THE MARTIAL ARTS OF TAMIL NADU

In the Tamil country, the earliest martial arts known were Varma Kalai (pressure point attacks – similar to Tai Chi or Dim Mak), Kuttu Varisai (hand to hand combat – similar to Kung Fu and Karate), Malyutham (wrestling), Silambam (staff and weapons fighting – similar to the Filipino arts of Arnis, Kali, and Escrima), and  Adithada (kickboxing).

Martial Arts Origins

When we think of martial arts, we usually think of China or Japan. Only recently, people have discovered that martial arts had its roots in India “somewhere”. The location of what part of India martial arts came from still remains a mystery to a lot of people.

Let us take note that India is a sub-continent with roughly 18 languages and various dialects of certain languages. Each state has its own language and writing script. Moreover, there are three major ethnic groups which are the Indo-Aryans of the Northern part, the Mon-Khmer of the Eastern part, and the Dravidians (Thamizhars) of the Southern part. The Indian sub-continent is more comparable to Europe geographically even though it is a country in itself created by the colonial British for their own economical achievements.

Martial arts have been in existence on the Indian sub-continent for thousands of years practiced by ancient Tamils of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Eelam (Northeast Sri Lanka), Kerala, and the Southern portion of present day Andhra Pradesh. The Malayalam language in Kerala only separated from Tamil as its own language during the 8th century A.D. In Andhra Pradesh, the southern half of that state spoke Tamil, while the northern part spoke Prairie, before the language of Telungu had formed it’s own language in that state. In Sri Lanka, the whole island was Tamil up to the 3rd century B.C. before the arrival of a group of exiles from Bengal penetrated the island. They settled in the Southern and Western and Southern parts of the island. Their offspring later became the present day Sinhalese, which their language is a mixture of Tamil, Pali (from Bengal area), and Sanskrit.

The Indian sub-continent was once connected with Madagascar of East Africa and Australia by the sunken Lemurian continent of the Indian Ocean. On the African continent itself are numerous fighting styles some also in forms of dances which resemble various Kung-Fu kicks, leaps, and maneuvers.  In Brazil, there is a martial art called Capoeira. It is a fighting style in a form of a dance brought to South America by slaves along with the Yaruba religion of West Africa. These ideas of combat must have crossed from both Africa and Australia through Lemuria to the Indian sub-continent which may have had an influence on the scientific Tamil martial arts thousands of years ago.

Long ago, animal fighting styles were imitated by pre-historic man which was a system for survival. The first weapon used was the stick which was an extension of the arm. Various weapons were later invented during the Stone and Iron Ages. At the turn of the 6th century A.D., martial arts spread from Southern India to China by a Tamil prince turned monk named Daruma Bodhidarma. From China, martial arts have spread to Korea & Japan. In South East Asia martial arts was introduced during the naval expansion of the Chola and Pallava Empires of the Tamil Country between the 2nd and 12th centuries A.D.

In the Tamil country, the earliest martial arts known were Varma Kalai (pressure point attacks – similar to Tai Chi or Dim Mak), Kuttu Varisai (hand to hand combat – similar to Kung Fu and Karate), Malyutham (wrestling), Silambam (staff and weapons fighting – similar to the Filipino arts of Arnis, Kali, and Escrima), and  Adithada (kickboxing).

Martial arts can also be seen in the classical dance of Bharatha Natayam. Through its rhythmic movements one can see a close resemblance to the stances, blocks, and strikes in martial arts. There is also a close affiliation to Yoga in the stretching and meditating exercises of almost every fighting art.

Martial Art Misconceptions:

During the mid-1990’s the martial art of Kerala called Kalaripayattu began to gain popularity, especially in the tourist industry of Kerala. It was widely believed that the only martial art in India was Kalaripayattu, claiming to be the mother of all martial arts. In an Indo-U.S. monthly magazine called “India Currents” dated back in 1996, there was an article on Kalripayattu. It talked about a battle between the Cholas and Cheras where the Chera kingdom of Kerala were victorious in defeating the Cholas because of their knowledge in Kalaripayattu, thus “the they took to their heels and fled”.

The Cholas not having knowledge in the martial arts is absolutely FALSE. It was the fighting prowess of the Cholas, and their strategic military capabilities which allowed them to expand their empire as far north to the Ganges, as far west to the Maldives, as far south to the island of Sri Lanka, and as far east to Malaysia… In India there tends to be a trend to sideline Tamil culture, even in the martial arts. Kalaripayattu is not the only living martial art on the sub-continent. It is one of many.

Kalaripayattu became an established martial art during the 13th century AD as quoted in Frank Zarilli’s “When the Body Becomes All Eyes”. The art of Kalarippayattu is a dynamic fighting system which incorporates a combination of yoga and gymnastics. It trains in an array of weaponry, empty hand combat, pressure point attacks (Marma Adi), and the healing arts of Ayurveda. The Kerala dance of Katha Kali is very close to the martial art of Kalarippayattu in its posture, stances, and foot movements.

