Malabar Tamoul (actually Tamil, but pronounced as Tamoul).

The name Kerala comes from the term Chera, Kingdom. The Chera Kingdom was a Tamil Kingdom, ruled by the Tamil Kings who had the title “Perumal”.

During the Portuguese Invasion, the Portuguese called the place Kera, as they pronounce the Ch sound as in Bach i.e., with a K sound; and La means “The” in Old Portuguese.

This is how Cherala, became the term “Kerala”.

SO, IT IS EVIDENT THAT KERALA OR MALAYALAM DID NOT EXIST TILL THE NOVEMBER 1956.

As a matter of Fact, the Keralites are originally Tamils only.

Only the Namboothiris are the Aryan Invaders to the Tamil Chera Kingdom.

The original inhabitants of the Chera Kingdom are the Ezhavas.

The Ezhavas were the rulers of the Tamil Chera Kingdom, NOT the Thiyyas.

Though Thiyyas are the Northern counterpart of the Ezhavas, they DO NOT like to be identified with the Ezhavas.

Ezhavas are Sri Lankan Tamils. In Tamil Eelam means Sri Lanka and Ezhava means Sri lankan.

It were the Cholas who took captives and slaves from places where they conquered in India and abroad, and placed those slaves in Sri Lanka.

Formerly, Sri Lanka was known as Thamaraparani, after the name of River Thamaraparani in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, which belongs to the Pandiyas.

Tenkasi Pattinam of Tirunelveli district was the Fromer Capital of The Pandiyan Kingdom, before Madurai became the Capital of the Pandiyas.

These slaves who were kept in Thamaraparani (Today’s Sri Lanka) later got mixed with each other to form a new community called Sinhalese.

Before these Sinhalese were formed, the Ezhavas were the original inhabitants of Thamaraparani.

Ezhavas of today’s Kerala and the Nadars of Tamil Nadu are actually Niece and Nephews.

While the Nadars were the rulers of the Pandiyan Kingdom, The Ezhavas were the rulers of The Tamil Chera Kingdom.

Ezhavas were great Archers. This is the reason why the Symbol of the Tamil Chera Kingdom was Bow & Arrow, representing the mighty skilled Archers.

Punch into Google Search: 

EZHAVAS: THE LARGEST COMMUNITY OF KERALA

As a Matter of fact, Tamil Akkam had such a powerful army and navy in Southern India and Sri Lanka, that not even the Mauryan Empire of Asoka could over power it.

It is amazing how Emperor Asoka was able to conquer from North India to Pakistan, Afghanistan and much of central India, but could not conquer Tamil Akkam!

This was probably due to their martial expertise as well.

Much information can be found along with a map of the Mauryan Empire of Asoka in K.A. Nilakanta Sastri's Age of the Nandas and Mauryas.

Another good book to read on this would be Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas by Romlia Thapar. Here is a link to the map of the extent of Asoka's Empire

Mauryan Empire of Ashoka the Great - who could NOT touch the borders of Ancient Tamil Akkan

Going back to Kalaripayattu, it resembles a lot like Capoiera. This art may have been modified over the years to its present state.

As for the Martial Arts of Tamil Nadu and Northern Sri Lanka, they are called Kuttu Varisai (empty hand combat), Varma Kalai (pressure point study), and an array of weapons arts.

Kuthu Varisai - The Mother of Chinese Kung Fu and Japanese Karate Jutsu

Kuttu Varisai resembles a mix of both Karate and Kung Fu having its own animal forms too.  

Kuthu Varisai - Animal Styles

There is one stance in Kuttu Varisai which resembles the horse stance which is found in Kung Fu and Karate. However, it is called the Bear stance.

Bear Stance of Kuthu Varisai

There are many weapons arts and each weapon is a mastery of its own. One of the most famous one is called Silambam which is similar to the Bo staff fighting in Japan. There are a total of 96 Katas for this art.

Silambam, Martial Art of Tamils

Another weapon is the Erathai or the double stick similar to the Filipino Kali or Sinawali.

Erathai Silambam

There are two unique weapons which are not found outside of Southern India which is the Surul Pattai (steel blade whip) and the Madhu (deer horns). 

Spring Sword with 1 Blade

Spring Swords with 2 and 3 Blades

Deer Horn - A unique weapon os Silambam, Martial Art of Tamils

Other weapons arts of the Tamil country are the Val Vitchi (single sword) and the Eretthai Val (double short sword). 

