Stick combat and Kalarippayattu

The essentials

Kalarippayattu is the martial art of Kerala, practised in a training space called the kalari. Training traditionally moves through stages: meythari (body exercises — kicks, jumps, stances and flexibility), kolthari (wooden weapons such as sticks), ankathari (metal weapons such as swords, shields, spears and the flexible urumi) and verumkai (bare-hand fighting, including use of vital points). Northern and southern styles differ in emphasis. Practitioners also learn massage and healing, and pay respect to the guardian deity at the puttara platform in the kalari.

Stick combat is widespread in India:

• Silambam (Tamil Nadu): fighting with a long bamboo staff, with fast circular movements and footwork.
• Gatka (Punjab): associated with Sikh tradition; uses sticks (as practice swords), swords and shields.
• Lathi khela (Bengal): fighting with long bamboo sticks (lathis).
• Thang-ta (Manipur): sword (thang) and spear (ta) combat, part of the tradition called Huyen Langlon.
• Mardani khel (Maharashtra): armed martial art using swords and the pata.
• Mallakhamb (Maharashtra): gymnastics on a wooden pole, originally for wrestlers' training.

Key points

• Kalari stages: meythari → kolthari → ankathari → verumkai.
• Urumi: a flexible sword used in Kalarippayattu.
• Silambam – Tamil Nadu; Gatka – Punjab; Thang-ta – Manipur.

Exam tips

• Learn the stages of Kalarippayattu in the correct order.
• Match each art with state and weapon.

Common mistakes

• Calling Thang-ta a stick art; it uses sword and spear.
• Placing Silambam in Kerala; it is from Tamil Nadu.