Another misconception is in which martial art the monk Daruma Bodhidarma had introduced to China. In many articles and web sites, it claims that Bodhidarma had studied and introduced Kalarippayattu to China. If Kalarippayattu had not been established until the 13th century A.D., then how would it have been possible for this art to have been introduced to China during the 6th century A.D. (700 years back)? Also, Bodhidarma was from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu where several martial arts there were already in existence.

In Partap Sharma’s book called ‘Zen Katha: Inspired by the Life of Bodhidarma, founder of Zen and Martial Arts’, it states that it was the art of Vajramushti Bodhidarma had introduced to Shaolin. Vajramushti is a fierce style of wrestling which has it’s origins in the state of Gujarat situated in Northwestern India. The only difference which sets it apart from modern day wrestling is that the contestants wore knuckledusters on their right hands to add devastating power to their one hit blows.

Vajramushti has its influences from Greek Prankrathon Wrestling during the time of Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Indus Valley and Northern India. This fighting style does not resemble Kung-Fu or Karate, nor does it incorporate any other weapon other than the knuckleduster.

Many people in the western world often relate martial arts with Buddhism due to its stereo type in Hollywood films. Well, it was Buddhism which was introduced from Northern India and martial arts from Southern India. There was a very brief period when Buddhism was practiced in the Tamil country of the Southern Indian peninsula.

So, what religion do martial arts belong to? Is it a Hindu art, a Buddhist art, or of some other religion? It would be irrelevant to say that martial arts came from any religion since martial arts was originally a system of survival for early man. Religions have incorporated martial arts into their realm. In the western part of the African continent martial arts is part in the Yaruba religion. The same can be said in Asia. However, if one were to say that Asian martial arts philosophies had its roots from Buddhism, it would be false. As far as the philosophical aspect of Asian martial arts, it has its roots in Hinduism.

Take for example the famous ‘Yin and Yang’ symbol. It represents a combination of opposites like hard and soft, light and dark, and male and female. The origin of Ying and Yang came from the male and female Hindu deities Siva and Shakti. In Bharatha Natayam, it is said that Siva was the creator of the dance. He is known as the Natarajah, or Lord of the Dance. Likewise, he was known for the creation of scientific martial arts and the healing arts like Varma Cuttiram. Other martial arts of the Tamil peninsula on the Indian sub-continent like Silambam is said to have its roots from Siva’s son, Murugan.

Even in the martial arts system of Kalarippayattu, its philosophies state that this art was created out of the wrath and fury of Siva when he destroyed the demon Dakshayaga. One of Siva’s disciples, Parasurama, is supposed to have studied this art from him and passed it on to his 21 disciples in Kerala.

Daruma Bodhidarma:

Daruma Bodhidharma (Chinese: Ta Mo; Japanese: Daruma) was the third child of the Pallava king Sugandan from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. At birth he was born with a breathing disorder and was banished by his family due to the evil practice of caste system introduced by the Indo-Aryans who had migrated from Persia (present day Iran). He was adopted and trained at birth in breathing exercises and combat, namely in the arts of Varma Kalai and Kuttu Varisai. Bodhidarma also studied Dhyana Buddhism and became the 28th patriarch of that religion.

When his master passed away, he wanted to spread his apprenticeship to other countries and moved to China. After having met emperor Wu-Di of the Liang dynasty, he settled down in the Shaolin Monastery, which is situated in the province of Henan (northern China). In the monastery, Bodhidharma lived ascetically and by meditating for 9 years developed Ch'an Buddhism (Japanese: Zen Buddhism).

When he taught Ch'an Buddhism, which contains elements of Dhyana Buddhism and Taoism, he realized that his apprentices did not have the mental and physical shape to really meditate, or to defend themselves from bandits. That's why he developed certain gymnastics and breathing techniques. Bodhidarma’s "muscle exercises" were surely influenced by his experiences with his experience in the Tamil martial arts. The "muscle exercises" and the "18 hands of lohan", which were developed later on, are however the basis for nowadays Shaolin Kempo, otherwise known as Kung Fu.

Bodhidarma also introduced the healing art of Varma Cuttiram and herbal medicines from the Tamil country which evolved into Acupuncture, Tai Chi Chuan, Qi Gong, and Chinese medicine of today.

Varma Kalai and Kuttu Varisai:

Both Varma Kalai and Kuttu Varisai combined make up a deadly fighting art. Varma Kalai (also known as Marma Adi in Kerala) is the art of dealing with vital pressure points of the human body. The Chinese arts of Tai Chi (healing touch) and Dim Mak (death touch) are very close to Varma Cuttiram (healing touch and remedies) and Varma Kalai. In Varma Kalai one can heal, maim or even kill someone depending on what part of the body is hit and how much pressure is applied.

