Kalaripayattu: An ancient approach to flexibility

There are so many folks asking about flexibility/mobility i thought this video would be of interest.

Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest martial arts still in existence, and demands a high degree of flexibility.

It is still taught in many villages in the state of Kerala, South India.

Similar to other asian martial arts, strict sequences similar to katas are learned to teach principles of form and movement. Here is a traditional class taking place.

sa7dinnHADY

Maybe it will give some ideas for 'fun' ways to improve your movement range.

interesting stuff. I am a buff of martial art history and love reading about these kinds of things. There is such an interesting history in India when it comes to things like wrestling and other martial arts training. It's great to see some info on these systems.

The group that posted that video has a number of kushti (indian wrestling) clips as well, you might enjoy looking around there.

I have become a real believer in using Indian Clubs for shoulder prehab, and have some larger ones on the way. I also have begun swinging a gada. These old methods work if you put a little time into learning how to do them.

Fascinating. The entire group is well coordinated and graceful. That's one of the reasons why, although I practice Karate, I dislike the rigidity of the Karate kata practice. I love watching a good karate kata done by a real expert, but too many people just lock up and scream a lot instead of following the spirit of the kata... Fluidity in motion is beautiful and effective for developing proper moving habits and techniques.

Mr Brady said:

The group that posted that video has a number of kushti (indian wrestling) clips as well, you might enjoy looking around there.

I have become a real believer in using Indian Clubs for shoulder prehab, and have some larger ones on the way. I also have begun swinging a gada. These old methods work if you put a little time into learning how to do them.

I love indian clubs! That reminds me to make some.

A bit off topic, but you have good taste in quotes Mr Brady!

Yeah i heard good things about the Indian clubs but never tried them myself. I might invest in some when i get a bit more $$. It's funny how swinging heavy stuff does wonders for the upper body. I did some sledgehammer work and that developed my shoulders, i even swung a heavy wooden kendo sword for awhile and that did a lot for my wrists.

Imagine how buff those old european knights and swordfighters must have been weilding some big ass broadsword and walking around in all that armour. Chainmail probably owns any of the 'weighted vests' we run around in nowadays.

Depends on the period.

Swords and armors were not as heavy as you might think. A good set is pretty easy to move in though plate gets hot.