World Martial Arts

According to legend, a Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma, traveled from his home in Southern India throughout Southeast Asia, from the regions that are now Sumatra, Indonesia, to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and finally the court of the Liang emperor Wu in China, in 527 CE. Bodhidharma was a cultivated man possessed of extraordinary knowledge and ability who spread the Mahayana doctrine of Buddhism; he was also a master of Kalipayattu.

Leaving the court, Bodhidharma entered the famous Shaolin Temple where he cured the deteriorated condition of the monks ( who likely exerted themselves through prayer and contemplation on a large estate maintained by peasants ) with instruction in certain external exercises and internal practices of Kalipayattu. After his departure, the monks found two texts that more fully described Kalipayattu. These combined with the instruction form the germ of Shaolin Kung Fu.

Perhaps a more fanciful telling states that Bodhidharma stared at a wall on the temple grounds for nine years, staying in place and saying nothing. Ultimately, once he has stared a hole through the wall, he disappeared, leaving behind the knowledge of Kalipayattu which the monks readily adopted.

Apparently, modern historians dispute the Shaolin historical claim that Bodhidharma’s introduction of Kalipayattu fathered all Chinese monastic martial arts, but this is more of a dismissal of the Shaolin influence on other monasteries and all of Kung Fu. There is no dispute that Bodhidharma is the patron saint of the Shaolin Temple or that he introduced Kalipayattu there. The earlier practice of martial arts at other monasteries may be supported by an earlier spread of Kalipayutta into China contemporaneous with the spread of Buddhism because, as proved by the example of Bodhidharma, Buddhism and Kalipayuttu could be transmitted by the same agent.

Siddhartha Gautama, upon whose teachings Buddhism was founded, was a master of Kalipayutta.

Some claim that Kalaripayattu is the world’s oldest martial art. The Rigveda attests aspects of Kalaripayattu, and authors composed the Rigveda in Vedic Sanskrit between 1700—1100 BCE. Authors likely composed the Rigveda from much older oral tradition; therefore, components of Kalaripayattu are likely over 4000 years old. Post-Vedic literature includes the Dhanurveda ( literally bow knowledge ) and Shastraveda ( sword, or weapon, knowledge ), thorough technical treatments and and means in themselves to transcendence as two of the 18 branches of tradional applied knowledge.

Before some point circa 1000 CE, masters synthesized from the technology in Vedic and Post-Vedic literature the martial art of Kalaripayattu. One translation of Kalaripayattu is kalari = school/gymnasium, payattu = fight/exercise. Another translation is “battle field study.” The Indian region is a large area populated by many ethnolinguistic groups during continuous human habitation. Different translations depend on the language using the term Kalaripyattu and the period of time in which the term is used.

Kalaripayattu originated in the area that is now the southern state of Kerala in India. Kalaripayattu includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods, and there are three styles according to the geographic position of their practice in Kerala, the Northern style, the Central style ad the Southern style. All three styles use internal and external concepts, but the Southern style concentrates on soft techniques while the Northern and Central styles concentrate on hards techniques.

Of particular note, cultural diffusion within India and to her neighbors, sees Kalaripayattu as the progenitor of or contributor to other martial arts throughout Asia and the Near East ( Middle East ).

When we think of martial arts, we probably think of Eastern martial arts. However, people developed styles of martial arts at many times and places and they continue to do so.

I recommend watching the movie Reclaiming the Blade, from 2009. The movie describes swordsmanship as a martial art in the Western world. There, swordsmanship included grappling and wrestling techniques among others.

The movie shows many subjects ranging from forging of swords, to training, to using swords in combat, in real life and in entertainment, to comparing Western and Eastern swordsmanship. There is an example of a sword that is as sophisticated as Japanese swords. There is a treatment of the devolution of swordsmanship into modern fencing. There are examples of sparring using swords, including in full armor, and many examples of people finding ways to participate in the resurgence of Western martial arts. The movie especially describes efforts to realistically depict Western swordsmanship in entertainment. True swordsmanship is distinct from what is commonly depicted in entertainment.

The movie argues that Western martial arts are as thoroughly developed as Eastern martial arts, and although the styles are now largely forgotten, they are actually better documented through a large number of surviving, illustrated manuals. Moreover, the manuals are written by actual warriors who practiced the styles in combat at the time. Further, the manuals appear to provide a scientific basis for the movements and techniques.

The website for the movie is http://www.reclaimingtheblade.com/.