Kalarichikilsa
"Ayam me hasto bhagavan{ My hand is the lord }
Ayam me bhagavattarah{ Boundlessly blissful is my hand }
Ayam me visvabheshajah{ This hand holds all healing secrets }
Ayam shivabhimarshanah"{ Which make whole with its gentle touch }
---Rig Veda
Marmams (vulnerable parts of the human body): It is claimed that learned persons can disable or kill their opponents by a mere touch in a Marmam. Marmam is taught only to the promising and level-headed persons, to forbid misuse of the technique.
Kalarippayyattu teachers often provide massages (Malayalam:uzhichil) with traditional medicinal oils to their students in order to increase their physical flexibility or to treat muscle injuries encountered during practice. Such massages are generally termed Thirumal and the unique massage given to increase physical flexibility is known as Katcha thirumal.
Kalari marma treatment is as sophisticated as the uzhichil treatment of Ayurveda. This system of marma treatment comes under Sidha Vaidhyam, whose origin is attributed to Sage Agasthya and his disciples.
KALARI TREATMENT
The training of a student to become a master includes the training in Ayurveda and in locating the vital points of the body. A Kalari Guru is not only a trained movement artist but also a professional in Ayurveda, a doctor who treats people of diseases and general ailments. Kalari has developed a traditional orthopedic system which is widely popular all over the states, especially for the setting of displaced bones. There are different types of Oils, pastes, herbs etc are used only by kalari masters to treat muscle and bone injuries.
Kalari Massage
The first stage of the preparation of a warrior and the artiste is based on oil massage known as Udvarthaizam or Uzhichal. The Ayurvedic tradition of Susrutha says that diseases are afraid of approaching a body which has been foot-massaged, just like animals in the sight of a lion.
Kalari massage is a traditional massage, performed by the therapist using his hand and feet, applying appropriate pressure to specific vital parts of the body. It involves a full body massage with medicated oil and stimulating or massaging the Marma points on the body.
Usually an uzhichil course lasts for fourteen days. At the time of this massage the student has to follow strict restrictions in his or her daily routines. He should not expose to the sun for a long time should take only the prescribed food and drinks and should follow strict celibacy.
Massage helps the body to attain a healthy constitution as well as flexibility, nimbleness and suppleness. Moreover, massage enables proper blood circulation and easy maneuverability of the body for turning and twisting. Kalari massage not only relieves back pain, stiffness and sports injuries but also stimulates various bodily organs and systems.
Marma points
Marmas are certain vital points of the body. A marma point is a juncture on the body where two or more types of tissue meet, such as muscles, veins, ligaments, bones or joints and 'where the Prana is present'. There are total 108 Marma points in the body in which 64 are considered as kulamarma (deadly points). These points could be used to heel or to harm. If these points are pierced hard, it could result in trauma or even death. A kalari masseur uses the Marma points to heal.
The mind is considered as the 108th marma. The other marma points are classified for better understanding according to the physical components:
Mamsa Marma - muscle
Sira Marma - vessel
Sanyu Marma- Ligament
Asthi Marma- bones
Kalaripayattu and the ancient medical texts in the Dravidian and Sanskrit traditions share the concept of the 'vital spots' in the human body, which is made up of the Pancha Bhootas (five basic elements), air, water, earth, fire and ether. Prana (life energy) flows through the body channeled through marmas or vital points.
Attacking the vital spots caused the opponent to be stunned, disarmed or even killed and is essential to the highest stage of training given by Gurukals to their most accomplished students in the Kalari.
The earliest reference to vital points in combat is in the Rig Veda (1200 BC) where the Lord Indra slays a demon by attacking his marma with his divine weapon.
"Human is an immortal spirit encased in a perishable body so there should be points where spirit hinges matter which are called marmas or vital point"
Kalarichikilsa has its roots in the traditional Ayurveda and sidhaveda systems practiced in south India. Life is an expression of cosmic consciousness and the purpose of life is to realize and express the divinity in one's daily life.
Kalarichikilsa, the body of knowledge with which Gurukals treat and heal combat injuries by manipulating these vital points, is based on marma chikilsa with its roots in the oldest medical practice in the world known as Siddha medicine, which is embodied in ancient Dravidian texts attributed to the sage Agastya who occupies the same position as Hippocrates in modern western medicine.
Agastya identifies 108 vital points in the body and this knowledge is gained by the most exceptional students by dedicated study under their Masters for anywhere between 10 to 12 years by demonstrating great yogic ability and control of mind to avoid the remotest possibility of any misuse of such great powers.
Marma chikilsa, considered by many to be more effective than Ayurveda, employs medicinal oils and herbal preparations to treat a wide range of diseases through manipulation and massage techniques so sophisticated that they are unmatched even in this modern age.
This form of therapy is used to give the flexibility, agility and suppleness to Kalari students, to correct and cure orthopedic deformities and injuries and rheumatoid disorders.
Marma chikilsa is also a complete naturalistic healing system to rejuvenate the body by eliminating toxic imbalances to restore resistance and good health in the highly stressful environment of modern times.
Sandhi Marma - joints
