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Varmam
Varma Kalai (Tamil: ''varmakkalai'', Malayalam and Sanskrit: ''marma-vidya'', Sinhala: ''maru kalā'', Telugu: ''marma-vidya kaḷa'') is a Tamil traditional art of vital points. It originated in present-day Kanyakumari,Tamilnadu, the southernmost part of India. It combines massage, alternative medicine, traditional yoga and martial arts in which the body's pressure points (''varmam'') are manipulated to heal or cause harm. The healing application called ''Vaidhiya Murai'' is part of Siddha medicine (''siddha vaidyam''). Its combat application is known as ''Adimurai'' (it includes a component called ''Varma Adi'', meaning "pressure-point striking") can be done either empty-handed or with a blunt weapon such as a stick or staff. ''Varma Kalai'' is usually taught in the advanced stage of Adimurai, Kalaripayattu, and Silambam in Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively;Stevens, B; ''From Lee to Li'', HarperCollins 2009 strikes are targeted at the nerves, veins, tendons, soft tissues or ...
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Pressure Point
derive from the supposed meridian points in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Siddha medicine, and martial arts. They refer to areas on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific manner. History The earliest known concept of pressure points can be seen in the South Indian Varma kalai based on Siddha. The concept of pressure points is also present in the old school Japanese martial arts; in a 1942 article in the ''Shin Budo magazine'', Takuma Hisa asserted the existence of a tradition attributing the first development of pressure-point attacks to Shinra Saburō Minamoto no Yoshimitsu (1045–1127).It is also called Internal point. Takuma Hisa Sensei, Shin Budo magazine, November 1942. republished as "Yoshimitsu ..dissected corpses brought back from wars in order to explore human anatomy and mastered a decisive counter-technique as well as discovering lethal atemi. Yoshimitsu then mastered a technique for ki ...
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Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu (; also known simply as Kalari) is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India. Kalaripayattu is known for its long-standing history within Indian martial arts, and is one of the oldest surviving martial arts in India. Kalaripayattu is mentioned in the Vadakkan Pattukal, a collection of ballads written about the Chekavar of the Malabar region of Kerala. In the Vadakkan Pattukal, it is stated that the cardinal principle of Kalaripayattu was that knowledge of the art be used to further worthy causes, and not for the advancement of one's own selfish interests. Kalaripayattu is a martial art designed for the ancient battlefield (the word "Kalari" meaning "battlefield"), with weapons and combative techniques that are unique to Kerala. Like most Indian martial arts, Kalaripayattu contains rituals and philosophies inspired by Hinduism. The art also bases medical treatments upon concepts found in the ancient ...
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Siddhar
The Siddhar (Tamil: சித்தர் ''cittar'', from Sanskrit: ''siddha'') in Tamils, Tamil tradition is a perfected individual, who has attained spiritual powers called ''siddhi''. Historically, Siddhar also refers to the people who were early age wandering adepts that dominated ancient Tamil teaching and philosophy. They were knowledgeable in science, technology, astronomy, literature, fine arts, music, drama, dance, and provided solutions to common people in their illness and advice for their future. Some of their ideologies are considered to have originated during the First Sangam period. Practice Siddhars were typically first scientists, saints, doctors, alchemists, and mystics all in one. They wrote their findings in the form of Tamil language, Tamil poems on Palm-leaf manuscript, palm leaf manuscripts. These are still owned by some families in Tamil Nadu and handed down through the generations, as well as being kept in universities in India, Germany, Great Brita ...
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Indian Martial Arts
Indian martial arts refers to the fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent. A variety of terms are used for the English phrases “Indian martial arts”, deriving from ancient sources. While they may seem to imply specific disciplines (e.g. archery, armed combat), by Classical times they were used generically for all fighting systems. Among the most common terms today, '' śastra-vidyā'', is a compound of the words ' (weapon) and ' (knowledge). ''Dhanurveda'' derives from the words for bow (') and knowledge ('), the “science of archery” in Puranic literature, later applied to martial arts in general. The Vishnu Purana text describes dhanuveda as one of the traditional eighteen branches of “applied knowledge” or upaveda, along with ''shastrashastra'' or military science. A later term, ''yuddha kalā'', comes from the words ''yuddha'' meaning fight or combat and ''kalā'' meaning art or skill. The related term ''śastra kalā'' (lit. weapon art) usually refers specific ...
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Bogar
Bogar, Bhogar, or Boganathar was a Tamil Shaivite Siddhar who lived sometime between 550 and 300 BC. He was a disciple of Kalangi Nathar. He was born in Vaigavur near Palani Hills. He received his education from his mother and his grand father described in several traditions and texts. Bogar himself describes his native roots in his book "Bogar 7000". Bogar went from Tamil Nadu to China and taught about enlightenment, this is also mentioned in his book Bogar 7000. Bogar is said to be in "Nirvikalpa Samadhi" below the sanctorum of Palani Murugan hill temple. The Tamraparniyan sea route was adopted by Bogar in his travels from South India to China via Sri Lanka (ancient Tamraparni). Legacy A disciple of Agastya's teachings, Bogar himself taught meditation, alchemy, yantric designs and Kriya yoga at the Kataragama Murugan shrine, inscribing a yantric geometric design etched onto a metallic plate and installing it at the sanctum sanctorum of the Kataragama temple complex. Bogar ...
