Grandmother keeps ancient martial art alive
78-year-old has been a driving force in the revival of kalaripayattu
There are two divisions in kalaripayattu - one is that kalaripayattu is peace and the other is kalaripayattu in war. It’s an art that purifies mind, body and soul, improves concentration.
Deftly parrying her son with a bamboo cane, Meenakshi Amma belies her 78 years with her prowess at kalari, thought to be India’s oldest martial art.
The great-grandmother in Kerala has been a driving force in the revival of kalaripayattu, as the ancient practice is also known, and in encouraging
Meenakshi Amma | Kalaripayattu master
girls to take it up. “I started kalari when I was seven years old. I am 78 now. I am still practising, learning and teaching,” the matriarch of the Kadathanad Kalari Sangham school, founded by her late husband in 1949.
Kalari, which contains elements of dance and yoga, can involve weapons such as swords, shields and staffs. Reputedly 3,000 years old, and mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures, it remains infused with religion in the present day.
“There are two divisions in kalaripayattu — one is that kalaripayattu is peace and the other is kalaripayattu in war. It’s an art that purifies mind, body and soul, improves concentration, speed and patience, regenerates physical and mental energy,” says Amma.