<!--QuoteBegin-agnivayu+Sep 14 2006, 10:37 AM-->QUOTE(agnivayu @ Sep 14 2006, 10:37 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->BTW guys I will be writing a book on the Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere. I will have a chapter on how 200,000 Mongols ruled over China.
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Agni,
Indeed it is a fascinating read to see how the Mongols under Kublai Khan captured the entire landmass of China. Infact had Chengez survived a little longer China would have been taken over in his time itself. BTW these Khans were not muslims as the name suggests.
Another tale of bravery was unfurled in Japan when the Samurai's in Japan crushed 2 mongol invasion attempts.Though largely these invading forces were made up of Korean and Chinese.
05-05-2007, 08:33 AM (This post was last modified: 05-05-2007, 08:47 AM by Husky.)
Post 1:
<!--QuoteBegin-Hauma Hamiddha+Sep 30 2003, 10:55 PM-->QUOTE(Hauma Hamiddha @ Sep 30 2003, 10:55 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Please limit this focus to premodern (prior to WWI) warfare touching on the following:
[...][right][snapback]736[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Hauma Hamiddha, I know you've made this a very specific thread. But I don't know where else to put this. If you find the following does not belong here, can you move it to the appropriate thread. Sorry also for the blinding use of colour. 'Can't resist, must colourise. Resistance is futile...'
Excerpts from:
<b>Kalarippayatt, Martial Art of Kerala</b>, Phillip B. Zarrilli, <i>The Drama Review: TDR</i>, Vol. 23, No. 2, Performance Theory: Southeast Asia Issue. (Jun.,
1979), pp. 113-124.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Kalarippayatt, Martial Art of Kerala by Phillip B. Zarrilli</b>
At the start of the sixteenth century, Duarte Barbosa, one of the earliest Portugese to arrive in Kerala, a state in southwest India, provides a description of Kalarippayatt (meaning "place of exercise," referring to the technical system of training in its entirety. Kalari by itself means gymnasium or fencing school.) which although quaint is nevertheless still an apt account of this indigenous martial art system:
<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The more part of the Nairs, when they are seven years of age, are sent to schools, where they are taught many tricks of nimbleness and dexterity, there they teach them to dance and turn about and to twist on the ground, to take royal leaps and other leaps, and this they learn twice a day as long as they are children, and they become so loose jointed and supple that they make them turn their bodies contrary to nature; and when they are fully accomplished in this they teach them to play with the weapon to which they are most inclined, some with bows and arrows, some with poles to become spearmen, but most with sword and are ever practising. . . Longworth Mansel Dames, ed.,
<b>The Book of Duarte Barbosa, Vol. II.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Initial Western reaction to Asian martial arts often takes the form of awed statements at the mastery of sheer physical technique.
What Barbosa does not mention about Kalarippayatt, and what is often not recognized as lying beyond the amazing "royal leaps" of such systems, is the highly integrated fusion of mentallvisual concentration with the physical technique. Psycho-physical integration is the coordination of concentration, energy flow, and physical technique. Kalarippayatt, still taught today by a few gurukkals (teachers) in Kerala, could be part of any Western training program.
Kalarippayatt leads to muscle tone but not to hyperextension. The leg exercises, first singly and then in combinations, develop various skills; flexibility through gradual extension of the muscles; balance through centering and subtle body weight shifts from one exercise to another; and control through mastery of the complex leg movements themselves. The sequences further develop total body control as well as stamina, concentration, and focused energy flow. There is a total flow of energy choreographed in continuing movements through use of the feet, legs, back, hands, arms, head and eyes. The weapons system continues to build upon the preliminary mastery of the body, integrating exercises, poses, steps, jumps, kicks into immediate reflex responses demanding absolute visual and mental concentration.
Kalarippayatt demands daily practice, persistence, and encouragement. Progressing at his own rate, the student is encouraged and assisted by the teacher in overcoming the particular physical problems, tension points, and blocks to visual focuslconcentration. As a system in which the student must preliminarily perfect a predetermined sequence of physical exercises and weapons techniques, Kalarippayatt at first appears restrictive. But through the gradual mastery of the form itself the performer's mind and body are freed into newly-found balance, control, and flexibility combined with directed energy flow. Even in its early stages of training, Kalarippayatt has an intrinsic interest for the student that comes, quite simply, from the challenge of mastering day-by-day his own body as well as advancing through a graded system.