VaaL Veechu of Silambam, Martial Art of tamils

Between the 2nd to 12th century AD the Pallavas and the Cholas have done intensive sea trade with Southeast Asian kingdoms like that of Angkor (Cambodia), Sri Vijaya (Indonesia) and even as far as China.

It is possible that the Pallavas may have had contact with Japan during their seafaring naval expeditions. A good source on that would be in the book titled

Traditional Cultural Link between India and Japan (During the 8th and 9th centuries) written by Dr. Kalpakam Sankarnaryan and Dr. Motohiro Yoritomi. 

There is a possibility the inhabitants of the islands of Japan may have adopted certain forms of Kuttu Varisai and Silambam by the Pallavas. Silambam which might be precursors to Kendo, Ken-Jutso, and Karate. 

Much information can be got from the Monthly Magazine of France titled

"La Varma Kalai: L'Origin du Karate - Master Zacria Rahama"

During the Chola Empires zenith between the 10th and 12th centuries they had conquered much of Southern India and Eastern parts going through Manipur, Assam, and Southern Burma. There empire stretched to as far south as Sri Lanka & Maldives, and to the East was Sumatra, Java, and Malaysia (Kadaram).

Their martial arts must have been one of their exports along with various other arts like dance, architecture, and the Tamil version of the Ramayana.

The Ramayana (or Ramayanan, Ramavataram) was re-written from Sanskrit to Tamil by the sage Kavicakravarti Kamban of the 9th century A.D. of the Chola kingdom of Tanjore, Tamil Nadu.

There are certain moves which are in Muay Thai which are called the Hanuman or Lim Lom. Hanuman was a warrior in the Ramayana epic. Three sources on this can be found in 

Cholas by K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, 

Mystery of the Maldives by Thor Heyerdahl, and 

Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting written by Panya Kraithat and Pitisuk Kraitus.

As for the Shaolin, it may be possible that Daruma Bodhidarma did go there and introduced Dhyan [Zen (in Japanese), Chan (in Chinese)].

The absence of fighting forms in China before Daruma Bodhidarma is absolutely false.

If there was no fighting form in China, then how did there armies fight which most definitely predates the arrival of Daruma Bodhidarma?

There were fighting forms in China.

It was Daruma Bodhidarma who introduced his concept of breathing exercises, the arts of the vital points and the 18 Lohan which can be seen in Kuttu Varisai of present day Tamil Nadu.

His introduction of these Dravidian combat forms and exercises was adopted by the Chinese which later evolved into Kung - Fu. However, Bodhidarma was also not the only Sage who went to China.

There was another Tamil sage who travelled to China well before him around the 5th century B.C. by the name of Boghar Siddha. He was accompanied by Lao Tse the founder of Taosim and who was the first Chinese to propound the theory of duality of matter -- the male Yang and female Yin -- which conforms to the Siddha concept of Shiva - Shakti or positive-negative forces.

In Tamil, Yin and Yang translates to Idai Nadi (female, moon) and Pingelai Nadi (male, sun).

The unification of the two becomes Lingam which is a symbol of Siva. The Sanskrit adaptation of the Yin and Yang is Shiv and Shakt (or Siva and Shakti). The Sanskrit translation of the unification of Shiv and Shakt is called Prana.

Prana is "breath" and is understood as the vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and the vital energy in all natural processes of the universe.

Acupuncture from Tamil Akkam was also introduced to parts of Asia. This was called Varma Cuttiram also known as Varma Kalai. Originally formed as a medicinal healing art, this can also be used to maim and even kill people. Arts in China which relate to the Varma arts are Tai Chi and Dim Mak. 

Varma Kalai, Tamil Nadu (Left) Dim Mak, China (Right)

In Southeast Asia the arts of Krabi Krabong in Thailand and Silat in Indonesia bear a lot of resemblances of the Silambam and Kuthu Varisai warfare arts of the Tamils. The animalistic styles and even forms of animism found in Silat are also found in Kuttu Varisai where invokes a specific animal spirit or energy into ones body.

Many Chola and Pallava Naval and Merchant ships landing in parts of Southeast Asia have not only brought with them the Hindu and Buddhist religions, but the martial arts as well which fused with the indigenous fighting styles of Southeast Asia.

