Kalaripayattu, Kerala’s oldest Martial Art

  1. June 4, 2025

Kalaripayattu is the oldest martial art practiced in India. It is native to Kerala, where it was born about 3,500 years ago, but spread throughout India. Etymologically it is a compound word: kalari means “battlefield” and payattu “fight”. “Kalari” is also the name of the arena where the training, fighting and demonstration shows take place. The Kalaripayattu is a discipline that includes several practices, including jumping, running, different acrobatic styles and fighting with daggers, swords, spears, bow and arrows.

Its roots are linked to Ayurveda and yoga, with which it shares a vision of man conceived as a union of mind, body and spirit. Favorite discipline of the Indian warrior caste, who practiced it for both defense and personal health, it reached its peak during the wars between the kingdoms Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras, when Kalaripayattu was refined and divided into different styles.