<b>Background</b>
Kalarippayatt has been basically the same since the twelfth century. It synthesizes elements of the ancient all-Indian sciences of war (Dhanur Veda) and medicine (Ayurveda), at the same time transforming these through its own indigenously developed techniques of weapons use, exercises, and massage. At the height of its influence - from the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries - Kalarippayatt was a regular part of the education of Nair youth (the Kerala military caste), who began training at the age of seven. But the system was not restricted to the military caste. Its practice quickly proliferated across caste and religious boundaries with some Muslims, Christians, and Tiyyas (low caste Hindus) becoming well known graduates of their local community's kalari.
(My own comment: Kalarippayat is very much a Hindu martial arts form - see last 2 excerpted paragraphs at bottom. That would make the muslims and christians who studied it were very much heretic kaffirs.)
[....]
The influx of European colonialists attempting to monopolize Kerala's rich spice trade brought increasing dependence upon firearms. The Kerala warriors, trained in a system designed for individual combat or duels, resisted the waves of Europeans struggling for control. <b>With the advent of British supremacy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Nairs were prohibited from training in their traditional disciplines, practicing their traditional role as warriors, and from carrying arms. It was only through the care of several gurukkals that the practice of Kalarippayatt was saved from extinction in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.</b> Today the art is taught by a few teachers. Students today range from eight to sixty years, though the majority are between sixteen and thirty, and are drawn from a wide variety of socioeconomic positions in society.
In spite of the worldwide attention focused upon Kathakali, the form most directly influenced by Kalarippayatt, the martial art has remained relatively unknown outside of India. Kathakali, which evolved during the seventeenth century, drew directly from the martial art its physical training of the body, unique system of massage with the feet (uliccil), distinctive battle choreography, and emphasis on the heroic rasa. The first actors of the dance-drama form were the kalari trained Nair warriors. These actor-warriors transformed Kalarippayatt body exercises, positions, floor patterns, etc. to fit the unique esthetic style and body position of the evolving dance-drama: the splayed knees, use of outsides of the feet, etc. (While the vigorous physicality of Kathakali is drawn from Kalarippayatt, its esthetically intricate use of hand gestures (mudras) and facial gesture is drawn from Kerala's Sanskrit temple-drama, Kutiyattam.)
Naturally, the Kalarippayatt system was designed to produce the proficient warrior. The maxim, "the weapon is only an extension of the body" (still told to students today), illustrates the close connection between preliminary physical training and advanced weapons practice. The primacy of physical culture is asserted from the first day of training when the student is introduced to an "alphabet" of leg exercises. Weapons training only comes after the student has gained proficiency in physical technique. The degree of advancement is closely monitored by the teacher who judges each student's progress in balance, control, flexibility, stamina, and immediacy of reflexes. Development of the proper mental attitude is just as important as physical mastery. Kalarippayatt has no highly articulated philosophical system. While the art is not selfconsciously yogic, mystical, or meditative, it does foster an attitude of reverence and respect for the individual's body/mind, for the tradition, for the deities who are believed to guard and protect the individual, and for the gurukkal's knowledge. At its best, the practice of the system nurtures in the student a fusion of mind and body, developed through concentration of attention, strict visual focus, and the individual's striving for mastery of the form's complexities; a sense of humility when the student realizes the skill, patience, and perseverance needed to become a master of the form; and a sense of well-being coming from the inner strength based on the individual's awareness that he need fear no one. The teacher must have the innate ability to perceive the student's attitude that provides the foundation for progress in the system. <b>If the teacher thinks that the student might misuse certain techniques, he will refuse to impart some of the more "secretive" elements of the system.</b> Reverence and respect are absorbed more from the environment in the kalari and the teacher's approach to the discipline than from the system of instruction per se.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->So far it follows all other Indian (martial) art forms. Including the way that it's the teacher's responsibility to decide whether to impart or withhold certain techniques and knowledge.