In Kuttu Varisai, gymnastic, stretching (yoga), and breathing exercises are conducted before training. In combat, almost every part of the body is used such as the fists, elbow, feet, knees, etc. Various different animal styles such as the tiger, elephant, snake, eagle and monkey are used. All these styles include posture, grappling, throws, hits, and locks.

There are a huge variety of weapons used in this fighting system which can easily be seen in many Chola bronze statues of various deities. Some resemble those used by the gladiators of ancient Rome. Weapons include the trident, sticks (kali or kaji) (short, long, or double sticks), swords (val) and shield, double swords, daggers (kuttuval) (simple or double), knuckle duster (kuttu katai), and whips with several flexible and metallic blades (surul pattai).

Silambattam (Silambam):

Silambam is an ancient art of staff fencing. This was patronized by the Chola, Chera and Pandiya Kings, who ruled the country of Tamilnadu and other parts of the sub-continent. According to research this form of martial arts has been in existence for over 5000 years, even before the arrival of the Indo-Aryans. Silambam is said to be the oldest in the world since the use of the stick was the first weapon used in pre-historic times. It received royal patronage from all the Tamil Kings  beginning from the sangam era. The soldiers of the King Veerapandia Kattbomman (1760 – 1799) relied mainly on their prowess in Silambam in their warfare with the British Army.

The Silappadikkaram of Tamil literature, dating back to 2nd century A.D., refers to the sale of Silamabam staves, swords, pearls and armor to foreign traders. The ancient trading centre at Madurai city, renowned globally, was said to be thronged by Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians among others who had regular sea trade with the ancient Dravidian kings. The silambam staff was one of the martial art weapons, which was in great demand with the visitors.

Some records trace the origin of this art to the Tamil deity Murugan. Silambam is believed to have traveled from Tamil Nadu to Malaysia, where it is now a popular recreational sport and also a mode of self - defense.

Four different types of staves are used. One produces a swishing sound, another involves lighted balls of cloth at one end of the staves, called 'torch silambam', a third is quite short in length but powerful, and finally a non - elastic staff that produces a clattering sound.

Malytham (Grappling):

Malyutham is similar to western wrestling. Greek Pankrathon wrestling may be related to this art since there have been much sea-trade between the Tamil country, Greece and Rome (yavanas). The art reached its zenith in Tamilnadu during the Pallava period. The temples of Mamalapuram were constructed by the Pallava king Mammala. He is said to have been a master at Malyutham wrestling. During mid-Chola period mallas ( artistes ) went to various parts of the sub-continent and Sri Lanka to participate in tournaments. The art was taught in ancient days by persons belonging to the Malliga Chetty community.

Here, the opponents wrestle with each other, attempting to push the other down. Various rules of the game apply to the procedure. In a tournament, wrestlers travel far and wide, challenging local wrestlers, and if they win, the name and fame of their own town or area is multiplied hundredfold.

Adithada (Kick Boxing):

Adithada is very similar to Muay Thai kickboxing. Fighters use their feet, hands, knees, elbows, and the forehead. Grappling is incorporated as part of combination moves in this fighting art for take downs. Pressure points are also targeted during dueling. This art has evolved into a dynamic fighting sport in Thailand called Muay Thai and other countries of Indo-China like Cambodia, Laos, and Burma. During the British Raj, it was the Gurka regiment who used the Brumese martial art called Bando which incorporated kickboxing in this system called Lethwei. This art of kickboxing was also used by the Gurkas in hand to hand combat against the Japanese on the Indo-Burma border during WWII.

Tamil Martial Arts in Southeast Asia:

Between the 2nd to 12th centuries AD the Cholas and Pallavas did extensive sea trade throughout Southeast Asia and China. Various countries periodically came under Tamil rule. At the beginning of the 2nd century AD, Pallava prince Kaundinyan of Kanchipuram became the first king of Cambodia. Much of the historical accounts of the time can be seen in bas reliefs (carvings on walls similar to Mamallapuram wall carvings) at sites like the Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. The fighting arts and styles can be clearly seen on these walls. At the Prambanan and Borobodur temples of Java Indonesia the same can be seen in the bas reliefs of the Tamil martial arts fighting skills used by ancient warriors. During the 10th century A.D. the Chola Empire was at its peak with their expansion in Southeast Asia. Under king Raja Raja Chozhan parts of Burma, Isthmus of Kra, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Java were under his rule.

Much of the elements of Tamil culture introduced there were dance, cuisine, writing, literature, architecture, and the martial arts. Here is a list of fighting systems in each Southeast Asian country which had its roots in Varma Kalai, Kuttu Varisai, Malyutham, Adithada and Silambam.

