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==Indian martial arts in popular culture==
*In the television series, ], ] is shown carrying the ''"chakram of darkness"''. Xena also gets a new chakram in the second episode of the 5th seson called ''Chakram''
]
*], a popular character from the ] series practices a martial form of ] as his fighting style.
*] is a ] from the '']'' ] series. She is ] by nationality.
*] is the superhero alias of Arani Desai, a fictional character in the ] series, ]. In addition to the elemental control of fire and ice, Indian mysticism and monastery training have made her a martial artist.
*] is a character from manga-ka Masami Kurumada's hit series, '']''. He has grown up in India and received training at the ''"basin of the ]."''
*In the ] '']'', Gama appears as the mentor of Joachim Valentine, one of the characters who joins the player's party. Throughout the game, Joachim can challenge Gama to one-on-one matches in order to learn new wrestling moves.
*James Jensen, the protagonist from ]'s ] series ], learns obscure Indian martial arts of the ]s.
*In the '']'' video game series, character ] is modelled after ].
*] is shown in mallayuddha combat in the animated motion picture ''Warrior Prince, The Legend of Prince Rama'', directed and conceived by Japanese filmmaker ].
*The classic martial arts film ] depicts a silent Indian fighter using a yoga based fighting style and having an unnatural ability to extend his limbs to attack.
*In the ] fighting video games series, the character ] uses a pair of Indian ]s called ''"Manas"'' and ''"Ayus."''
*] plays ] in the film ], released in 2003. He's shown to practice the Sikh martial art of Gatka.
*The epic mallayuddha fight between ] and ] is shown in the popular Indian television series, ''Mahabharata''.
*A practitioner of Pehlwani is shown tossing ] in the Bollywood motion picture, ], the motion picture is India's official entry for the 2006 ].
*] plays the main protagonist, a silent old ex ] veteran trained in "''Marma Shastra''" in the ] motion picture ].
*Hadji Singh, a popular character from the animated series ] is an expert in martial arts. He also uses methods like the ] and ] meditation in addition of his abilities. He is shown to display the tricks he learnt from Pasha the peddlar, his past mentor, which are further honed by one of his current mentors, Race Bannon.
] comic book, in front of the hindu goddess ]]]
*Indian motion picture ], released in ] under the name of ''"The Dancing Maharaja"'' shows actor ] in martial arts fight sequences. French filmmaker ]’s ''Prete Moi Ta Main'' (Lend Me Your Hand) features one of the fight sequences from the south Indian motion picture.
*A Katar was seen in the ] motion picture '']'' wielded by one of ]'s ] during the ] Street Chase scene.
*In ]'s video game, '']'', the character Kiros uses katars, though the game spells it ''"katal"'' (literally meaning ''murder'' in ]) due to poor ] of its ] form.
*] (Chinese: 神话; pinyin: Shenhua) is a 2005 film starring ], which depicts Indian martial arts. ] plays Mallika, whose father is a master of Indian martial arts.
*]


==External links== ==External links==

Revision as of 10:49, 19 October 2006

The Indian subcontinent is home to a variety of martial arts, including Pehlwani, Kalarippayattu, Vajra Mushti and Gatka.

Introduction

Ancient India was one of the centres of several martial traditions and practices. Most of the centers were in the Southern region, including present-day Kerala and the ancient Kingdom of Tamilakam. Some of the older traditions include organised martial systems as practiced by the Kshatriya caste of Hinduism, these systems include armed and unarmed combat and aspects such as meditation, conditioning etc. Many ancient hindu temples have statues of deities and warriors in various postures related to combat.

