Kalaripayit: The martial arts of South India

Kalari- battlefield/place

Payit- practices

Kalari + payit = Battlefield training/practice

There are no known schools of this style outside of India. This school of martial arts has two styles a northern style that is practiced during the night in total secrecy with almost fully extended blows and blocks with many high jumps and kicks, and a southern style which is more circular in its movements. The southern style is less energetic and has fewer high jumps and kicks. It also includes a higher more solid stance and includes a more powerful use of the arms, shoulders and torso. Also their use of weapons is much different.

The biggest difference between the two is the execution of their movements and the language and culture of the two different regions they originate from in India. However they each have four different branches to them: unarmed training, training with bamboo/rattan sticks, training with a range of other weapons, and for the most advanced students the practice of using vital “pressure points” of the body against ones opponent. This striking of the vital point is known as “marma-adi”

Weapons used in Kalaripayit: sticks of bamboo/rattan, two pair of deer horns tied together, bundi (Indian dagger), swords, spears, tridents, battleaxes, knife swords, three directional knives, urumi (an extremely dangerous and difficult spring sword), and staffs with heavy wooden balls at the ends.

Check  out this playlist I found on Youtube for some awesome demonstrations of this martial arts style: