Kuttu Varisai
Encyclopedia
Kutthu varisai is the unarmed component of silambam
, a Dravidian martial art from Tamil Nadu
in south India
but also practiced by the Tamil people
of Malaysia and northeast Sri Lanka
. The term kuthu varisai means empty hand combat in Tamil
and was first documented in Sangam literature
of the 2nd-1st centuries BC. It is also called kai silambam which means hand silambam.
The meaning of Kuttu Varisai is divided into two words. 'Kuttu' means punch or hit and 'Varisai' means sequence or order. The words it self says using the punches in sequential order. Techniques incorporate striking, grappling, throws and locks. Strikes make use of almost every part of the body such as the fists, elbows, feet, knees, etc. Like many other Asian martial arts, patterns in kuttu varisai make use of animal-based sets including the tiger
, snake
, elephant
, eagle
and monkey
forms. Advanced students are taught the art of pressure point fighting called varma kalai
.
Kaaladi, or footwork patterns, are a fundamental aspect of both kuttu varisai and silambam
. There are sixteen of them among which four are very important. Traditionally, beginners practice only kaaladi for many months before learning any techniques but this is not often done today. Training in kuttu varisai allows the practitioner to get a feel of silambam stick movements using their bare hands, that is, fighters have a preliminary training with bare hands before going to the stick.
Gradually, fighters study footwork to move precisely in conjunction with the stick movements. The ultimate goal of the training is to defend against multiple armed opponents. In both kuthu varisai and silambam
, kaaladi is the key in deriving power for the blows. It teaches how to advance and retreat, to get in range of the opponent without lowering one's defence, aids in hitting and blocking, and it strengthens the body immensely enabling the person to receive non-lethal blows and still continue the battle. The whole body is used to create power. In Kuthu Varisai, gymnastic, stretching (yoga), and breathing exercises are conducted before training.It is also said that Bodhidharma
(the founder of ZEN buddhism) was very good at this Art. And on his travelling way towards Nepal,Tibet and china he observed the fights between monkeys, snakes and other animals. Than he implemented this to kutthu varisai and gave a start to the Chinese Martial Art which we now call as "Kung Fu". Kutthu Varisai is one of the ancient art of INDIA which is dying.
Silambam
Silambam or silambattam is a weapon-based Dravidian martial art from Tamil Nadu in south India but also practised by the Tamil community of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. In Tamil, the word silambam refers to the bamboo staff which is the main weapon used in this style...
, a Dravidian martial art from Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
but also practiced by the Tamil people
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
of Malaysia and northeast Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. The term kuthu varisai means empty hand combat in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and was first documented in Sangam literature
Sangam literature
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
of the 2nd-1st centuries BC. It is also called kai silambam which means hand silambam.
The meaning of Kuttu Varisai is divided into two words. 'Kuttu' means punch or hit and 'Varisai' means sequence or order. The words it self says using the punches in sequential order. Techniques incorporate striking, grappling, throws and locks. Strikes make use of almost every part of the body such as the fists, elbows, feet, knees, etc. Like many other Asian martial arts, patterns in kuttu varisai make use of animal-based sets including the tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
, elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
and monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
forms. Advanced students are taught the art of pressure point fighting called varma kalai
Varma ati
Varma adi or Marma adi is a part of the art of healing and harming Varma Kalai Marma Vidhya, It is a component of adi murai "law of hitting" which is a martial art that teaches methods to attack pressure points of the human body.This system of marmam is part of Siddha Vaidhyam, attributed to...
.
Kaaladi, or footwork patterns, are a fundamental aspect of both kuttu varisai and silambam
Silambam
Silambam or silambattam is a weapon-based Dravidian martial art from Tamil Nadu in south India but also practised by the Tamil community of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. In Tamil, the word silambam refers to the bamboo staff which is the main weapon used in this style...
. There are sixteen of them among which four are very important. Traditionally, beginners practice only kaaladi for many months before learning any techniques but this is not often done today. Training in kuttu varisai allows the practitioner to get a feel of silambam stick movements using their bare hands, that is, fighters have a preliminary training with bare hands before going to the stick.
Gradually, fighters study footwork to move precisely in conjunction with the stick movements. The ultimate goal of the training is to defend against multiple armed opponents. In both kuthu varisai and silambam
Silambam
Silambam or silambattam is a weapon-based Dravidian martial art from Tamil Nadu in south India but also practised by the Tamil community of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. In Tamil, the word silambam refers to the bamboo staff which is the main weapon used in this style...
, kaaladi is the key in deriving power for the blows. It teaches how to advance and retreat, to get in range of the opponent without lowering one's defence, aids in hitting and blocking, and it strengthens the body immensely enabling the person to receive non-lethal blows and still continue the battle. The whole body is used to create power. In Kuthu Varisai, gymnastic, stretching (yoga), and breathing exercises are conducted before training.It is also said that Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
(the founder of ZEN buddhism) was very good at this Art. And on his travelling way towards Nepal,Tibet and china he observed the fights between monkeys, snakes and other animals. Than he implemented this to kutthu varisai and gave a start to the Chinese Martial Art which we now call as "Kung Fu". Kutthu Varisai is one of the ancient art of INDIA which is dying.