Angampora is a Sinhalese
martial art
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
that combines combat techniques,
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
,
sport
Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
, 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
incantation
An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremo ...
s for combat, is also said to have existed.
Angampora's distinct feature lies in the use of
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 ...
attacks to inflict pain or permanently paralyze the opponent. Fighters usually make use of both
striking and
grappling
Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling i ...
techniques, and fight until the opponent is caught in a submission
lock
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''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's heritage. The
British colonial administration prohibited its practice due to the dangers posed by a civilian populace versed in a martial art, burning down any ''angan madu'' (practice huts devoted to the martial art) found: flouting of the law was punished by a gunshot to the knee, effectively crippling practitioners; Angampora nevertheless survived within a few families, allowing it to emerge into mainstream Sri Lankan culture post-independence.
A number of paintings related to angampora are found at
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
temples in Sri Lanka. These include
Embekka Devalaya
''Embekka Devalaya'' (Embekka Temple) was built by the King Vikramabahu III of Gampola Era (AD 1357–1374) in Sri Lanka. The Devalaya is dedicated to Kataragama deviyo. A local deity called Devatha Bandara is also worshiped at this site. The s ...
, Gadaladeniya Rajamaha Viharaya,
Temple of the Tooth
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic or Sri Dalada Maligawa, ( si, ශ්රී දළදා මාළිගාව) is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which ho ...
,
Saman Devalaya (
Ratnapura
Ratnapura (; ) ("City of Gems" in Sinhala and Tamil) is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of Sabaragamuwa Province, as well as the Ratnapura District, and is a traditional centre for the Sri Lankan gem trade. It is located ...
) and
Lankathilaka Rajamaha Viharaya.
Etymology
The name 'Angampora' is derived from the
Sinhalese
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
word ''anga-'' a root word for 'body', denoting physical combat and ''pora'', meaning fight. It loosely means the martial, which uses limbs without the use of weapons.
(unarmed combat)
History
Myth
![Embekka Wrestlers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Embekka_Wrestlers.png)
According to apocryphal
Sinhalese
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
folklore, angampora's history stretches to as far back as 3,000 years,
with the
Yaksha
The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in ...
tribe (one of the four "hela" - the ancient tribes that inhabited the island) being identified as originators. Two ancient scripts named the Varga Purnikawa and Pancha Rakkhawaliya go further, identifying nine hermits as founders.
Folklore goes on to describe Rana Ravana, a mythical warrior said to have lived 5,000 years ago, as the most feared angam warrior of all time.
Medieval period
Practice thrived during Sri Lanka's
medieval period
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
when
Bhuvanekabahu VI of Kotte
Bhuvanekabahu VI of Kotte (, ), also known as Sapumal Kumaraya and Chempaka Perumal, was an adopted son of Parakramabahu VI, whose principal achievement was the conquest of Jaffna Kingdom in 1447 or 1450.Gnanaprakasar, S ''A critical history of ...
's successful campaign to conquer the
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna Kingdom ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாண அரசு, si, යාපනය රාජධානිය; 1215–1624 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryachakravarti, was a historical kingdom of what today is northern Sri Lanka. It came i ...
included fighters who excelled in this art.
Descendants of a heroine named Menike or Disapathiniya who lived around this time is credited with the art form's survival in the ensuing centuries: dressed in male attire, she is said to have defeated the killer of her father in a fight inside a deep pit known as ''ura linda'' (pig's pit), during a historic fight.
Angampora fighters also fought alongside the army of
Mayadunne of Sitawaka
Mayadunne ( si, මායාදුන්නේ) (1501–1581) was the King of Sitawaka, ruled the kingdom between 1521 and 1581. Mayadunne was a fierce opponent of the Portuguese, who had arrived on the island in 1505. He devoted his early life t ...
in the 1562
Battle of Mulleriyawa
The Battle of Mulleriyawa ( si, මුල්ලේරියාව සටන) in 1559 was part of the Sinhalese–Portuguese War. It was one of the most decisive battles in Sri Lankan history and considered as the worst defeat of Portuguese dur ...
.
Tikiri Banda aka
Rajasinha I of Sitawaka
Rajasinghe I ( Sinhala:පළමුවන රාජසිංහ) was a king of Sitawaka, known for his patriotism and fight against the Portuguese invasion of Sri Lanka. Born as Tikiri Bandara to King Mayadunne, he received the name "Rajasinha" ...
, who succeeded Mayadunne, became a faithful sponsor of this art.
There were two major schools of angampora, Maruwalliya and Sudhaliya, which routinely fought each other (in fights known as ''angam-kotāgæma''), in the presence of the king.
The leaders of the schools were known as Maruwalliya Muhandiram Nilame and Sudhalaye Muhandiram Nilame, respectively.
