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 Bosko: "At the kalari of my master, Gurukkal Vasudevan, I received and developed the skill to impart a sound foundation in the basics of Kalaripayattu."  


 My Teaching Philosophy
My primary goal in sharing this knowledge is to help students develop their own innate capacities to bring out their unique strengths while learning from their weaknesses.

For example, a student who is physically flexibile is assisted in developing greater suppleness, while another may be guided towards developing will power and determination. A student who displays good concentration is encouraged to hone his or her body movement, and permitted to advance in weapons skills. Thus Kalaripayattu is tailored to each student according to his/her inner strengths which makes practice a joy.

As a teacher of Kalaripayattu, I believe that with perseverance, every student can make progress and reach his/her maximum potential in Kalaripayattu.
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 Dynamic Meditation 
 We learn through repetition, and cultivate flow through the movements, focusing on the power and the beauty of each strike and defense.

Senior students have experienced a oneness in practice through the weapon, the opponent, the clash and the struggle, all of which melt into a single fluid energy. The weapon that is held in the hand becomes an extension of one's own body. Balanced and harmonized, the differences between the acts of giving, receiving or self- defense, all fade away to become one single movement. This achieves a state of Dynamic Meditation. 		 
 

Learning KALARIPAYATTU
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 Kalaripayattu as it is practiced with me, has physical and healing components. The students start with the physical part.

The main aspects of the physical components are:
 

 
  1. MAYITAHRI: This relates to basic mobility, empty-handed striking skills and the MAYIPAYATU or empty-handed forms. It also includes strengthening and stretching exercises needed for the further development of the art.
  2. KOLTHARI: Here, the student learns to use the three basic wooden weapons: a) KETTUKARI- (long stick) b) MUCHAN- (small stick), and c) OUTTA- (stick resembling an elephant tusk)
  3. ANGATAHRI: This segment requires a study of the traditional weapons, with an emphasis on the metal or bladed varieties. These include the Kadaram (dagger), Kuntham (spear), urumi (flexible sword) and the walpayattu (sword and shield).
  4. VERUMKAI: This refers to the part of study that includes the Marma or the nerve-centre striking techniques.
    The science of striking certain vital points, is an integrate part of Kalari. The majority of these points correspond to the same points as the acupressure points. The science of Marma Shastra is extremely dangerous and can cause a great deal of harm to the human body. It is therefore taught only to the highest of students .The effect of attacking the Marma points can cause great bodily harm including knockout, death and delayed death. This study also includes the locking, gripping, throwing and further blocking, striking and kicking techniques.
  5. MARMA CHIKILSA: This is the study that a student is exposed to after acquiring a working knowledge of all the above levels. It is at this stage where the student begins to study the intricacies of the healing component of Kalaripayattu.
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 © This site was desighned and built by
Galit Sivan : galit@auroville.org.in		 
 © Photography by Adil Writer
adil@auroville.org.in
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