<b>How Hindu is it? Well:</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The deities of the kalari range in number from seven to as many as twenty-one, depending upon the gurukkal's family tradition, or the community's local traditions. The presiding deity of the kalari, kalari bhagavati (the deity of war), is located in the kannu mula or southwest corner of the kalari, where she is lodged on the puttara, a raised platform of seven tiers (Figure # I ) . Other deities often include nagabhagavati (serpent god), ganapadi (elephant god), the pitham or tripod (representing past gurus), and antimahalan and vettaykkorumakan (incarnations of siva).
The ritual life of the kalari centers around daily worship of the deities, as well as special observances on days auspicious for the particular kalari. The gurukkal is revered as the direct representative of the deities, the living embodiment of the entire line of gurus represented by the pitham. As custodians of the art of war, the gurukkal is entitled to the same respect as the deities, a tradition popularly believed to extend to the teachers of the Dhanur Vedic tradition, such as Drona (the Pandavas' teacher in the Mahabharata).
The integral link between ritual life and daily training is even found in the physical exercises. The first body exercise sequence taught-the first sequence constructed from the beginning exercises-is the puttara to1 (Figure # 2). When performing this exercise the student is worshipping the deities with his body, a physical manifestation of the reverence for the traditions of the kalari, the line of gurukkals, and the protectlon from injury given by the deities. (The puttara to1 sequence is essentially the same pattern used for mutual "salutes" prior to any combat sequence in the kalari (or in duels) with otta or sword and shield. The practice of mutual salutes illustrates the feudal nature of duels in Kerala.)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->The mutual salutes has nothing to do with 'feudal nature', it has to do with the same reasons as why people do Namaskaram/Namasthe <= unless they want to describe that as being 'feudal' in nature too <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Kalari Cikitsa: The Medical System</b>
As the kalari gurukkal is priest, so is he healer or physician. Traditional training of the gurukkal includes specialization in indigenous medical preparations and techniques for preventive health care and treatment. Built on the all-Indian Ayurvedic medical system, kalari cikitsa is an indigenously developed branch of treatments for kalari-related injuries such as bruises, bonefreaks, wounds, etc. As physician the gurukkal treats injuries to the body's marmas (vital spots), a system ultimately applied in combat-thrusts, blows, cuts are aimed at these most vital spots of the opponent. (The concept of marmas is developed in classical Ayurvedic practice through the surgical methods of Susruta, as recorded in his Samhita, the major source of Ayurvedic knowledge of surgery and anatomy. Marmas developed as a concept of regional anatomy which overcame the defects of an inadequate system of dissection. Susruta defined the marmas as "Firm unions of mamsa (muscles), sira (vessels), snayu (ligaments), asthi (bones), or santhi (bone-joints) . . . and these naturally and specifically form the seats of life (prana)." (Ancient Indian Medicine by P. Kutumbiah. There are usually 107 marmas listed. In Kalarippayatt 64 of these are considered the kula or most vital marmas and therefore play a role in martial training.) Treatment includes first aid for kalari or battlefield injuries, methods of extended care, and the special system of massage, uliccil.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Just a note on the use of the word 'indigenous' - in the above excerpts it's referring to Kerala and Malayalis. (Not some Dravidioid vs Oryan vs Tribal fantasia.)
Anyone know the age of the Kalari martial tradition? Some people say the name originated in the 12th century or so, therefore it couldn't have existed before that, but creation myths (Parashurama) point out to a greater antiquity.
<!--QuoteBegin-digvijay+Sep 13 2006, 10:39 PM-->QUOTE(digvijay @ Sep 13 2006, 10:39 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->
Lastly India unlike, the entire middle east, Iran, Iraq etc was not easily converted to Islam because Hindus kept fighting for there religion. And regarding Bin Qasim , read here: (He was defeated when he attacked Chittor and defeat was so decisive that the caliphate had no major success for next 300 years.
