Kalari: Fighting to stay relevant

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This ancient system has been handed down from generations and its fame has even spread to other continents. More importantly, over the years, Kalaripayattu or Kalari, has largely retained its original form — be it in the way proponents dress or the weapons they use.

Guru Balachandran Nair, of Kalariyil Dharmikam Ashram at Thiruvanantha-puram, is one exponent who has helped popularise Kerala’s martial art through his talks, demonstrations and appearances on television. At a time when people are taking to martial arts increasingly for its self defence and fitness aspects, the guru reminds us about the various physical and spiritual aspects of the traditional martial art form. While Kalari does figure in some international martial arts fests and the curriculum of some schools, he is of the opinion that we have not understood its true potential yet.
“Foreigners are more aware and enthusiastic about understanding this art (than Indians). In our own country, I have met people from the north who do not know even about its existence. Here, students from Germany, the UK or US get ready at 4.50 am if the class is scheduled at 5 am. The ultimate latecomer would be someone from here. It simply shows the difference in the level of dedication,” he observes.
But do today’s demanding lifestyles have anything to do with the lessening of interest in pursuing forms like Kalari? “It is just an excuse. We always have time for what we truly want to do,” says the guru.
Weapons like swords, shields, sticks and urumi are still part of Kalari training though these have gone out of our lives. The guru clarifies, “What is instilled in an abhyasi while practising with a sword or urumi is the confidence to face an armed enemy. The training has a great impact on the mind too, as it makes the person
fearless.”
The guru doesn’t like to speak about himself. “I am a sanyasi and am not supposed to dwell on my purvashramam. All I want to say is I hail from a clan of warriors, and all my forefathers served the erstwhile Travancore Royal Family,” he says.
The medicinal benefits of Kalari are well known and there are many who fly down to Kerala to take advantage of marmma chikitsa, which is a part of the Kalari system. “Even acupuncture evolved from our tradition — soochiveda. It was taken to China through ancient Ceylon by Buddhist monks,” claims the guru. He goes on to talk about its unexplored potential in sports medicine. “People are not making use of it enough. But if somebody like Sachin Tendulkar or Sonia Gandhi comes here for treatment and the public hears about it, there will be a queue of patients here next day onwards!” the guru quips.
Speaking of Kalari’s current status, he says, “It is a tradition gasping for breath due to lack of patronage or government support. As per tradition, Kalari gurus are not even supposed to demand fees. However, who can survive if that is strictly followed?” The objective is not to produce warriors, he adds: “We train people to make them disciplined, humble, bold, confident and ultimately, good human beings.”