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3. the Kalari PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/65537 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-09-29 and may be subject to change. Kalarippayat The structure and essence of an Indian martial art D.H. Luijendijk Kalarippayat The Structure and Essence of an Indian Martial Art Een wetenschappelijke proeve op het gebied van de Religiewetenschappen Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de rector magnificus prof. mr. S.C.J.J. Kortmann volgens besluit van het College van Decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op woensdag 16 april 2008 om 15.30 uur precies door Dick Hidde Luijendijk geboren op 19 juni 1971 te Gouda Promotor: Prof. dr. W. Dupré Copromotor: Dr. P.J.C.L. van der Velde Manuscriptcommissie: Prof. dr. G. Essen Prof. dr. W.M. Callewaert (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) Dr. F.L. Bakker (Universiteit Utrecht) CIP-GEGEVENS KONINKLIJKE BIBLIOTHEEK, DEN HAAG © Copyright D.H. Luijendijk 2007 Alle rechten voorbehouden. Niets uit deze uitgave mag zonder schriftelijke toestemming van de auteur worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand, of openbaar gemaakt in enige vorm of op enige wijze, hetzij electronisch, mechanisch, door fotokopieen, opnamen, of op enig andere manier. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the author. Printed in the Netherlands. Stichting Oprat, Elst. ISBN-13: 978-90-9020367-6 4 For my beloved wife 5 6 Table of Contents Introduction................................................................................................................... 11 1. First contact........................................................................................................... 11 2. Some impressions ................................................................................................. 12 3. Some characteristics of Kalarippayat.................................................................... 14 4. Theoretical considerations .................................................................................... 15 5. Purpose.................................................................................................................. 25 6. Method .................................................................................................................. 33 7. The chapters.......................................................................................................... 35 1. The Sampradayam .................................................................................................... 37 1.1 General ideas behind Kalarippayat in general: ‘concepts’ and ‘techniques’...... 38 2. Kalarippayat divided into three different branches............................................... 42 3. Northern Tradition (vadakkan sampradayam)...................................................... 43 3.1 Vedic times ......................................................................................................... 43 3.2 Aryans and Dravidians........................................................................................ 43 3.3 Parasurama and the Brahmins............................................................................. 45 3.4 Medieval Kerala.................................................................................................. 46 3.4.1 Mamankam ...................................................................................................... 47 3.4.2 The cekors........................................................................................................ 49 3.5 The KKA gurukkal and his lineage (northern systems)...................................... 50 3.6 Northern Style specifics...................................................................................... 52 3.7 Shiva and Shakti ................................................................................................. 54 3.8 Battle frenzy........................................................................................................ 55 4. Central Tradition (madhya sampradayam) ........................................................... 55 4.1 Origin and concepts of the Central Style ............................................................ 55 4.2 The lineage of the KKA teacher ......................................................................... 58 4.3 Lo-Har................................................................................................................. 58 5. Southern Tradition (thekkan sampradayam)......................................................... 59 5.1 Differences between the northern and southern styles ....................................... 59 5.2 Training............................................................................................................... 60 5.3 The lineage of the KKA gurukkal....................................................................... 61 6. Summary............................................................................................................... 61 2. The Gurukkal ............................................................................................................ 64 1. Way of teaching .................................................................................................... 64 2. Gurukkal is kalari.................................................................................................. 65 3. The puttara ............................................................................................................ 67 4. The gurukkal as a ritualist..................................................................................... 69 5. How to enroll as a student (shishya)..................................................................... 70 6. The ritual of acceptance........................................................................................ 72 6.1 The greeting to the puttara, the sampradayam, and the gurukkal ....................... 73 6.2 The greeting to Ganesha ..................................................................................... 73 6.3 The handshake .................................................................................................... 73 6.4 Giving the coin.................................................................................................... 74 7. Hierarchy............................................................................................................... 77 8. Means of transmission .......................................................................................... 78 9. Gender and Kalarippayat ...................................................................................... 81 10. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 82 3. The Kalari ................................................................................................................. 84 7 1. The building.......................................................................................................... 84 2. The interior of the KKA kalari.............................................................................. 85 3. The training........................................................................................................... 86 3.1 Start of the practice: changing clothes and applying oil..................................... 89 3.2.1 Paying respect .................................................................................................. 90 3.2.2 Puttara vandanam and kalari vandanam .......................................................... 91 3.2a Salutations according to Kadathanad Kalarippayat (I) ..................................... 92 3.3 Mey-abhyasam.................................................................................................... 93 3.3.1 Mey-abhyasam: Kal etup ................................................................................. 93 3.3.2 Mey-abhyasam: Shiva and Shakti forms ......................................................... 94 3.3.2a Kadathanad Kalarippayat (II)......................................................................... 96 3.4 Koltari (wooden weapons).................................................................................. 96 3.4.1 Kettukari (long stick) ....................................................................................... 97 3.4.2 Ceruvadi (short stick)....................................................................................... 97 3.4.3 The otta (curved stick) ..................................................................................... 97 3.5 Ankamtari (iron weapons) .................................................................................. 98 3.5.1 Katara (dagger) ................................................................................................ 98 3.5.2 Urumi (flexible sword) .................................................................................... 98 3.5.3 Kuntham (spear) versus curika (sword) and paricca (shield) .......................... 98 3.5.4 Venmezhu (axe)..............................................................................................
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