The Hindu paurANic style never died out. We know of the many responses seen in Sanskrit literature to the Mohammedan onslaught. We had earlier seen how kShemendra had described the kali yuga before the coming of kalki. The learned Ravlekar had furnished us with two texts of interest. One was the particular text titled the kalki-purANa. In this it is narrated that demonic turuShka or mlechCha king named shashi-dhvaja (the moon-bannered one) whose capital lies in the desert will cause untold misery on the earth by ravaging Aryavarta and destroying the dharma. Ruling the world this shashi-dhvaja would spread the mlechCha atrocities all over the world until he encounters kalki. In the fierce battle that would happen in a certain bhallATapura kalki would behead shashi-dhvaja, destroy numberless dasyu-s, turuShka-s and mlechChas, and relieve the earth from their dreadful grasp. However, only a few surviving forms describe the exploits of Hindu heroes in their struggle against the turuShkas and mlechChas. This was the topic of the second text: The shiva-bhArata of paramAnanda describing he exploits of the founder of the maharatta nation. paramAnanda says it is the bhArata of shivAjI, even as the mahAbhArata of the bharatas.
paramAnanda says (I translate it to roughly approximate paramAnanda's verse):
uShNISheNaiva shuchinA vyabhAd-uttamsa-dhAriNA |
kashmIraja-pR^iShad-varSha-raMjitena-a~Ngikena cha ||
shiva-varmA bR^ishbalaH saMvR^itaH shiva-varmaNA |
tasya vajra-sharIrasya kiM kAryaM tena varmaNA ||
kR^ipANaM pANi-naikena bibhrANo.anyena paTTishaM |
sa nandaka-gadA-hastaH sAkShAd-dharid-udaikShyata ||
With a pure [white] turban bearing a shining crest jewel,
with his body raimented in a patterned kashmir silk garment,
shiva-varman bhR^ishbala (shivAjI bhosle) was encased in shiva's armor.
With an adamantine body like his, what was the need of an armor?
With a sword in one hand and bearing a paTTisha* in the other,
he appeared like hari himself with the nandaka and gadA.
*The modern translators of paurANic texts often hopelessly mess up the translation of the term paTTisha. Most common depictions of shivAjI by contemporary and subsequent painters show him exactly as described by paramAnanda holding a sword in one hand and paTTisha in the other. A modern day Maharatta will tell you that the paTTisha is a "daNDa-paTTa" and several specimens of it are found in Maharatta weapon collections. I have even encountered a modern Maharattas ply the paTTisha with great proficiency and cleanly slice a lemon placed on a pole with it. The paTTisha is an ancient and unique Indo-Aryan weapon. The mahAbharata repeatedly mentions it as being used in the great bhArata war. For example:
bhIShma parvan 86 (critical edition)
tena mAyA-mayAH kL^iptA hayAstAvanta eva hi .
svArUDhA rAkShasair-ghoraiH shUla-paTTisha-pANibhiH .. 52..||
In describing a battle of irAvAn and alambusha, the brahma-rAkShasa, it mentions the well-mounted terrible rAkShasa hordes wielding tridents and pATTisha-s.
Again in bhIShma parvan 92 (critical edition) in the list of traditional hindu weapons mentioned there the paTTisha figures:
samare patitaish-chaiva shakty-R^iShTi shara-tomaraiH |
nistriMshaiH paTTishaiH prAsair-ayaH kuntaiH parashvadhaiH .. 56..||
parighair-bhindipAlaish-cha shataghnIbhis-tathaiva cha .
sharIraiH shastra-bhinnaish-cha samAstIryata medinI .. 57..||
The weapons mentioned are shakti, R^iShTi, shara (arrow), tomara, nistriMsha, paTTisha, prAsa, iron kunta, battle axe, parigha, bhindipAla and shataghni.