• BURMA – Bando, Lethwei (kickboxing)
• THAILAND – Krabi Krabong, Muay Thai (kickboxing)
• CAMBODIA – Pradal Serey (kickboxing)
• MALAYA – Bersilat, Silambam
• INDONESIA – Pentjak Silat (styles vary from island to island)
• PHILIPPINES – Arnis - Kali – Escrima (stick, knife, and machete fighting), Sikaran (kickboxing), and Dumog (wrestling)

Conclusion:

In conclusion to this topic, Martial arts were introduced by the Tamil civilization to China and Southeast Asia. Proof of the Tamil navy venturing into Southeast Asia introducing various arts can be seen on the bas reliefs of numerous temples in places like Cambodia and Indonesia. The ancient city of Kanchipuram where Daruma Bodhidharma was born is located no where else other than in Tamil Nadu. The fact that there are similar martial arts on the African continent which was brought to Brazil from West Africa also proves the fact of the origination of the Thamzhars and other Davidians through the Lemurian continent. The martial arts of Varma Kalai, Kuttu Varisai, Silambam, Malyutham, and Adithada have been in existence for thousands of years. However, the martial arts of the Tamils are slowly vanishing. Anyone who is interested in joining a discussion group to learn, teach, and promote these arts are welcome. Please go to: Thamizhar Martial Artshttp://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/thamizharmartialarts/

Sources:

• Sharma, Pratap Zen Katha: Inspired by the Life of Bodhidarma, founder of Zen and Martial Arts
• Zarilli, Phillip When the Body Becomes all Eyes
• Encyclopecia of Martial Arts
• Broughton, Jeffrey The Bodhidarma Anthology
• Hsuan, Hua The Intention of Patriarch Bodhidarma’s coming from the West
• Balakrishnan, P. Kalarippayattu
• Madras Institute of Asian Studies ­Varma Cuttiram
• Raj, Manuel J. Silambam: Technique and Evaluation
• Raj, Manuel J. The origin and the historical development of Silambam fencing[microform] :an ancient self-defense sport of India
• New Delhi: Sports Authority of India Indigenous Games and Martial Arts of India
• International Tamil Language Foundation The Handbook of Tamil Culture and Heritage
• Winderbaum, Larry The Martial Arts Encyclopedia
• Ramaswamy, Sumathi The Lost Land of Lemuria: Fabulous Geographies, Catastrophic Histories
• Lewis, J. Lowell Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Course in Brazilian Martial Arts
• Capoeira, Nestor Capoeira: Roots of the Dance-Fight Game
• Kraithat, Panya Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting
• Vaitayanon, Kumron Muay Thai: The Art of Eight Limbs
• Paladin Press Fighting Arts of Indonesia: Combat Secrets of Silat and Kuntao
• Wiley, Mark V. Filipino Martial Arts: Cabales Serrada Escrima
• Galang, Reynaldo S. Classic Arnis
• Diego, Antonio The Secrets of  Kalis Ilustrisimo
• Berk, William R. Chinese Healing Arts
• Varmakalai http://perso.wanadoo.fr/varmakalai/VARMA%20KALAI%20-%20(ENGLISH)%201.htm
• Silambam www.silambam.com

ORIGINS OF KUNG - FU : THE REALITY

                                  ORIGINS OF KUNG - FU : THE INTRICATE REALITY

“Kung fu” or “Wushu” is one of the most lethal methods of unarmed combat in existence. The origin of this incredible martial art is poorly recorded and often subject to many debates especially by scholars studying the Indian arts who claim inaccurately that it is a direct descendant of the South Indian martial art Kalaripayattu.  I feel it is a shame that despite the advent of Wikipedia and YouTube, people still entertain inaccurate notions about kung fu and its origins.

In this post, I would like to debunk the belief that kung fu came from kalaripayattu, especially the accounts pertaining to Bodhidharma (or Bodhidharman if you prefer) and his contributions to the Shaolin monastry based on all available information. I request the reader to read the article completely before making comments. I was stimulated into writing this because recently I happened to watch a two-part video in YouTube titled “Birthplace of Kung fu: China? Wrong! Guess Again!” that attributes kalaripayattu as the mother of all modern fighting arts. When I viewed these videos, I found many logical inconsistencies and historical anomalies. You can view those videos here and here.

Tao Te Ching

In order to counter the hypothesis that kung fu originated in India than in mainland China, we need a thorough understanding of what kung fu is, how the art originated and flourished and its various techniques and philosophies. I will give a brief account on all these aspects and then move on to attacking this inaccurately expressed theory.

