Kalaripayattu

Originating from the south western Indian state of Kerala, Kalaripayattu is regarded as one of the oldest martial arts styles in the world. Though the original styles employed weapons, today s sparring practices forgo them. Only the most disciplined and wise Kalaripayattu practitioners are taught techniques where the mere touching of a vital point can disable or kill their attacker. Despite the masters use of massage they massage their students to increase flexibility to treat muscle injuries this is a seriously deadly form of martial arts which played an important role over centuries of South Indian fighting, especially between the Chera and Chola dynasties.