Kalaripayattu is considered by many scholars to be the world’s oldest surviving martial art, with roots in Kerala going back at least 3,000 years. But its significance extends beyond combat — it is the physical foundation on which Kerala’s most spectacular theatrical traditions, including Kathakali, were built. Understanding Kalaripayattu is essential to understanding why Kerala’s performing arts look and move the way they do.
What Is Kalaripayattu?
Kalaripayattu (meaning “practice in the kalari” — the training ground) is a comprehensive martial art system from Kerala that includes unarmed combat techniques, weapons training (swords, spears, shields, and flex-weapons), healing practices (Ayurvedic treatment of injuries), and ritual elements (offerings to the guardian deity of the kalari). It is practiced in a special earthen training space (kalari) that has its own geometric layout and ritual significance.
The art is divided into two major regional styles: the Northern style (Vadakkan Kalaripayattu) practiced in Malabar and known for its high-kicking acrobatic style, and the Southern style (Thekkan Kalaripayattu) practiced in Travancore and focused on a more compact, powerful fighting system. Both styles share foundational principles of body conditioning, flexibility training, and awareness of vital energy points (marma).
The Physical Foundation of Kathakali
Kathakali’s extraordinary physical demands — the ability to execute precise eye movements, dance in a deeply bent-knee position for hours, wear massive costumes while maintaining expressive control — come directly from Kalaripayattu training. The bent-knee stance (meippayattu) that characterizes Kathakali’s distinctive silhouette is a fighting stance from Kalaripayattu. The eye exercises that Kathakali requires — moving eyes independently in all directions, expressing eight emotional states through eye position — developed from the heightened physical awareness that Kalaripayattu training cultivates.
Historically, Kathakali performers underwent Kalaripayattu training as the physical foundation of their theatre training. The oil massage (Uzhichil) that still begins Kathakali training is directly borrowed from Kalaripayattu’s body conditioning practice. The ability to control fine muscle groups throughout the face and body — which makes Kathakali’s expressive system possible — was built through the martial art’s rigorous conditioning.
Kalaripayattu and Theyyam
Theyyam — Kerala’s ritual possession theatre — also draws on Kalaripayattu’s physical vocabulary. Some Theyyam forms involve fire-walking, jumping over flames, and executing physically demanding sequences in elaborate costumes. The physical training that makes this possible comes from martial arts conditioning. Specific Theyyam forms connected to warrior ancestors or martial deities directly incorporate fighting postures and weapons from the Kalaripayattu tradition.
The Global Influence of Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu’s global significance extends beyond India. Several martial arts scholars argue that Kalaripayattu was transmitted to China via Buddhist monks in the 5th-6th centuries CE, where its principles influenced the development of Kung Fu at the Shaolin monastery. While this claim is debated, the historical connection between Bodhidharma (an Indian monk credited in Chinese tradition with bringing martial arts to China) and the Kerala tradition is taken seriously by historians of martial arts.
In the 20th century, Kalaripayattu’s principles of body awareness, economy of movement, and integration of mind and body attracted attention from Western theatre directors. Eugenio Barba, Peter Brook, and others studied Kalaripayattu as part of their investigation of the relationship between martial arts and theatrical performance. Philip Zarrilli developed an entire actor training methodology based on Kalaripayattu that is now taught in theatre schools across Europe and America.
Kalaripayattu Today
Kalaripayattu experienced a significant decline under British colonial rule, which banned many martial arts practices. Its revival began in the early 20th century, partly through the work of activists connected to the cultural nationalism movement. Today it is practiced across Kerala, with established kalaris in every major city. It has also spread internationally, with schools in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia.
The connection between Kalaripayattu and theatre training is being consciously revived. Kerala Kalamandalam and other classical arts institutions have reintegrated Kalaripayattu training into their Kathakali curriculum, restoring a connection that was weakened during the institutional formalization of classical arts training in the 20th century.