The video shows practitioners of Contemporary Wushu and Kalari performing a few movements which according to the creator of the video, are similar. However, those few movements portrayed probably are the only forms of resemblance to wushu has to Kalaripayattu. Another resemblance cited in many websites is the “eighteen hands of Buddha” and the “eighteen arms of wushu” which is claimed to have been derived from the “eighteen techniques” or “pathinettu adavu” of Kalaripayattu.

Shaolin Monastry

The story originated probably with the knowledge that Bodhidharma, an Indian monk traveled to Northern China in the 6th century AD, where he established the earliest form of Zen Buddhism in the Shaolin Monastery. This combined with the fact that Shaolin has been a famous branch of Chinese Wushu led people to believe that Bodhidharma had experience in Kalaripayattu which he taught the monks of Shaolin thereby giving birth to the Chinese martial arts as we know today. This theory led people to analyze Shaolin systems and compare the movements with kalaripayattu. But those comparisons are often skewed and inaccurate. Besides, resemblance, if at all any, is not proof of origin since it is poorly recorded whether Bodhidharma had any sort of martial arts training at all. Hence it is not clear whether he introduced martial arts to Shaolin or someone else did after him. Even if we buy into the premise that Bodhidharma indeed taught Kalaripayattu to the monks of Shaolin, it still cannot be attributed as the mother of all modern martial arts, especially Chinese wushu. We know this by looking at the evolution of the art and its various styles which not only pertains to just Shaolin (as we shall see later) but also spread throughout mainland China.

Incredible Kung Fu!

Kung fu, also known as Gong fu or Gung fu is a generic term used to refer to the many styles of Chinese infighting though the original meaning of this word is unrelated to martial arts and refers to any type of skill achieved through hard work and practice. The Chinese use the term “Wushu” which literally translates to “war art” to describe martial arts. The term kung fu is a compound word with two components viz “kung” which means “achievement” or “merit” and “fu” which means “man”. Hence combined, it means an “adept man” or “human achievement”. “Kung fu wushu” thus would mean “a man adept in martial arts”. It was not until the 20th century that the term “kung fu” started slowly replacing “wushu” to describe the fighting arts of China. In this article, both kung fu and wushu are terms used interchangeably since they are basically the same thing (please do not confuse with Contemporary Wushu, which is a sports variety of the traditional systems developed for athletic purposes).

Numerous styles of wushu developed over many centuries of Chinese history and it is estimated that the number of kung fu styles may range between 300 and 500. It is impossible to fully classify and label all the different fighting systems of China since a single style may fall under multiple categories. It is however possible to approximately classify most of them into certain groups as follows:

The Five Sacred Animals – Dragon, Tiger, Snake, Leopard and Crane

1. Based on “families” or “jia”, “sects” or “pài” and “schools” or “mén” of martial arts. These styles flourished in closed groups or families and were passed on from one generation to the next. Examples are Choi Gar, Hung Gar, Lau Gar and Mok Gar.
2. Based on whether it is a mimic boxing or not which means whether the style has adapted the movements of a bird, beast or an insect or arachnid. Such styles are influenced by movements of birds like eagle, peacock and crane, animals like tiger, snake, monkey, leopard, elephant, horse and fox or insects and arachnids like the praying mantis and scorpion.
3. Based on what type of philosophy the styles follow. Almost all Chinese fighting systems have a spiritual aspect influenced by philosophies like Confucianism, Taoism and Zen in addition to various religions, myths and legends. Tai Chi Chuan, Ba Gua and Liuhebafa are Taoist while Drunken Boxing, Wing Chun, White Crane, Monkey, Eagle Claw and Praying Mantis are Buddhist. There are also Muslim styles like Tan Tui, Baijiquan, Zhaquan, Qishiquan, Piguaquan and Huihui Shiba Zhou.
4. Based on how the manipulation of internal energy or “qi” called “qi gong” takes place, the styles are classified as internal or “nèijiaquán” and as external or “wàijiaquán“. Tai Chi Chuan, Ba Gua, Xing Yi, Liuhebafa and Yiquan are examples of internal systems while almost all others can be classified as external. Styles like Wing Chun, White Crane etc fall midway because they include aspects from both extremes.
5. Based on the geographical location in China, the styles originated. Styles are labeled as northern or “beiquán“(examples are Changquan, Tai Chi Chuan, Northern Praying Mantis and Baijiquan) and southern or “nánquán” ( examples are Hung Gar, Wing Chun, White Crane, Choi Li Fut and Dragon).