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Journal Of Asian Martial Arts
The ''Journal of Asian Martial Arts'' (''JAMA'') was a quarterly magazine published by Via Media Publishing Company that covered various aspects of martial arts from Asia, but also included material from other parts of the world. The magazine had its headquarters in Santa Fe. It ceased publication in 2012, ending with a final book entitled "Asian Martial Arts". Content The journal distinguished itself by offering in-depth articles and analysis of karate, taekwondo, judo, aikido, taijiquan, and shaolinquan, and many other Asian-based martial arts. Articles covered a wide range of inquiry including history, anthropology, health, medicine, mechanics, martial application, and culture. The articles were intended to be academically sound, yet written in a manner that made them accessible to the general reader. Illustrated with photographs and drawings (many by the late Oscar Ratti), charts and diagrams, and reference material distinguished this journal's oversize format. The magazin ...
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Mahout
A mahout is an elephant rider, trainer, or keeper. Mahouts were used since antiquity for both civilian and military use. Traditionally, mahouts came from ethnic groups with generations of elephant keeping experience, with a mahout retaining his elephant throughout its working life or service years. Mahouts would often ride on a howdah placed on the back of their elephant. Etymology The word ''mahout'' derives from the Hindi words ''mahaut'' (महौत) and ''mahavat'' (महावत), and originally from the Sanskrit ''mahamatra'' (महामात्र). Another term is ''cornac'' or ''kornak'', which entered many European languages via Portuguese. This word derives ultimately from the Sanskrit term ''karināyaka'', a compound of ''karin'' (elephant) and ''nayaka'' (leader). In Telugu, a person who takes care of elephants is called a ''mavati''; this word is also derived from Sanskrit. In Tamil, the word used is ''pahan'', which means "elephant keeper", and in S ...
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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and southeast of the Arabian Sea; it is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with India and Maldives. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is its legislative capital, and Colombo is its largest city and financial centre. Sri Lanka has a population of around 22 million (2020) and is a multinational state, home to diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities. The Sinhalese are the majority of the nation's population. The Tamils, who are a large minority group, have also played an influential role in the island's history. Other long established groups include the Moors, the Burghers ...
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Tamil Language
Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory of Puducherry. Tamil is also spoken by significant minorities in the four other South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is also spoken by the Tamil diaspora found in many countries, including Malaysia, Myanmar, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and Mauritius. Tamil is also natively spoken by Sri Lankan Moors. One of 22 scheduled languages in the Constitution of India, Tamil was the first to be classified as a classical language of India. Tamil is one of the longest-surviving classical languages of India.. "Tamil is one of the two longest-surviving classical languages in India" (p. 7). A. K. Ramanujan described it as "the on ...
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Angampora
Angampora is a Sinhalese martial art that combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, and meditation. A key component of angampora is the namesake ''angam'', which incorporates hand-to-hand fighting, and ''illangam'', involving the use of indigenous weapons such as the ethunu kaduwa, staves, knives and swords. Another component known as ''maya angam'', which uses spells and incantations for combat, is also said to have existed. Angampora's distinct feature lies in the use of pressure point attacks to inflict pain or permanently paralyze the opponent. Fighters usually make use of both striking and grappling techniques, and fight until the opponent is caught in a submission lock that they cannot escape. Usage of weapons is discretionary. Perimeters of fighting are defined in advance, and in some of the cases is a pit. With the advent of colonial rule over the entirety of the island in 1815, Angampora fell into disuse and was very nearly lost as a part of the country ...
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Agastya
Agastya ( kn, ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ, ta, அகத்தியர், sa, अगस्त्य, te, అగస్త్యుడు, ml, അഗസ്ത്യൻ, hi, अगस्त्य) was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the Indian tradition, he is a noted recluse and an influential scholar in diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent. He and his wife Lopamudra are the celebrated authors of hymns 1.165 to 1.191 in the Sanskrit text ''Rigveda'' and other Vedic literature. Agastya is considered to be the father of Siddha medicine. Agastya appears in numerous itihasas and Puranas including the major ''Ramayana'' and ''Mahabharata''. He is one of the seven most revered rishis (the Saptarishi) in the Vedic texts, and is revered as one of the Tamil Siddhar in the Shaivism tradition, who invented an early grammar of the Old Tamil language, Agattiyam, playing a pioneering role in the development of Tampraparniyan medicine and spirituality at Saiva centres in pro ...
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Banshay
Banshay ( my, ဗန်ရှည်, ) is a weapon-based martial art from Myanmar focusing primarily on the sword, staff and spear. Influenced by both Indian and Chinese sources, it is closely related to similar Southeast Asian systems such as Thai krabi krabong, Cambodian kbach kun boran and Malay silat. Banshay makes extensive use of the dha (sword) in pairs. Sword-fencing demonstrations and performances often begin with a pre-fight war dance in which the swordsman spins one or two swords very close to the body without cutting themselves. There are 37 sword forms. Sword training is conducted with the weapon still sheathed. Traditionally when a master first presents the student with a sword, the scabbard would be fixed on so that the trainee is discouraged from killing opponents. Under extreme conditions when the sword must be unsheathed, the scabbard may be broken with a rock or other object. Image:defense contre sabre.jpg, Defense with the staff Image:Panther_danse.jpg, The ...
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