Indian Martial Arts

Indian Martial Arts styles can be classified into northern and southern systems.

The northern systems include thang-ta and gatka. Southern fighting styles include Kuttu Varisai (empty hand combat), Varma Kalai (the art of vital points), Kalaripayat (way of the arena) and Adithada(attack and defend). Combat wrestling is called Mallayuddha in the north and Malyutham in the south.

Though the origin and some of the history of Martial Arts in general is a controversial issue, some believe the foundation may have originated in India. Legion recounts Tengu, mythical creatures, that practice and taught Martial Arts to humans.

Folklore says that Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who brought Zen to China from India also brought the Martial Arts. The exact details of the path and transaction are greatly debated by historians.

Some of the older Indian fighting systems include armed and unarmed combat as well as aspects like mental conditioning and meditation. The significance of Martial Arts in Indian culture is demonstrated in numerous ancient Hindu temples where statues of warriors and deities hold various combat postures.

Many Indian dance forms have been influenced by Martial Arts movements and it’s been said that dancers trained as Martial Artists are better than ones who weren’t.

The first literary evidence dates back to 100 BC to 100 AD. Each warrior in this, the Sangam era received military training and specialized in one or more of the period weapons including the lance or spear, sword, shield and bow and arrow.

Lathi is an ancient Indian Martial Art. Lathi is a Hindi word meaning Bamboo stick. It is about 6-8 foot long and tipped with a metal blunt. It is swung like a sword and could be the considered the worlds oldest weapon.

In modern India the Indian Riot Police use the lathi as their primary weapon to disperse rioters. They only use firearms when lathi can’t be used efficiently.

After the introduction of firearms and the full establishment of British colonial rule in the 19th century, it underwent a period of decline. With British occupation more Europeanized fighting methods were taught to the police force and other officials.

A rediscovery of interest began in the 1920s south India as a growing reaction against British rule. Some Indian Martial Arts have prevailed and continue to be taught to students around the world as a form of self defense.

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