Way of the Warrior - Kalari, the Indian Way [2/4]

Part of a eight part series documentary on the Martial Arts of south and south east Asia, originally broadcast on the BBC in the early 1980s. This episode showcases both the Southern and Norther styles of Kalaripayit, an ancient form of martial arts from India and is probably the mother form of all martial arts. Part 2 of 4.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Kalaripayit
• Kalari
• Martial
• Arts
• Way
• Warrior
• of
• the
• India
• Indian
• Buddhism
• Medicine
• Weapons
• Pressure
• Points
• Hinduism

[isatay]

I can clearly see the roots of jiujitsu, kung fu, wu shu and most of the south eastern asian martial arts in Kalari Payatu. with all respect to the chinese, japanese, korean and other civilizations, this art might be the beginning of all.

[CharvakaJim]

It is believed that Shaolin comes from Kalari through Buddhist migration/proselytization, so you are indeed correct.

[angryaznman]

Kalari TRUTH:

In Sangam, Kalari was not used as a martial act according to dick Luijendijk, a researcher at the university of Nijmegen. "Kalari" is a centre of learning in Kerala. they taught language, math etc. later on, there were fight schools, thats what "payattu kalari" means.

[angryaznman]

Phillip Zarrilli, a professor at the University of Exeter and one of the few Western authorities on kalari payat, estimates that the art dates back to at least the 12th century CE. The historian Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai attributes the birth of kalari payat to an extended period of warfare between the Cheras and the Cholas in the 11th century CE.

[angryaznman]

2. Shaolin kung fu predates bodhi: The 2 men who became the VERY FIRST Shaolin monks were ALREADY experts in kung fu. Shaolin kung fu came from them. ("History of Chinese Martial arts: Jin Dynasty to the Period of Disunity") Also, they found weapons in the monestaries of Chang'an. ("Martial arts Myths of Shaolin Monastery, Part I: The Giant with the Flaming Staff") Suggesting the monks already practied martial arts.

[angryaznman]

3. Creation of 5 animal kung fu styles is documented, NO BODHI: Jueyuan was a master of the 18 Luohan Hands. the original 18 techniques of Shaolin. He expand to 72, but wanted to do more. He travel to Gansu Province to the city of Lanzhou and met Li Sou. He was a master of Hong Quan. they work with Bai YuFeng and expand the 72 techniques to around 170. Those 170 techniques were than divided into the 5 animal forms.

[angryaznman]

4. The ONE place that credits bodhi is discredited: ONLY the PREFACE of the 1800s VERSION of the Yijin Jing mentions Bodhi with kung fu at all. Historians (like Tang Hao, Xu Zhen and Matsuda Ryuchi) discredit this preface because it is FULL of INACCURACIES. Even getting the Emperor Reigns wrong.

[angryaznman]

5. The painting in Shaolin does NOT depict bodhi teaching shaolin monks. It actually only shows many shades of monks, all wearing Chinese clothes, practicing kung fu. Leave it to dreamers to think anyone who is a shade darker than light is Indian. Even if they were, no indication whatsoever about bodhi. PLUS the painting was done a THOUSAND years after bodhi’s time. It CANNOT be used as an indication of the past.

[angryaznman]

6. Sinews Changing Classic: Scholars disregard this preface because it has many anachronistic mistakes and the fact that popular fictional characters from Chinese literature, including the "Bushy Bearded Hero" (虬髯客), are listed as lineage masters. In fact, Ling Tinkang (1757-1809), a SCHOLAR of the QING Dynasty, described the author (Li Jing) as an “IGNORANT VILLAGE MASTER”

[angryaznman]

7. So in conclusion, there was kung fu before shaolin. There was shaolin kung fu before bodhi. The creation of the animal styles is documented, no bodhi. The one source that credits bodhi is faulty and the author of that one preface was viewed as an “IGNORANT VILLAGE MASTER”

The End, dreams over.

[1990smithers]

@isatay no need to respect koreans