Source: Tamil Merchant Guild in Sumatra written by K.A. Nilakanta Sastri.

In the Bible in the book of Solomon and Esther it mentions about trade and contact with India. The term India was used in the King James Version which was translated from Hebrew and Greek during the 1600s and the rise of the British Empire.

The King James came about after the British took control over many kingdoms and countries forming it into one British Administration and giving the name India.

India is actually a Latin word for Indo or Indus in Greek which is Hindu in the Persian language of Farsi near Iran and Pakistan.

In the Tamil texts it mentions about King Solomon’s trade and contact with the Chera, Pandya, and Chola kingdoms of Tamil Akkam. King Solomon was not the only one in contact with the Dravidian kingdoms but Rome, Greece, and Egypt. This information can be found in 

Foreign Notices of South India: from Megasthenes to Ma Huan written by K.A. Nilakanta Sastri.

Other than spices, precious stones, silk, and exotic animals being exported to Rome, Greece and the Middle East, weapons and fighting styles were exported as well.

The Romans and the Greeks who traveled to Tamil Akkam were known by the ancient Tamils as the Yavanas.

Weapons like the trident amongst others were imported to Rome including certain fighting forms which were used in gladiatorial fights in Rome. More information can be found in 

Silambam fencing from India by Manuel J. Raj and 

The Commerce Between the Roman Empire and India by E.H. Warmington.

There are even older fighting styles of the Tamils which may have found its way through the Indian sub-continent and from Australia.

These are known as Dambe of Nigeria which one hand is bound for punching, and kicking and head butting are allowed.

Similar arts to Adithadi of Tamils are Dambe Boxing of Nigeria, and Muay Thai of Thailand.

Adithadi - Martial Art of Tamils

The Ringa Wrestling of Madagascar is similar to the Tamil Wrestling called Marpor or Malyutham.

Malyutham - Traditional Wrestling Sport of Tamils

Amongst the many fighting styles and sports of Africa is the Savika bull fight which can also seen in the Tamil Nadu and parts of Northeastern Sri Lanka bull fights known as Jalli Kattu.

Jalli Kattu

Ancient Tamil texts mention of an ancient land mass connecting India with Australia and Madagascar. It also mentions names of cities and rivers which lie beneath the Indian Ocean today.

Kumari Kandam

Inside the Indian Ocean - Kumari Kandam remains

The Indian sub-continent and Australia both lay on the same tectonic plate called the Indo-Australian plate. The tsunami of December 2004 also proved the Lemurian theory when it washed back a couple of miles exposing temples and artifacts in the Bay of Bengal near Mammalapuram, Tamil Nadu. That was the fourth tsunami recorded in the history of South Asia. The third was during the early 1900s.

In the Tamil Silappadikaram it also mentions of a great flood or tsunami which wiped out an ancient Pandyan city. An interesting book which goes into detail is called

The Lost Land of Lemuria: Fabulous Geographies by Sumathi Ramaswamy

The resemblances between Tamils, Malayalees, Australian aborigines and East African are very close. There is an ancient weapon that was used in Tamil Akkam called the Valari which resembles the Boomerang of Australia. The Valari was shaped like the boomerang, but was tipped with a metal blade. Here is an article written by Dr. S. Jayabarathi Jaybee on the Valari Weapon 

VaLari - The Boomerang of Tamil Nadu

In conclusion, martial arts of India today were actually the martial art of Tamil Akkam thousands of years back and not ancient India.

India or the Indian Union did not come into play until after the arrival of the British around the 1600s.

Kalari Payat is a very dynamic martial art with an array of weaponry including pressure point attacks and massage. However, it does not go any further back than the 13th century as quoted from

 Phillip Zarilli's When the Body Becomes All Eyes: Paradigms, Discourses and Practices of Power in Kalarippayattu, a South Indian Martial Art .

Daruma Bodhidarma was also well alive almost 700 hundred years before the formation of Kalaripayattu. There were also many other sages and monks who have travelled from present day Southern India to China well before Daruma Bodhidarma.

Here are some related links:

Lost city found off Indian coast
Tsunami throws up India relics 
Varma Kalai martial art of Tamil Nadu
Silambam (staff fighting) of Tamil Nadu
Kalairpayattu martial art of Kerala

BENJAMIN FURROWS