File:Matemple.jpg
Statues in an ancient hindu temple, showing warriors in combat

Organised martial arts in India include the ancient martial art of Malla-yuddha (more commonly known as Mallayuddha), a form of combat wrestling codified into four forms, which is described in the Indian epics as the fighting style of warriors such as Bhima. The art is supposed to have gained maximum prominence in ancient India at the time when the oral tradition of the Mahabharata epic was conceived, the Mahabharata was compiled in textual form during the 5th century BC, the epic's setting has a historical precedent in Vedic India, where the Kuru kingdom was the center of political power in the late 2nd and early 1st millennia BCE. It is believed that mallayuddha was regarded as a prominent martial art in that era.

the Great Gama carries a gadha, the weapon of mythological warriors of India

Martial arts of the Indian subcontinent are diverse in nature and have origins of different times from various different ethnic groups. A number of ancient and sophisticated Dravidian martial arts were developed in South India, including Kuttu Varisai (empty hand combat), Varma Kalai (the art of vital points) in Tamil Nadu, Kalari Payattu (way of the arena) and Adithada (Hit And Block), in Kerala.

Influence of Indian martial arts

Further information: Indian influence on Chinese martial arts

The martial arts of India have influenced the martial arts of other countries, particularly within the Indosphere, those regions outside India influenced by Indian culture. Examples of such arts include Bando, Silat, Escrima and Muay Thai.

File:Ricksongraciechoke.jpg
Rickson Gracie during a Yoga session

The Indian wrestling form of Pehlwani has influenced both catch wrestling and it's derivative system of shoot wrestling. Karl Istaz travelled to India to train with Indian wrestlers and incorporated their training methods in shoot wrestling, wrestlers like Yoshiaki Fujiwara have applied these methods to train shoot wrestlers around the world.

The conditioning methods of Indian martial arts have also been applied to contemporary mixed martial arts.

India has also influenced the Portuguese martial art of Jogo do Pau. Tamil immigrants to Malaysia brought with them the staff fighting art Silambam.

K. Voroshilov travelled to India, under the employ of NKVD physical training center, "Dinamo", to observe its native matial arts. The collection of techniques from martial arts of various countries — including India — formed the basis of the Russian martial art Sambo.

In addition, modern martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu credit India to be the origin of their fighting principles.

Indian martial arts under colonialism

Indian martial arts declined as Western colonialism disrupted the livelihoods of India's martial castes.

Rajputs who sought service with rulers as their ancestors had done found their sources of patronage limited by British restrictions; unable to find employment in their traditional line of work, some joined the Pindari.

Kalarippayattu underwent a period of decline after the introduction of firearms and especially after the full establishment of British colonial rule in the 19th century.

More European modes of organizing police, armies and governmental institutions, and the increasing use of firearms, gradually eroded the need for traditional martial training associated with caste-specific duties.

The British Raj banned kalarippayattu in 1804 in response to a series of revolts.

The resurgence of public interest in kalarippayattu began in the 1920s in Tellicherry as part of a wave of rediscovery of the traditional arts throughout South India which characterized the growing reaction against British colonial rule.

Various Indian martial arts

Indian martial arts in popular culture

  • In the television series, Xena: Warrior Princess, Xena is shown carrying the "chakram of darkness". Xena also gets a new chakram in the second episode of the 5th seson called Chakram
Xena, holding her Chakram
File:Sadhu03 cvr(c).jpg
James Jenson, from The Sadhu comic book, in front of the hindu goddess Kali

External links

References

  1. Bayly, C.A. (2002) . Indian Society and the making of the British Empire (Sixth printing ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 103. ISBN 0521386500.
  2. Zarrilli, P. (1992). "To heal and/or harm: The vital spots (marmmam/varmam) in two south Indian martial traditions--Part I: Focus on Kerala's kalarippayattu". Journal of Asian Martial Arts. 1 (1).
  3. Zarrilli, Phillip B. (1998). When the Body Becomes All Eyes: Paradigms, Discourses and Practices of Power in Kalarippayattu, a South Indian Martial Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  4. Luijendijk, D.H. (2005). Kalarippayat: India's Ancient Martial Art. Boulder: Paladin Press. ISBN 1581604807.
  5. Zarrilli 1998
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