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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.jpgStatues 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
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.
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.
Bayly, C.A. (2002) . Indian Society and the making of the British Empire (Sixth printing ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 103. ISBN 0521386500.
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).
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.
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