The later devI-mAhAtmyaM mentions the same weapon (The mahAlakShmi section):
chachArAsura sainyeShu vaneShv-iva hutAshanaH |
niHshvAsAn.h mumuche yAMsh-cha yudhyamAnA raNe.ambikA || 52||
ta eva sadyaH sambhUtA gaNAH shata-sahasrashaH |
yuyudhuste parashubhir-bhindipAlAsi-paTTishaiH || 53||
The gaNas emerging from the breath of aMbikA are described as fighting with battle axes, bhindipAla-s, swords and paTTisha-s
Looking for homologs of the paTTisha used by the Maharatta in other parts of India one encounters the urumi or chuttuvAL of the kaLaripayattu, which probably is the only surviving ancient Hindu martial system. The urumi is a highly prized weapon used only by the best trained in the martial system. This shows that paTTisha had a long continuous tradition in India that never went out of vogue until recently-- evidently it can be very effective with a skilled user. It should hence be conceived as a flexible, long two-edged razor foil, and not like the many faulty translations of this term. While the accounts of the killing of Afzal Khan differ in detail, at least some accounts mention that shivAjI used the paTTisha to dispatch him after stabbing him with the dagger or tiger claws.
<!--QuoteBegin-Pandyan+May 16 2007, 09:30 AM-->QUOTE(Pandyan @ May 16 2007, 09:30 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Anyone know the age of the Kalari martial tradition? Some people say the name originated in the 12th century or so, therefore it couldn't have existed before that, but creation myths (Parashurama) point out to a greater antiquity.
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7 minutes of some amazing Martial Arts by my friends in Kerala, South India. It's from a very, very rough video - remember those? filmed by one camera at a time, so picture quality is rough. But you should be able to geta feel for the martial art form itself. (more) (less)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B09zqMiA4k
Kalaripayattu - The Orient's treasure trove, a gift to the modern world and the mother of all martial arts. Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to Sage Parasurama- the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea. Kalaripayattu originated in ancient South India. Kung- fu, popularized by the monks of the Shoaling Temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma - an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master.
Crafted in ancient South India drawing inspiration from the raw power and sinuous strength of the majestic animal forms - Lion, Tiger, Elephant, Wild Boar, Snake, and Crocodile ........ Kalaripayattu laid down the combat code of the Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas. Shrouded in deep mystery and mists of secrecy Kalaripayattu was taught by the masters in total isolation, away from prying eyes.
Following the collapse of the princely states and the advent of free India - Kalaripayattu has lost its significance as a mortal combat code. In a Phoenix-like resurrection, Kalaripayattu is today emerging in a new avatar - an ancient art form - a source of inspiration for self-expression in dance forms - both traditional and contemporary, in theatre, in fitness and in movies too. (more) (less)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Mp3pDcgR8
Kalaripayattu - The Orient's treasure trove, a gift to the modern world and the mother of all martial arts. Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to Sage Parasurama- the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea. Kalaripayattu originated in ancient South India. Kung- fu, popularized by the monks of the Shoaling Temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma - an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master.
Crafted in ancient South India drawing inspiration from the raw power and sinuous strength of the majestic animal forms - Lion, Tiger, Elephant, Wild Boar, Snake, and Crocodile ........ Kalaripayattu laid down the combat code of the Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas. Shrouded in deep mystery and mists of secrecy Kalaripayattu was taught by the masters in total isolation, away from prying eyes.
Following the collapse of the princely states and the advent of free India - Kalaripayattu has lost its significance as a mortal combat code. In a Phoenix-like resurrection, Kalaripayattu is today emerging in a new avatar - an ancient art form - a source of inspiration for self-expression in dance forms - both traditional and contemporary, in theatre, in fitness and in movies too. (more) (less)
Kalaripayattu - The Orient's treasure trove, a gift to the modern world and the mother of all martial arts. Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to Sage Parasurama- the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea. Kalaripayattu originated in ancient South India. Kung- fu, popularized by the monks of the Shoaling Temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma - an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master.
Crafted in ancient South India drawing inspiration from the raw power and sinuous strength of the majestic animal forms - Lion, Tiger, Elephant, Wild Boar, Snake, and Crocodile ........ Kalaripayattu laid down the combat code of the Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas. Shrouded in deep mystery and mists of secrecy Kalaripayattu was taught by the masters in total isolation, away from prying eyes.