The huts used by angampora fighters for training were known as ''angam madu'', and were built according to the concepts of ''Gebim Shasthraya'', the traditional philosophical system of architecture.
Modern period
Angam techniques were used by the locals in their resistance against the early colonial occupants of the island's coastal areas.
The British, who occupied the whole island by 1815
(and who had full control of it by 1818) issued a
gazette
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
banning the practice in 1817 with harsh punishments for flouters, paving the way to its decline.
The gazette was issued by Sir
Robert Brownrigg
General Sir Robert Brownrigg, 1st Baronet, GCB (8 February 1758 – 27 April 1833) was an Irish-born British statesman and soldier. He brought the last part of Sri Lanka under British rule.
Early career
Brownrigg was commissioned as an en ...
, "figuring that a populace trained in hand-to-hand combat would be more difficult to control."
The martial art re-surfaced from an area known as Beligal Korale, around
Kegalle
Kegalle ( si, කෑගල්ල; ta, கேகாலை) is a large town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It is located on the Colombo–Kandy road, approximately from Colombo and from Kandy. It is the main town in the Kegalle District ...
, subsequent to the end of British colonial rule in 1948.
The Jathika Hela Angam Shilpa Kala Sangamaya, the highest governing body of the art today, was established in 2001.
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Culture and the Arts has also taken action to support the survival and preservation of angampora:
several public exhibitions have been mounted with the aim of increasing public awareness of-, and fueling interest in it.
A collection of weaponry used in angampora is also kept on display at the
National Museum of Colombo
The Colombo National Museum, also known as the Sri Lanka National Museum, is a museum in Colombo and the largest in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1877 and maintained by the Department of National Museums, it holds collections of significant importanc ...
.
Angampora has been the subject of a number of films and television dramas in Sri Lanka. One such film,
Angam, directed by Anjula Rasanga Weerasinghe, explored the origins of the art through traditional folk-stories and scientific examination.
Jayantha Chandrasiri's tele-dramas Dandubasnāmānaya and Akāla Sandhya also featured angampora.
These depictions have boosted the art's recent revival.
Training
![Male and female angampora fighters](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Male_and_female_angampora_fighters.JPG)
The angam component is divided into three main disciplines, ''gataputtu'' (locks and grips), ''pora haramba'' (strikes and blocks) and ''maru kala''
(nerve point attacks). Gataputtu are placed on an opponent using the fighter's hands, legs or head. Pora Haramba include approximately eighteen forms of offensive strikes and seven of defensive blocks. Maru kala is the component that incorporates nerve-point attacks capable of inflicting pain on the opponent, causing serious injury or timed death.(This means that according to the strike and pressure applied, the death of the person can be decided, sometimes the time can range from few minutes to many months of suffering)
Several locks:
* ''Diyaballu gataya''
* ''Kathira gataya''
* ''Pimburu gataya''
* ''Wanda gataya''
* ''Hasthi gataya''
* ''Lin gataya''
* ''Konda gataya''
Several offensive strikes:
* ''Dik gutiya''
* ''Cholle''
* ''Tokke''
* ''Len pahara''
* ''Miti pahara/Miti gutiya''
* ''Miti guliya''
* ''Veesi pahara''
* ''Athul pahara''
* ''Pita pahara''
* ''Thallu pahara''
* ''Vakka pahara''
![Angampora fight in korathota hill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Angampora_fight_in_korathota_hill.jpg)
Before a practice session starts, the student is expected to
meditate
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...
and offer
merit
Merit may refer to:
Religion
* Merit (Christianity)
* Merit (Buddhism)
* Punya (Hinduism)
* Imputed righteousness in Reformed Christianity
Companies and brands
* Merit (cigarette), a brand of cigarettes made by Altria
* Merit Energy Company, ...
to the master. The student lights three lamps as he enters to the angam maduwa.
Students also make a pledge to use the technique solely for purposes of self-defense and the defense of his family or country.
Practice begins with basic warm-up exercises, gradually moving on to special exercises. Foot movement techniques are the cornerstone of this art of fighting, and a foot exercise called ''mulla panina'' is the first skill taught, with minor mistakes being stiffly disciplined.
This exercise is followed next by more advanced techniques like Gaman Thalawa.
The hand fighting technique known as ''amaraya'' is a step into the next level of training.
A student learns to observe the weaknesses of the opponent, and to attack weak points with experience. Weapons such as the ''suruttuwaluwa/velayudaya'' (an apparatus made of four long flexible pieces of metal, with sharp edges on both sides), the combat sword, ''keti kaduwa'' (a short sword), and cane sticks are used for fighting, together with the ''paliha'' (shield). In total, there are sixty-four types of weapon, including thirty-two sword variants.
Some deadly, higher-level Angam attacks involve the
nervous system
In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes th ...
; others if executed properly, can halt the bloodflow to vital organs, leading to
paralysis
Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...
or even death.
