In the last thirty years we can observe a worldwide trend in all post-industrial societies-and that is: a search for meaning.

This quest for meaning has been often tied with a rediscovery of our roots: ethnical, cultural, religious. Such rediscovery, at its best, has been done with a wider perspective, informed by a cross-cultural understanding of those basic, universal, tenets found throughout the planet.

Among the others, this gave rise to the movement for human potentials which was geared to recover, experiment and, if necessary, transform ancient wisdom in understandable and useful ways for the modern world.
One recognition that came along with that was, put in a simple sentence, this: we can stand tall because of our ancestors. So we have to pay attention to whatever has been handed down to us.

One of the thing that helped' tremendously to promote a new -comprehension of ancient wisdom and old ways was adopting a multidisciplinary approach. This provided new insights in each different field of investigation because of the new data available through different researches conducted in other disciplines. Such modality promoted a new standard and/or a new paradigm in the studying and learning process. No more narrow "specialized" research which does not allow room for external datas but a blending of inputs from different sources, all contributing to the whole picture, to a better, more empowering understanding.
Kalarippayattu has much to offer in respect of a quest for meaning, and because also here a multidisciplinary study is needed. Kalarippayattu is such a wealth of history, tradition, culture, knowledge and embodied skills (for those who practice it) that not only deserves, but demands, a multidisciplinary study.

History, ethnography, anthropology, psychology, ethology and other behavioral sciences, physical medicine, sports medicine, neurophysiology, physical education, fighting sciences, religion - all these disciplines can profit from a scientific study of Kalarippayattu.

It does not matter from which aspect we start, but some steps should be taken to preserve this legacy, to study it and spread it.

Kalarippayattu as it has been handed down to us, is a unique blend of Aryan and Dravidian contributions, This is reflected both in the martial aspect (Whether fighting techniques or strategies) and in the psychophysical attitude towards fighting. This to remind us the cultural background in which we are moving.

A unique feature of the Northern style of Kalarippayattu is Meippayattu. This is a set of progressive exercises to promote in a very efficient way, first of all strength, flexibility, balance and full control of the body, but also all the attributes needed for fighting.

To clarify this last point, we should explain what it is meant by the word "attributes". Anybody can learn any sports, but why some people get better than others? Of course genetics is one factor, but the major factor is developing "attributes" such as power, speed, rhythm, timing, explosiveness, control of space, sense of the distance, fluidity in movement, drive and, most important of all, appropriate mind-set. These qualities are the key factors that transform an ordinary athlete in a champion.

Because of the effectiveness of Meippayattu, there is, among the others, a growing number of professionals in the performing arts that take Kalarippayattu training to gain those attributes that will enhance their skills in performance. Irrespective of the interest in martial arts, anybody in the body-oriented arts (performance, sports, even healing) can benefit from this training.

Going in some more detail, to give just one example of the depth and the psychophysical implication of Meippayattu, it will be of interest to note the use of two different sets of exercises-one characterized by a linear progression, the other by more softer circular movements-that when practiced in the proper amount and according to the need of the person, can promote more sharp intent or aggressivity or soften that emotional trait in the trainee. The empirical evidence is there to be experienced and verified by anybody. This is body-oriented psychotherapy. People do change with this training. And we feel that behavioral science should probe into this.

Let us get in some points that may interest history, anthropology as well as neurophysiology. We know that Kalarippayattu has been codified probably around the fifth or sixth century and since then it has, more or less, retained the same structure. But how old is Kalarippayattu? We do not have elements to, answer satisfactorily to this question, but if we study closely Meippayattu, we find that animal poses are used. In the light of hand-to-hand combat (whether bare-handed or with weapons-such as sticks or blades) these poses are bio-mechanically efficient stances that allow to act and to perform fighting strategies effectively. But there is more. Here we are not dealing with a mere mimicking of the animals for the sake of borrowing some useful fighting techniques from the animal world. The true aim here is to enter an altered state of consciousness that allows the martial artist to access the predator consciousness of that specific animal, which suits a specific fighting scenario.

This is also corroborated by other aspects of Kalarippayattu such as the tradition of training in a pit dug into the ground, to harness energy and power from the earth.

Because of all these factors briefly illustrated above (altered states of consciousness, body-mind integration, body control etc.) we have to mention the obvious connection or Kalarippayattu with Yoga that makes especially of Meippayattu, a sort of martial hatha yoga.

