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‘Three Bodies of Practice in a Traditional South Indian Martial Art’
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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“Moreover, pirān am and its regulation is an effective tool for an outstanding combat performance.”
From Kaḷari and Vaittiyacālai: Medicine and Martial Arts Intertwined (2012) · cites this paper as Zarrilli 1989, p. 1302
In the citing paper
“Not only can pirān am energy be utilised for fighting purposes, '[a] master's hands, feet, forearms, and elbows control [ pirān am ] vital energy also to heal'.”
From Kaḷari and Vaittiyacālai: Medicine and Martial Arts Intertwined (2012) · cites this paper as Zarrilli 1989, p. 1302
In the citing paper
“If pirān am is controlled, this becomes manifest in martial exercises. Blows delivered can be observed or felt as particularly heavy and of a deadly power.”
From Kaḷari and Vaittiyacālai: Medicine and Martial Arts Intertwined (2012) · cites this paper as Zarrilli 1989, p. 1302
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Research works printed but not linked: 12
- Gough, 1952, Changing kinship usages in the setting of political and economic change among the Nayars of Malabar, J. R. Anthrop. Inst., 82, 71
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- Raghavan, 1932, A ballad of Kerala, Ind. Antiquary
- Zarrilli, 1984, The transmission of performance knowledge in a traditional martial art, Asian Theatre J., 1, 191, 10.2307/1124564 · DOI
- kal̇arippayattu martial art of Kerala. The Drama Rev.23, 113–124, 113. · DOI
- 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
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- 1963, The Suśruta Saṁhita, Vol. II, 487
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- For a complete description see Śiva SaṁhitaII, 1-II, 5 and Varenne [48, pp. 157–162].
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Cited by
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Alter, J. S. (1999) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/200060 · Cited by 103
Kaḷari and Vaittiyacālai: Medicine and Martial Arts Intertwined
Sieler, R. (2012) · Asian Medicine · doi:10.1163/15734218-12341247 · Cited by 18
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)
- 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
- 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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