Alongside such techniques students learn an
ayurvedic
Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...
practice known as ''beheth pārawal'', or medical shots, for reversing the effects of such strikes.
A graduation ceremony known as the Helankada Mangalya is the apex of the life of an angampora fighter, held within a Buddhist temple.
Panikkirala, or fencing master, is the highest position in angampora, denoting the head of a particular school.
A distinctive feature is the lack of the use of rank insignia like belts to denote degree of competence: male fighters usually fight bare-chested. Although angampora is designed to kill, it requires the practitioner to adhere at all times to stringent discipline.
In extreme cases, fights are held inside deep holes.
Images
Image:Angampora stick fight.jpg, Two-man routine with a staff
Image:Angampora sword-shield fight.JPG, Sword and shield fighting
Image:Angampora high click.JPG, Flying kick
Image:Female angampora fighters.JPG, Unarmed combat
Image:20160122 Sri Lanka 3651 Athurugiriya sRGB (25675805561).jpg, Training and martial arts weapons
Image:Angam guru ajantha mahantharachchi.JPG, Angampora fighter with sword
Image:Angampora sword fighter - ajantha mahantharachchi.jpg, Angampora fighter with sword and shield
Image:Angampora.JPG, Stick-fighting
See also
*
Adimurai
Adimurai is a Tamil martial art originating in modern-day Kanyakumari, the southernmost region in India. It was traditionally practiced in the Kanyakumari district of modern-day Tamil Nadu as well as nearby areas in southeastern Kerala. Its pr ...
*
Ankam Ankam is a Malayalam word meaning combat or battle. It may refer either to a duel or a larger scale war. In medieval Kerala, ankam served as a way to settle disputes between districts and nobles. The duellists, called Chekavar or Ankachekavar, were ...
*
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 Th ...
*
Bataireacht
In Irish martial arts, (; meaning 'stick-fighting') (also called ''boiscín'' and ''ag imirt na maidí'' ) refers to the various forms of stick-fighting from Ireland.
Definition
''Bataireacht'' is a category of stick-fighting martial arts o ...
*
Bōjutsu
, translated from Japanese as "staff technique", is the martial art of stick fighting using a bō, which is the Japanese word for staff. Staffs have been in use for thousands of years in Asian martial arts like Silambam. Some techniques involve s ...
*
Bokator
Bokator, ). The term bokator translates as "pounding a lion" from the words ''bok'' meaning "to pound" and ''tor'' meaning "lion." is an ancient battlefield martial art used by ancient Khmer military groups. It is one of the oldest existing ...
*
Cheena di
Cheena di (, former in contemporary Sinhalese), or Cheenaadi, or occasionally, Chinna ati / Chaina pudi; and in Malayalam Cheena Adi, is a Chinese-derived martial art in Sri Lanka. Another viewpoint, due to self-proclaimed Cheena di Master Gunada ...
*
Gatka
Gatka (; ; hi, गतका; ur, ) is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab and other related ethnic groups, such as Hindkowans. It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate ...
*
Jūkendō
is the Japanese martial art of bayonet fighting,Stevens, J. (1985): "The Founder, Ueshiba Morihei." In R. Strozzi-Heckler (Ed.): ''Aikido and the new warrior'' (pp. 5–22). Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic. ()Mather, J. (1990): "A Sensei's story: K ...
*
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 ...
*
Kendo
is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...
*
Kenjutsu
is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of ...
*
Krabi–krabong
Krabi-Krabong ( th, กระบี่กระบอง, ) is a weapon-based martial art from Thailand. It is closely related to other Southeast Asian fighting styles such as Pencak Silat Indonesia, Burmese banshay and Cambodian kbach kun boran. ...
*
Mardani khel
Mardani khel is an armed Indian martial art from Maharashtra. It is particularly known for its use of the uniquely Indian patta (sword) and ''vita'' (corded lance). The early history of mardani khel as a distinct system is difficult to trace prior ...
*
Silambam
Silambam is an Indian martial art originating in South India in the Indian subcontinent. This style is mentioned in Tamil Sangam literature. The World Silambam Association is the official international body of Silambam.
Origin
References in ...
*
Tahtib
Tahtib ( arz, تحطيب, taḥṭīb) is the term for a traditional stick-fighting martial art originally named ''fan a'nazaha wa-tahtib'' ("the art of being straight and honest through the use of stick"). The original martial version of tahtib ...
*
Thang-ta
Huyen langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur. In the Meitei language, means war while or can mean net, knowledge or art. consists of two main components: thang-ta (armed combat) and sarit sarak (unarmed fighting). The primary weapons ...
*
Varma kalai
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 southern ...
References
External links
Angampora.orgSri Lankan martial art
Angampora! Sri Lankan Martial Arts
{{Martial arts
Sri Lankan martial arts