We need to pay particular attention to the concept of mimic boxing here because there is an assumption that the concept of mimicking animals in fighting came from Kalaripayattu. That is also far from the truth because the animal concepts taught in Kalaripayattu speaks only about certain postures, jumps etc. The animal systems in Chinese martial arts are much more advanced since they mimic the animals and adapt from it in highly refined manners which includes fist positions, stances, footwork, shouting etc. In Chinese wushu, the practitioner must temporarily transform himself into the animal while practising and the “dim mak” or pressure point attack is performed so as to mimic the effect of the said animal’s attack. For instance, within the snake style itself there is cobra and vipersystems which affects the opponent in different ways just as the bites of these two snakes affect their victims. Further, the concept of birds, insects etc are unique to Chinese fighting systems and have no relation whatsoever to any Indian fighting system. In addition to that, there are weapon systems unique to these animal styles like the monkey staff and the straight sword and spear in snake style. Apart from all these, the Chinese Dragon style kung fu is a highly unique animal kung fu style totally based on the philosophies and myths pertaining to the mythical and legendary Chinese Dragon found in folklores.

The Yellow Emperor

Like any other martial art, wushu evolved because of the need for self defense, hunting and military training. All these requirements created unique styles of hand to hand as well as weapons techniques for soldiers, imperial guards, merchants etc. Chinese legends attribute the origin of wushu during the oldest “Xia Dynasty” over 4000 years ago when the Yellow Emperor Huangdi who according to legends reigned from 2697 to 2597 BCE created the earliest fighting systems in China. The Chinese describe him as a famous general who wrote lengthy treatises on medicine, astrology and martial arts before becoming the ruler of China.

Another legendary figure during the same period was Chi You who is credited as the creator of “jiao di“, which is thought to be the predecessor of the modern Chinese Wrestling. According to Chinese Mythology, he was a tribal leader and tyrant who fought against the then future Yellow Emperor during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era.

The best examples of ancient Chinese martial arts practiced before the arrival of Bodhidharma are “Shoubó“, practiced during the Shang dynasty (1766–1066 BCE) and “Xiang Bo” (similar to modern Sanda), practiced from the 7th century BCE. It was in 509 BCE that Confucius suggested Duke Ding of Lu that people should practice martial arts alongside literary arts thereby beginning an era of martial arts where laypeople outside the military and religious sects started practicing them. The “Classics of Rites” written in the 1st century BCE describe a combat wrestling system called “juélì” or “jiaolì” which used strikes, throws, joint manipulation and pressure point attacks. During the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BCE), Jiao Di became a sport.

Tai Chi Chuan

The Han History Bibliographies have accurately recorded on the distinction between no-holds barred weaponless fighting called shoubó, for which “how-to” manuals were written and sportive wrestling, then known as juélì or jiaolì during the Former Han (206 BCE – 8 CE) period. Further, information on wrestling can also be found in the Shi Jì, Records of the Grand Historian, written by Sima Qian (ca. 100 BCE). The theory of hand to hand combat that includes integration of the concepts of “hard” and “soft” techniques have been expounded in the story of the “Maiden of Yue in the Spring” and “Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue” written during 5th century BCE. The Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai has written accounts of sword dances. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, contests of an art called “xiangpu” were sponsored by the imperial courts and by the Ming and Qing dynasties, the modern concepts of wushu were fully developed.

Art of War by Sun Tzu

The Chinese philosophical texts have extensive accounts on the martial arts. For instance, in the “Passages in Zhuangzi“, a Taoist text written by the eponymous author Zhuangzi who is supposed to have lived in the 4th century BC, describes psychology and practice of martial arts. Another Taoist text, “Tao Te Ching“, written by Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism contains several principles applicable in martial arts, especially in the internal systems. In the classic Confucian text “Zhou Li“, archery and charioting were an integral part of the “six arts” or “liu yi” which also included music, rites, calligraphy and mathematics during theZhou Dynasty (1122–256 BC). The “Art of War“, written during the 6th century BC by Sun Tzu deals directly with ideas on military warfare and martial arts.

These examples demonstrate how wushu changed with the evolving society over time and acquired a philosophical basis. many practitioners of Taoism used to perform a set of physical exercises similar to today’s qigong called “Dao Yin” as early as 500 BC which many believe is the predecessor of Tai Chi Chuan. The “Han Shu“, written during the Former Han Dynasty by Pan Ku included “Six Chapters of Hand Fighting” in the years between AD 39 and AD 92. Noted physician Hua Tuo composed the “Five Animals Play” which included the movements of tiger, deer, monkey, bear, and bird around 220 BC.

The role of Shaolin Temple in influencing the development of Chinese martial arts happened much later in the history of China. The oldest evidence of the participation of Shaolin in combat has been recorded in 728 AD which describes two incidents in which defense of the monastry took place from bandits around 610 AD and the defeat of Wang Shichong at the Battle of Hulao in 621 AD. There are no documented evidence of Shaolin’s participation in combat from the 8th to the 15th centuries. However, from the 16th century onwards, the Shaolin system flourished to epic proportions when it became an integral part of monastic life of the monks. The theory also revolves around just one Shaolin temple in Henan province when in fact there are many such temples in Fujian, Omeishan etc teaching and practising different forms of wushu.

