Kalari Payattu, Martial Arts - India

Kalari is a very tiny and surviving fragment of ancient Indian martial art called ’Varma Kalai’. Varma is the mother of all martial arts which spread across Asia through Hinduism and Buddhism. Proof: 1) Similarities could be found in Chinese, Tibetan, Sri Lankan, etc. dance, music, martial arts with Indian arts. E.g. Therukootthu, Kathakali (flamboyant facial make-ups), Kerala Chenda drums, the rhythm all are adopted in China, Tibet, Japan and other south-eastern countries in the form of Lion, Dragon dances’ flamboyant decorations, drums, rhythm, etc. 2) Similarities could be found between martial arts and Mudras (symbolic gestures) of yoga & Indian classical dances, and their movements. Probably dance, martial arts and yoga all might have evolved at the same time along with music, meditation, etc. They share the common property of being melodic. There are several categories in Varma: NOkku (vision) Varmam, Thattu Varmam (deals with treatments and defense based on vit