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Cited by 18Martial Arts: Techniques, Psychology, and EducationTraditional Chinese Medicine StudiesIndian and Buddhist Studies

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‘Three Bodies of Practice in a Traditional South Indian Martial Art’

Zarrilli, Phillip B.·1989·Social Science & Medicine
DOI 10.1016/0277-9536(89)90348-1
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Abstract

This paper describes three interconnected conceptions of the body in kalarippayattu, the martial tradition of Kerala, South India. It traces continuities and discontinuities among concepts and practices recorded in classic source texts and contemporary martial practice for each of the three 'bodies of practice'. The first is the fluid body of humors and saps. The second is the body as superstructure composed of bones, muscles, and vital spots (marma-s), which supports the fluid body. The concepts and practices of the first two bodies are based on the regional tradition of Ayurveda. They constitute the external physical body (sthula-śarira). The third, subtle or interior body (suksma-śarira) is thought to be encased within the physical body. It provides an experiential map of practice and is the basis for higher stages of meditation. The long-term practice of the martial art (1) makes the body fluid so that healthful congruence of the humors occurs, (2) establishes an intuitive and practical knowledge of vital points (marma) useful in fighting (prayogam) and in treating injuries, and (3) purifies the subtle body and awakens the internal vital energy (prana-vayu) that is manifest as the power (śakti) of the master in combat or medical practice. The paper concludes with a discussion of the interrelationship between these three concepts of the body in the accomplished practice of the martial practitioner.

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Research works printed but not linked: 12

  1. Gough, 1952, Changing kinship usages in the setting of political and economic change among the Nayars of Malabar, J. R. Anthrop. Inst., 82, 71
  2. Mencher, 1962, Changing familial roles among south Malabar Nayars, Southwest J. Anthrop., 18, 230, 10.1086/soutjanth.18.3.3628877 · DOI
  3. Raghavan, 1932, A ballad of Kerala, Ind. Antiquary
  4. Zarrilli, 1984, The transmission of performance knowledge in a traditional martial art, Asian Theatre J., 1, 191, 10.2307/1124564 · DOI
  5. kal̇arippayattu martial art of Kerala. The Drama Rev.23, 113–124, 113. · DOI
  6. Zimmermann, 1979, From tradition to profession: intellectual and and social impulses behind the professionalization of classical medicine in India, J. Japan Soc. Hist. Med., 25, 13
  7. Zimmermann, 1980, Ṙtu-saatmya: the seasonal cycle and the principle of appropriateness, Soc. Sci. Med., 14B, 99
  8. 1963, The Suśruta Saṁhita, Vol. II, 487
  9. 1963, Vol. 1, 230
  10. Zimmermann, 1978, From classic texts to learned practice: methodological remarks on the study of Indian medicine, Soc. Sci. Med., 12, 100
  11. For a complete description see Śiva SaṁhitaII, 1-II, 5 and Varenne [48, pp. 157–162].
  12. NadanasthananI, 7–12 [47, pp. 210–211].

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Metadata

Authors
Zarrilli, P. B.
Affiliations
University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
Corresponding author
Zarrilli, Phillip B.
Venue
Social Science & Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1989-01
Volume
28
Issue
12
Pages
1289-1309
ISSN
0277-9536 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/0277-9536(89)90348-1
OpenAlex
W2075364572
Cited by
18
References
0
Citations by year
2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2012: 1
FWCI
2.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Social Science & Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Martial Arts: Techniques, Psychology, and Education
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Traditional Chinese Medicine Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Indian and Buddhist Studies
Keywords
martial arts, body concepts, humor, SAPS, Marma points, Ayurveda, subtle body, Śakti, meditation, Kerala, traditional medicine, injury management
MeSH terms
Body Fluids, Energy Metabolism, Female, Humans, Male, Medicine, Ayurvedic, Vitalism, Warfare, Exercise

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: ‘Three Bodies of Practice in a Traditional South Indian Martial Art’. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1016/0277-9536(89)90348-1
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Zarrilli, P. B. (1989). ‘Three Bodies of Practice in a Traditional South Indian Martial Art’. Social Science & Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(89)90348-1