The Martial Art of Kalari

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The Martial Art: Kalari is one of the most underrated forms of martial arts, and very few people know about it. It dates back 3000 years and the movements of the fighters are inspired by those of wild animals. They use a multitude of weapons.. swords, daggers, bamboo sticks etc. I was lucky enough to catch a show in the state where this martial art was developed: Kerala. We sat in a small arena as they fought in a pit below us like gladiators, the show was thrilling as they pulled off insane moves and I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. After 2 hours of gravity-defying acrobats, when the show ended, I managed to go down in the pit and talk to the guys. I even got to try out some of the weapons and tried sparring with them, needless to say I got my ass kicked, but then again they've been training for 15 years!
The Legend: There is a legend that Bodhidharma, who was a Buddhist monk and master of Kalari many years ago, traveled to the China and stayed with the shaolin monks and influenced their martial arts. There are a bunch of legends surrounding Bodhidharma, some even claimed him to be the father of all martial arts. Very interesting stories.

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Photos

Me owning a Kalari warrior.
Not really..

Kalari
Sword Vs Barehanded