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Kalarippayat-Training

Kalarippayat (Malayalam for "exercises on the battle ground") or Kalarippayattu, short: Kalari, is an ancient martial art that originates from Kerala, South India.

Kalarippayat ist very good for children, because it strengthens their concentration, endurance and self-confidence. Kalarippayat is the ideal compensation for stress from school and develops joy of exercising.

As well, adults get good profit from the training, even if learning a martial art is not you main focus: Of course, you learn self defense and attack techniques, your fitness, strength and endurance, but you also train your awareness, self confidence, will power, your coordinative skills and breath control.


It is typical for kalarippayat-training that new and advanced students train together. Every training starts with warm up, strength and fexibility exercises followed by different leg exercises, kicks and bodypositions.

barehand technique                        elephant position                            horse position                                         otta

Meyapayattu - bodyforms

Meyapayattu are body forms that you learn from the very beginning on. You can compare them with katas in the karate system. You learn all kinds of leg exercises, different kicks, junps, turns and low positions. As you progress, these meyapayattus become more complex and difficult. But already the first meyapayattus include most of the important elements and train body and mind holistically.

Koltari - wooden weapon

The second level of Kalari is koltharippayattu or training with wooden weapons. Koltharippayattu knows a serie of exercises and forms with wooden weapons of different forms and lengths. There are: Pandirujan, Kettukari, Muchan, Otta, Marmakol and Gada. You do the training of attacks and defenses with weapons in pairs.

The third level of training is with metal weapons. These are: katara (dagger), urumi (flexible sword), val-vali (curika und paricca) (sword and shield) und vettukathi (machete). Training with weapons, especially with metal weapons, helps to overcome fears and to learn to concentrate and focus.

Angathari -metal weapon

The third level of training is with metal weapons. These are: katara (dagger), urumi (flexible sword), val-vali (curika und paricca) (sword and shield) und vettukathi (machete). Training with weapons, especially with metal weapons, helps to overcome fears and to learn to concentrate and focus.


Verumkai - freehand technique

Verumkai means that you being unarmed face somebody with or without a weapon. This is the fourth and most advanced level of kalari training. In kalarippayat, every part of the body is considered a weapon: fist, knee, elbow etc. You use them for hits, pushes, kicks and locks as techniques for attack and defense. Hits and kicks are directed towards the marmas (vital points) on the body of the opponent.