Category: Martial Arts Origins
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Video : Acing Silambam in a Saree
Most urban, young women today see the saree as a dress for special occasions. Compared to modern attire, the saree is rather restricting and limits one’s movements. Not to mention how difficult it is to get a perfect drape if you are a novice! But this video uploaded by Aishwarya Manivannan on National Handloom Day…
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Defying age with a sword: Meenakshi Gurrukkal, Kerala’s grand old Kalaripayattu Dame
Meenakshi Gurukkal crouched low, sword poised; her eyes unblinking as she faced her opponent in the mud-paved ‘kalari’ or arena. From the tree tops, a mynah’s call resonated in the silence. In a flash she moved to attack, twirling her sword; metal clashing loudly as it made contact with a shield. At 74, she is…
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This Is Spardha: Ancient Monastic Wrestling and the Rise of Indian MMA
When an Indian Kushti wrestler rolls in the earth, his hair and body become covered in the burnt-umber hue of soft clay. It’s said that he becomes “of one color.” This is meant literally of course — his black hair is matted down by the same mud that covers his body — but it also…
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Vajra Mushti : Style of the Thunderbolt Fist
[box_light]Vajra Mushti (Sanskrit vajramuṣṭi वज्रमुश्टि) is a Sanskrit bahuvrihi compound translating to “one who is grasping a thunderbolt” or “one whose clenched fist is like a diamond”. It is a name of Indra mentioned in the Ramayana epic[/box_light] Prior to his training in Brazil in the late 80’s, author and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black…