Following the collapse of the princely states and the advent of free India - Kalaripayattu has lost its significance as a mortal combat code. In a Phoenix-like resurrection, Kalaripayattu is today emerging in a new avatar - an ancient art form - a source of inspiration for self-expression in dance forms - both traditional and contemporary, in theatre, in fitness and in movies too. (more) (less)
Kalaripayattu - The Orient's treasure trove, a gift to the modern world and the mother of all martial arts. Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to Sage Parasurama- the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea. Kalaripayattu originated in ancient South India. Kung- fu, popularized by the monks of the Shoaling Temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma - an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master.
Crafted in ancient South India drawing inspiration from the raw power and sinuous strength of the majestic animal forms - Lion, Tiger, Elephant, Wild Boar, Snake, and Crocodile ........ Kalaripayattu laid down the combat code of the Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas. Shrouded in deep mystery and mists of secrecy Kalaripayattu was taught by the masters in total isolation, away from prying eyes.
Following the collapse of the princely states and the advent of free India - Kalaripayattu has lost its significance as a mortal combat code. In a Phoenix-like resurrection, Kalaripayattu is today emerging in a new avatar - an ancient art form - a source of inspiration for self-expression in dance forms - both traditional and contemporary, in theatre, in fitness and in movies too. (more) (less)
05-19-2007, 07:54 AM (This post was last modified: 05-19-2007, 10:30 AM by Husky.)
<!--QuoteBegin-acharya+May 19 2007, 07:26 AM-->QUOTE(acharya @ May 19 2007, 07:26 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kalaripayattu - The Orient's treasure trove, a gift to the modern world and the mother of all martial arts. Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to Sage Parasurama- the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea. Kalaripayattu originated in ancient South India. <b>Kung- fu, popularized by the monks of the Shoaling Temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma - an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master.</b>[right][snapback]69009[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->About the bold bit in the above excerpt: http://www.namyang.co.uk/learn-martial-art...artial-arts.php
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>The Origins of Shaolin Kung Fu</b>
<b>Tat Moh - the father of all martial arts</b>
The origin of Shaolin Kung Fu is generally credited to an Indian monk named Tat Moh, who is also known as Bodhidharma. The first name is the Chinese name he holds, the latter an Indian name. He began life as a prince in Southern India, but became a devoted Buddhist, renouncing his royal heritage to take up the simple lifestyle of a monk. He traveled widely, spreading the teachings of Buddhism. Eventually he rose to become the 28th Patriarch of Indian Buddhism.
<b>Shao Lin - The 'Little Forest' Temple</b>
In those days, it was common for Indian monks to travel to China where their Buddhist teachings were generally eagerly received. In the year <b>520 A.D.</b> Tat Moh made just such a journey, right through India and China, crossing the huge barrier of the Himalaya mountain range and finally arriving at a monastery called Shao Lin - which means 'little forest'.
He was disappointed, however, to find the monks very weak and unable to withstand the austere ways of Buddhism - a life which often consisted of long fasts and frugal living. The journey Tat Moh had made simply to be there bears testiment to his huge physical powers - to cross the Himalayas in this day and age is no small task and back then the trail was plagued by bandits and wild animals. The reason he arrived alone was simply because all his followers had died along the perilous journey.
<b>Chi Kung - The First Formal Martial Arts Instruction</b>
Tat Moh therefore retired into a cave and meditated in isolation in order to find a solution to the problem. When he emerged after nine years of hard study, he had devised a set of exercises for the monks. <b>These were similar to some Indian exercises such as Yoga </b>and were intended to regulate and strengthen the monks' chi flow. Their intention was to build the monks vigour and increase their health and vitality; and this they did, so successfully that Tat Moh's Chi Kung exercises are still practiced to this day. They form the basis of the Shaolin Martial Arts.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->More at that link.
More on this, as well as a bit on Chinese Buddhist Chi and Hindu Prana, mentioned in Rajesh_G's earlier post #89 in this thread. And HH's post 91 corrects a statement in there.
Wow, so much useful stuff already from way before I joined. And I was under the wrong impression that I'd read and reread most everything on IF already. Obviously not. Good stuff.
