- A British travel influencer shared a viral video of Kalaripayattu in Kerala
- The video shows intense martial arts, weapons, fire, and thrilling performances
- Kalaripayattu is India's oldest martial art, involving progressive combat training
A British woman has gone viral on social media after sharing her exhilarating experience with Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art form originating in the Indian state of Kerala. Travel influencer Deanna Leigh took to her Instagram handle to share a video that captures athletes performing intense exercises featuring weapons, fire, and an adrenaline-pumping atmosphere.
"Last time I was in Kerala I skipped out on watching this so I had no clue what to expect but let me tell you from the start to the end it had everyone gripped to their seats!" Leigh captioned the video.
Leigh said the men performing the daredevil acts were super talented and that she barely made it through some of the performances due to the level of danger.
"At the beginning they will perform the traditional martial arts which is intense! Some parts I had to watch through my fingers. But the end surprised everyone, they whipped out the fire and that's when I could not get over it."
Check The Viral Video Here:
As of the last update, the video had garnered over 3.6 lakh views and hundreds of comments, with social media users in awe of the ancient martial art form.
"It's not only the ancient, but it is the oldest surviving and known as the Mother of all martial arts," said one user, while another added: "Well, this looks wild."
What Is Kalaripayattu?
Kalaripayattu, also known as Kalari, is regarded as the oldest surviving martial art form in India. The training usually begins with meypattu, an oil massage, followed by exercises to condition the body. Two years later, students progress to stick fighting, known as kothari and later to angathari (weapon combat).
The final and highest level is verumkai, involving unarmed combat. It typically takes up to five years to master Kalaripayattu. However, kalaripayattu is not solely practised for combat or fighting; it also serves to instill discipline, build strength and develop self-defence skills.
The British colonial rulers banned the martial art practice in 1804 but it survived underground before a revival in the early 20th century and after independence in 1947. In recent decades, it has come on in leaps and bounds, thanks in no small measure to Meenakshi Amma, who won a Padma Shri award in 2017. At 83, Meenakshi has no plans to retire and continues to teach Kalaripayattu to her students.
