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Revision as of 18:00, 13 August 2006 by JFD (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Indian subcontinent is home to a variety of martial arts, including Pehlwani, Kalarippayattu, Vajramushti and Gatka.
Introduction
Ancient India has a history of many martial traditions and practices, including the organised martial systems of the Kshatriya caste of hinduism, which are some of the oldest descriptions of organised martial practices documented in the Rigveda, these fighting systems include armed and unarmed fighting and other aspects such as conditioning, horse riding etc.
Prominent organised martial arts in India include the ancient fighting art of Malla-yuddha (more commonly known as Mallayuddha), 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 concieved, 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. According to Alex Doss, mallayuddha reached its zenith in Tamil Nadu during the Pallava period (4th through 9th centuries CE).
Martial arts of the India are diverse in nature and have origins of different times from various different ethnic groups of ancient India. Martial arts associated with the Dravidian cultures of South India include Kalarippayattu, Adithada, Varma Kalai and Kuttu Varisai.
Influence of Indian martial arts
Several martial arts of prominence including those emanating from the Shaolin temple and even modern martial arts such as Brazillian Jiu Jitsu officialy credit India as their origin.
Legend holds that Bodhidharma (Chinese: Ta Mo; Japanese: Daruma) was the third child of the Pallava king Sugandan from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. He trained in breathing exercises and combat.
Following the death of his master, Bodhidharma travelled to China to spread buddhism. After appearing in the court of emperor Wu-Di of the Liang dynasty, he settled down in the Shaolin, in the province of Henan (northern China), where he is said to have installed many martial practices leadin to the development of Chinese martial arts such as Kung Fu. In the monastery, Bodhidharma lived for 9 years and is also credited for the development of Zen Buddhism.
As the Keralan martial art Kalarippayattu came to be better known during the mid-1990's—and came to be known outside of India—it led to claims that Kalarippayattu was the martial art that Bodhidharma was trained in (Doss, Cephas). In ‘Zen Katha,’ Partap Sharma's play about the life of Bodhidharma, he is trained in Vajramushti. According to Alex Doss, Bodhidharma was trained in the arts of Varma Kalai and Kuttu Varisai. A claim has also been made on behalf of the martial art Gatka. The martial arts historians Tang Hao, Matsuda Ryuchi and Stanley Henning dismiss the attribution of Kung Fu to Bodhidharma entirely; Matsuda and Henning note that an association of Bodhidharma with the martial arts is absent until the last couple of centuries.
Doss, President of the Tamil Sangam SDSU, also claims that the Tamil civilization introduced martial arts to Southeast Asia as well as China, and that the following Southeast Asian fighting systems have their roots in the Tamil martial arts:
- BURMA – Bando, Lethwei (kickboxing)
- THAILAND – Krabi Krabong, Muay Thai (kickboxing)
- CAMBODIA – Pradal Serey (kickboxing)
- MALAYA – Bersilat, Silambam
- INDONESIA – Pentjak Silat (styles vary from island to island)
- PHILIPPINES – Arnis - Kali – Escrima (stick, knife, and machete fighting), Sikaran (kickboxing), and Dumog (wrestling)
The recent decline of martial practices
The occupation of India by England was instrumental in the decline of Indian martial arts. The british supressed several Indian martial arts to obscurity during the British Raj. The rule of the british saw Indian economy turn from the wealthiest in the world to the poorest, leading to widespread poverty, illitracy, overpopulation and the ultimate breakup of undivided India into many smaller countries.
During the recent years, Indian martial arts have obscure, with many martial arts almost extinct and many others being practiced on a microscopic scale.
Various Indian martial arts
- Adithada (Kickboxing)
- Bothati
- But Marma Atti / Marma Adi
- Chakram
- Gatka
- Inbuan Wrestling
- Kabaddi
- Kalarippayattu (Way of the Arena)
- Kuttu Varisai (Empty Hand Combat)
- Lathi
- Mallak-rida
- Malla-yuddha
- Mizo Inchai
- Mukna
- Niyuddha-kride
- Pancavarunum
- Pata
- Pehlwani
- Shastar Vidiya
- Silambam Nillaikalakki
- Savasu
- Thang Ta
- Varma Kalai (The Art of Vital Points)
- Vajra Mushti / Vajra Mukti (Diomand Fist)
Indian martial arts in popular culture
- Dhalsim, a popular charecter from the Street Fighter series practices a martial form of Yoga as his fighting style.
- In the video game Shadow Hearts: Covenant, 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.
- In the Street Fighter EX video game series, character Darun Mister is modelled after The Great Gama.
- Captain Nemo, from the comic book The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (and its film adaptation), is shown to practice the Sikh martial art of Gatka.
See Also
Reference
Doss, Alex. "Thamizhar Martial Arts".
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