Silambam
- State: Tamil Nadu
- Features
- Majorly weapon used “Silambam staff” as a weapon.
- Silambam art also used animal movements of the snake, tiger, eagle forms. Footwork patterns also play a key role here.
- Another part of Silambam is Kuttu varisai, it is the unarmed kind of martial art.
Pic Credit – Wikimedia Commons
Kalaripayattu
- State: Kerala
- Features
- One of the oldest fighting systems practised in south India.
- Kalari is the school or training hall where martial arts are taught
- It includes strikes, kicks and some weapon-based practises.
- Footwork patterns are the most important key in this art form.
- Legend says Parashuram started this.
Pic Credit – Wikimedia Commons
Gatka
- State: Punjab
- Features
- Gatka is a weapon-based Indian martial art basically created by the Sikhs.
- Gatka means “One whose freedom belongs to race”.
- There are many weapons used in Gatka like, Stick, Talwar, and kirpan.
- The attacking and defence methods are based upon the positions of the hands, feet and nature of weapons.
- It is also displayed during the different celebrations or at fairs in Punjab.
Pic Credit – Wikimedia Commons
Kathi Samu
- State: Andhra Pradesh
- Features
- Kathi Samu is one of the ancient martial arts practised by the royal armies of the region.
- The place where Kathi Samu is performed is known as ‘garidi.’
- Stick fighting known as ‘vairi’ has an important role in Kothi Samu and it is the prelude to the actual sword fight.
- The fighting takes place between two persons brandishing long and curved swords.
- ‘Gareja’ in which a participant holds four swords, two in each hand and ‘Dal Farri Khadga’ are other important aspects of the sword skills.
Musti Yuddha
- State: “Varanasi”, Uttar Pradesh.
- Features
- It is an unarmed martial art from the oldest city of India
- The technique used in this martial arts are punches, kicks, knees and elbow.
- This style is a complete art of physical, mental and spiritual features.
Thang Ta
- State: Manipur
- Other Name: Also known as Huyen Lallong.
- Features
- Manipuri martial arts with swords and spears are strong yet gracefully sophisticated.
- Huyen Langlon martial art from Manipur consists of two main components, armed combat and unarmed fighting.
Pic Credit- Hindustan Times
Lathi Khela
- It also refers to one of the world’s oldest weapons used in martial arts.
- Lathi or stick martial arts is practised in Punjab and Bengal regions of India.
- Lathi still remains a popular sport in Indian villages.
- A practitioner is known as lathial.
Mardani Khel
- State: Maharashtra
- Features
- Mardani Khel is an armed method of martial art created by the Marathas.
- Mainly Uses swords & requires rapid movements.
Malla Khamb
- State: Madhya Pradesh
- Feature
- A traditional Indian sport in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga postures
- The word Mallakhamb refers to the pole used in the sport.
- Three popular versions of Mallakhamba are practised using a sheesham pole, cane, or rope.
Sqay
- UT: Jammu and Kashmir
- Features
- Form of sword-fighting.
- Armed sqay makes use of a curved single-edged sword paired with a shield, or one sword in each hand.
- Unarmed techniques incorporate kicks, punches, locks and chops.