I remember one episode of TV Serial 'Discovery of India' in which they showed that Raja Raja Chola (played by Om Puri - though in my imagination Rajaraja must have been an enormously handsome man) appoints a Korean/Chinese expert to create a new regiment of his army trained in Kalari-Payattu-based chinese-perfected martial arts.
I also remember seeing in another one (based upon a portugese account) that every morning Raja Krishna Deva Rai of Vijayanagara used to drink a large volume of ghee/dhrit (5 litres!) and spend morning hours in malla practice followed by horse riding and swords. I remember being amazed.
How true may be the above two?
Recently someone gave me a video film on Ayurveda, in which is interviewed a descendant of traditional practiceners of Siddha medicine/Marma Shastra living in Coimbatore, describing how Europeans in 18/19th century cut off the fingers of their forefathers to suppress that art, and reounts how kings of Malabar valued the worth of this art as to secretly protect some of them, even at the cost angering their allies - the British. Also seen another video, a National Geographic episode on Kalari Payattu. This is a very well researched documentary. (I hope all have seen that. If not, I can try to upload on youtube.)
Can KP be learnt today by someone living far from Kerala?
05-19-2007, 12:57 PM (This post was last modified: 05-19-2007, 01:06 PM by Husky.)
<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+May 19 2007, 11:33 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ May 19 2007, 11:33 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Recently someone gave me a video film on Ayurveda, in which is interviewed a descendant of traditional practiceners of Siddha medicine/Marma Shastra living in Coimbatore, describing how Europeans in 18/19th century cut off the fingers of their forefathers to suppress that art, and reounts how kings of Malabar valued the worth of this art as to secretly protect some of them, even at the cost angering their allies - the British.[right][snapback]69023[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Praise be to the christocolonials like the Brits! What a blessing they were to India. Their wondrous record in India has been suppressed for so long, it's most unfair. The world ought to learn how christocompassionate and kind they were to Hindus.
The christian art of maiming was one of their oft-practised hobbies in India, as was other torture and book burning:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>The burning of ancient books on Ayurveda in Kerala</b>, so as to impose the European system of medicine on the natives, <b>the cutting of weavers' thumbs in Bengal</b> with a view of crippling the production of superior Indian cloth and ensuring the sale of British products, the ruthless, often bloody, extortion of revenue from the peasants for decades on end, even in the midst of the worst famines, the whipping, hangings and tortures that awaited those who opposed the Empire - these are only a few among the unending examples of the "providential character" of the British rule. But they took place too far from the "civilized" world to attract any notice. The Britons like the relief of high-sounding speeches in London's salons, adorned with a few pagan objects d'art purloined from India. )<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> ( http://www.hinduwisdom.info/European_Imperialism.htm )
I get all teary-eyed when I hear how wonderful christocolonials were... But not to worry, they've left a wonderful legacy behind in the Congress, communists and christoterrorism, that continue where they left off.
Hi, Sorry if i'm interrupting an ongoing discussion, but just thought I'll repost one of my posts in another thread (Maurya & Gupta empire) in this thread as it appears to be more relevant here. If anybody wants to respond to these, please do
Is there any book or source which can shed more light on the warfare and military tactics during these (Gupta) times.
The Gupta defence, especially Skandagupta's valor against the Huns is well known. The Hun fighting mode was of skillful mounted archery, very mobile and agile, the Romans and Persians came to nought against this, yet the Guptas were able to keep them off at bay for long and we know that Yasovarman finally defeated Mihiragula on his own unlike Khusro the Persian emperor who had to take assistance of nomadic Turks for defeating the Huns.
It would be interesting to know and reconstruct how these engagements would have been.
05-20-2007, 10:12 AM (This post was last modified: 05-21-2007, 06:39 AM by acharya.)
Not directly related, but dont know where else to place.
Satyajit Ray always tried to show in the background, the niches of Indian culture. In this video from 'Apur Sansar' (1950), he showed a pehelwan doing the traditional Hindu physical exercise on the bank of Ganga, which are still popular in the villages.
Why have we forgotten to practice Hindu exercises : like danDa - baithak, surya namaskar, and our traditional push-ups? Can we not make these hip today in the world?