Kalaripayattu

Thus, it is very clear and evident that martial arts were well established in China centuries before the arrival of Bodhidharma or the construction of the Shaolin temple. Almost all of the philosophical as well as technical aspects of Chinese Martial arts were already well developed before Bodhidharma or Buddhism itself (which arrived in China between only 221 – 206 BCE). It is also logically fallacious to assume that Bodhidharma had introduced martial arts to China. Because assuming that would mean the warriors of China did not have a fighting system for 2500 years and they waited for Bodhidharma to come and teach them kalaripayattu in the 6th century.

I am in no way trying to demean the contributions of Bodhidharma or the art of kalaripayattu. However, based on historic and technical evidence, it is clear that India is not the birthplace of kung fu. Both kalaripayattu and kung fu are two great martial arts that developed in two separate cultures that have more differences than similarities. A detailed analysis of each system will reveal staggering differences between the execution of techniques practised in them. Even if we accept the theory that Chinese martial arts came from kalaripayattu, it is still not going to make a difference since the art has undergone over forty centuries of refinement making it one of the most advanced, most in-depth and most scientific methods of combat in the world.

Anyone who has a counter opinion is welcome to post their comments or email me. Thanks for your time.

THINK AGAIN : THE MOTHER OF ALL MARTIAL ARTS...????

      THINK AGAIN : THE MOTHER OF ALL MARTIAL ARTS...????

I added a question mark in the title because the term mother hardly applies in this context. Mother means a direct ancestor. Hence, mother of all martial arts means an art to which all martial arts in the world trace a direct lineage. This title is often given to the South Indian martial art Kalaripayattu. Being a person from Kerala, I was proud to see Kalaripayattu referred this way. However, my skepticism grew overtime and recently I have started to question the very premise of Kalaripayattu being the originator of all the other martial arts practiced in the world. I had written on similar grounds in a previous blog post and was met with violent criticism from devotees of Kalari. I don’t maintain any grudges towards the people who were abusive in their comments but I thought it was necessary to reiterate some aspects I discussed in that post for the sake of clarity. As I said before, and will say again, this article does not demean Kalaripayattu in any manner.

Kalaripayattu

Origin of a martial art like any other art has two levels viz. the historic and the legendary. It is hard to trace history to a time when data redundancy was much higher when compared to modern times. Further, it is often the legendary version that grows out of proportion overtime and overshadows the historic part. For example, it is said that Parasurama created the state of Kerala by throwing an axe which caused the water to recede away from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. Well, on the face of it, the story is funny and unbelievable. What kind of a person can pull off such a feat? Similarly, legends say that there existed aircrafts in ancient India such as the Pushpaka Vimana, which is quite questionable. The Vaimanika Shastra written by sage Bharadwaj was studied by the Indian Institute of Science and was proven to be just a fanciful text without any scientific credence.

The reason I spoke so much on legends is because the famous Bodhidharma is a legend. The alleged creator of Shaolin Kung Fu could be just another ancient legend which went out of proportion due to poor data management. Just as I spoke about Jesus, the person Bodhidharma would have very well existed. And it is also possible that he had gone to China. But then attributing the currently existing martial arts forms to him is incredible. Especially the claim that he taught Kalaripayattu to the monks of the Shaolin monastery since he wanted them to have a fit body to cope with the strenuous sitting meditation. However, there are a few logical errors with this claim as discussed below:

1. Kalaripayattu as a martial art came into prominence during the 11th and 12th century. Some claim its existence as early as 9th century. One must understand that India was not a single country in the past. Kerala itself was divided into many small kingdoms. Fighting arts were required for survival since each of these kingdoms fought among each other. Bodhidharma was a person who lived in the 6th century, which was well before the emergence of the art of Kalaripayattu. Therefore, his attribution to this martial art is questionable and hence the claim that he went to China and taught Kalaripayattu breaks down.

2. If Kalaripayattu did not exist in 6th century, what was the art that Bodhidharma practiced? Was it called by a different name? These are questions that historians find difficult to answer. If the art that Bodhidharma practiced was an earlier version of Kalaripayattu, then it could be an ancestor to both Kalaripayattu and Wushu if that is what he taught the Shaolin monks. But then the notion that Wushu came from Kalaripayattu would not hold. Humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor. It means that humans did not come from chimpanzees but are cousins to them. Similarly, if Bodhidharma indeed teach the Shaolin monks a primitive Indian art that is an ancestor to both Wushu and Kalaripayattu, then it cannot be claimed that Wushu came from Kalaripayattu.