So this is very unique to Kalarippayat. Kalarippayattu has in Meippayattu a powerful tool capable of transforming body, emotion and consciousness of the trainee.

Another important aspect of Kalarippayattu, that should be of great interest for the medical profession (especially physical medicine and sports medicine), is Kalari chikitsa. Here a few things related to massage has to be mentioned.

In the last few years, throughout Europe and USA, there has been growing interest for Indian massage techniques, especially the so-called Ayurvedic massage. But the fact is that there is no such a thing as Ayurvedic massage. We may read the merits of abhyanga and mardana in Caraka, Sushruta and Vagbhata. Still the fact remains that no hands-on tradition of coidified ayurvedic massage has ever been handed down with the exception of few very simple, unsophisticated forms of abhyanga, that are still use in ayurvedic dispensaries. Without disrespect it has to be mentioned that Ayurvedic professionals know very little about massage. The only people that knows deeply about massage in India (with few exceptions) are those in the fighting arts, whether wrestlers in the North of India or Kalarippayattu practitioners here in Kerala and Adi-Murai practitioners of Tamil Nadu.

Here we have a very rich and diversified range of techniques of massage and manipulation, tested in their efficacy for centuries, along with their own recipes of medicated oils, ointments etc. Massages to promote health and vitality, massages to increase flexibility and suppleness of the body (so needed by martial artists as by any athletes as well), massages for addressing somatic functions caused by trauma, hyperuse or mechanical stress.

Again, a unique corpus of practical knowledge enriched with diversified contributions from Ayurveda, Siddhavaidyam, Yoga of tribal medicine waits to be explored and scientifically investigated. We are talking of a very profound knowledge of the human body, both on the gross level and the subtler levels.

This brief presentation would not be complete if we do not touch another peculiarity of Kalarippayattu, which maintains a very special role both in fighting and in healing-Marma. We find mention of these vital spots in Sushruta samhita and in Tamil Siddha scripts. But, again, Indian traditional medicine scholars talk and write books on marmas, but they probably did not have the necessary resource to know about Marma in depth.

Ask Kalarippayattu practitioners: they know about marmas. They know exactly where they are located they know how to affect them in fighting, how to treat them if injured, how to manipulate them for healing.

This is a special, till now secret, knowledge that Kalarippayattu Gurukkal are reluctant to share (also for obvious good reasons), but knowledge unique to India. You do not find it anywhere else. Only Kalarippayattu practitioners are the keepers of this powerful and fascinating legacy of the vital spots.

Finally, we should consider Kalaripayattu as what, indeed, is - a martial art. Effective sophisticated, hard to match by many other martial arts. Even those arts that we find some what closer to Kalarippayattu (such Indonesian Penchak Silat, Kungufu, or Philipino Kali), are so because are indebted with Kalari Knowledge brought in those countries centuries ago, by south Indian people migrated there.

It is sometimes said that Kalarippayattu is the Father and the Mother of all martial arts. Whether this is true or not, certainly Kalarippayattu is a very ancient tradition of warrior ship, whose scope was much beyond the mere fighting. It had to do with that so called "way of the warrior", aimed to create balanced human beings through the cultivation of body, mind and spirit. In that respect we may say that the contribution of Kalarippayat toward society was broad, because of the role that warriors had in ancient times.

In the present state, Kalarippayattu incorporates three distinct fighting traditions, originated in North, Central and South Kerala.

Each of this tradition is very unique. Few words cannot make justice of their complexities and beauty. Still, for the sake of giving some hints, we can say that, Northern Style, as we mentioned before, has in Meippayattu a codified system to create complete fighters; its approach is mainly linear and powerful and it is especially geared toward weaponry.

Central Style has an incredibly sophisticated system of footwork with great emphasis on circular movements and spinning techniques. This allows to develop great power (even which minimal physical strength is employed), and to manipulate the opponent's attack momentum to our own advantage.
Southern Style is practical and direct in its aim of attacking specific targets on the human body. It is, more than the other two styles, plainly combat-oriented - very much street fighting technology (street-fighting is a term generally used to describe fighting with no rules in a real life scenario).

Also I like to mention the valuable asset in Southern Style, to train the techniques toward the four directions, enabling the martial artist to learn how to control his surrounding space and quickly react.

These are the three "souls" of Kalarippayattu. The presence of these three fighting traditions, each of them so unique, in today's Kalarippayattu makes of this ancient martial art, possibly the most complete, creative and diversified combat training system alive in the world.