<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+May 19 2007, 11:33 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ May 19 2007, 11:33 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Can KP be learnt today by someone living far from Kerala?
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Yes, although I am not sure if the KP lessons offered outside of India can match up to learning KP in a gurukula environment. It's taught in Malaysia and there is a European KP practitioner that teaches it in London.
Bodhi if you want to find out how the real Raja Raja Cholan looked, watch that Lost Temples of India doc I posted, it shows a brief contemporary picture of his recently found, also if you are able can you post the Kalari part of the National geographic doc on youtube cuz that doc isnt available online.
<!--QuoteBegin-Bharatvarsh+May 20 2007, 04:19 PM-->QUOTE(Bharatvarsh @ May 20 2007, 04:19 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->if you are able can you post the Kalari part of the National geographic doc on youtube cuz that doc isnt available online.
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youtube did not allow me, since the video is about 46 mins long, 125 MB in avi format, and one can only post the videos of upto 10 mins. And I don't know how I can break the video into 5 parts. So, I have uploaded the file at shared location.
05-21-2007, 06:48 AM (This post was last modified: 05-21-2007, 06:59 AM by acharya.)
<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+May 19 2007, 04:42 PM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ May 19 2007, 04:42 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Not directly related, but dont know where else to place.
Satyajit Ray always tried to show in the background, the niches of Indian culture. In this video from 'Apur Sansar' (1950), he showed a pehelwan doing the traditional Hindu physical exercise on the bank of Ganga, which are still popular in the villages.
Why have we forgotten to practice Hindu exercises : like danDa - baithak, surya namaskar, and our traditional push-ups? Can we not make these hip today in the world?
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1. Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing straight ahead.
2. Keep you back straight and lower your buttocks until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
3. As you lower your buttocks your hands are BEHIND your legs, and they follow you toward the ground.
4. As you approach the parallel-to-the-ground position, you should simultaneously raise your heels from the floor.
5. Lower your buttocks until they touch the back of your calves.
6. Push off your toes, raising your body to a standing position.
7. As you raise your body, your hands come IN FRONT of your body. They continue to rise until they are level with your chest.
8. Once you have reached the up-position, pull your arms in toward your chest as if you are rowing a boat. Make tight fists with your hands and pull. Your elbows will be next to your body as you pull.
9. Inhale as you pull your arms in, exhale as you lower yourself.
10. Stay focused on your breathing.
Fitness Exercise Two - 50-Straight Hindu Pushups
1. Start with your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
2. Your feet are on the floor (no knees) and your legs are wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Starting position is butt in the air, head looking back to your heels.
4. Bend your elbows and lower your body in a circular arc, until your arms are straight. Your chest is up and your hips are almost touching the ground.
5. Look to the ceiling. Exhale.
6. Push back toward your heels once again. Straightening your arms and stretching your legs, as in #3.
05-21-2007, 05:08 PM (This post was last modified: 05-21-2007, 06:03 PM by Pandyan.)
<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+May 21 2007, 04:39 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ May 21 2007, 04:39 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->youtube did not allow me, since the video is about 46 mins long, 125 MB in avi format, and one can only post the videos of upto 10 mins. And I don't know how I can break the video into 5 parts. So, I have uploaded the file at shared location.Â
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Bodhi, I have the resources to split and upload it onto youtube. I'm currently downloading your file. I'll post a link to my youtube page after I'm done uploading them.
EDIT: bodhi for some reason i keep getting an error when i try to download the file. try using megaupload.
The cities of Harappa were major trading centers. The mysterious seals from the Indus civilization have been found in urban ruins as far away as Sumer in Mesopotamia. Jade from present-day China and precious jewels from what is now Burma have been unearthed at various Indus sites. Despite these overseas contacts, Harappan peoples appear to have been intensely conservative and highly resistant to innovations introduced from the outside. They cast tools and weapons in bronze, but most of their tools were inferior to those of Mesopotamian peoples with whom they had contacts, and their weapons were even more primitive. They lacked swords, tipped their spears with bronze points so thin that they would crumble on contact, and used stone for their arrowheads These shortcomings may have proven fatal to the survival of the Harappan civilization."
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