3. The Chinese civilization existed in different dynasties over 2,500 years before Bodhidharma arrived and allegedly taught the more “superior” martial arts which he brought from India. It is quite hard to believe that the Chinese waited for over 25 centuries without a superior fighting art for themselves. Throughout the history of China, there have been wars both internally and externally. The need for a superior fighting system was paramount since the beginning of their civilization. They would not have waited for Bodhidharma in any case.

4. As discussed in my previous post, even after the creation of the martial arts at the Shaolin, the real application of that in combat outside the temple came much later. The events between the 8th and 15th centuries are not well documented. What were the monks doing during that period? And then from 16th century onwards the martial arts of Shaolin flourished and spread across. Either the systems of Shaolin were kept a secret during that period or there wasn’t much to show outside. There were and still are martial arts that are superior to Shaolin kung fu that were developed outside the temples.

5. The martial arts practiced in China today have little or no influence from Hinduism, which is an integral part of Kalaripayattu. If Chinese Wushu is a direct descendant of Kalaripayattu, there has to be at least a trace of Hinduism in it. I never found it and neither has any martial artist I know. Even non-Hindus who practice Kalaripayattu worship and abide by the covenant of the Kalari Gods. Even though Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk, if he did practice Kalaripayattu, there would be at least some reference to the Kalari Gods in his teachings. We don’t see them mentioned in the Shaolin martial arts at all. Hence, him being the practitioner of Kalaripayattu is quite questionable.

My previous post mentioned about several martial arts that existed before the arrival of Bodhidharma. And it is quite evident that the currently existing arts are descended from those arts and not from Kalaripayattu due to the reasons stated above.

I would also like to bring into light the concept of independent development. There is a limit to the type of movements that can be performed using the human body. We may use permutations and combinations to find out the number of movements that are mathematically possible but physical limitations drill down the number. Hence, any martial art used in war would eventually settle down to a few practically possible moves. There would of course be extra movements that are practiced to maintain flexibility and strength. Therefore, martial arts can and do indeed develop indigenously and independently without requiring an ancestor.

To summarize, the following issues need to be addressed by people who taught up Kalaripayattu as the mother of all martial arts:

a.. Why is the earliest style of Kalaripayattu, the Southern Style Kalaripayattu, influenced by Chinese Martial Arts, i.e., by the concept “CHEENA ADI”  aka. Chinese Strike.

b. Why is the birthplace of Bodhidharma not a place, where Kalaripayattu is the Native Martial Art…??? Tzumo Kambe has proved that the birthplace of Bodhidharma is Kanchipuram, which is located in Tamil Nadu, a neighboring state of Kerala, where Kalaripayattu is not a native Martial Art…???

c. The temporal disagreement between Bodhidharma’s arrival in China and the documented origin of Kalaripayattu

d. Lack of Hindu Gods and teachings in Shaolin as well as other martial arts in China.

e. Existence of martial arts in China before and after Bodhidharma. Especially those that have direct links with the martial arts practiced today.

If anyone wants to address the points mentioned in this article without getting emotional, nationalistic, and hominem or outright wrong, I would welcome the discussion. As a word of caution, unlike my previous post, if someone resorts to ad hominem in this, I would simply remove that comment without wasting time answering them.

References

1. Bodhidharma. (2013, September 21). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhidharma
2. Brief History of Gongfu. (2013, May 19). Retrieved from Wu Taiji Quan:http://www.wutaijiquan.com/wutaijiquan_history.html
3. Chi You. (2013, September 22). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_You
4. Chinese martial arts. (2013, September 23). Retrieved from Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_arts
5. Chinese Mythology. (2013, July 11). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
6. Eighteen Arms of Wushu. (2013, September 24). Retrieved from Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteen_Arms_of_Wushu
7. Is there a relationship with kalaripayattu, indian martial arts, shaolin kung fu, and bodhidharma? (2013, May 19). Retrieved from Mystic Banana: http://www.mysticbanana.com/is-there-a-relationship-with-kalaripayattu-indian-martial-arts-shaolin-kung-fu-and-bodhidharma.html/
8. Josey, J. (2010, January 20). Kalaripayattu – A Game of Eyes Shut And Mouth Wide Open. Retrieved from Tales and traumas of a ‘Teenage Pretty Boy': http://my.opera.com/prettyboy/blog/kalaripayattu-a-game-of-eyes-shut-and-mouth-wide-open
9. Kung fu (term). (2013, August 20). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_fu_%28term%29
10. Kung Fu Styles. (2013, May 19). Retrieved from Learn Me Kung Fu: http://www.lmkungfu.com/styles.html
11. The Mother of All Martial Arts : Kalari or Kalarippayattu. (2007, June 23). Retrieved from HitXP – A Blogzine by Gurudev: http://www.hitxp.com/articles/sports/kalarippayattu-oldest-martial-arts/
12. Yellow Emperor. (2013, September 18). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Emperor