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Meenakshi Amma’s skill in Kalari (considered the oldest martial art in India) used a bamboo stick to block her son, which masked her age of 78 years.
The great-grandmother of Kerala in southern India has been the driving force behind the revival of Kalarippayattu-this ancient custom is also well known-and encourages girls to accept it.
“I started Kalari when I was seven. I am still practicing, learning and teaching,” said the headmistress of Kadathanad Kalari Sangham School, which was founded by her late husband in 1949.
“When you open the newspaper, you only see news about violence against women. When women learn this martial art, they feel strong physically and mentally, which gives them the confidence to work and travel alone.”
Kalari contains dance and yoga elements, and can use weapons such as swords, shields, and wands.
It is said to have a history of 3,000 years and is mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures, and it is still full of religious colors today.
The British colonial ruler of India banned this practice in 1804, but it survived underground after a revival in the early 20th century and independence in 1947.
It is now recognized as a sport and is carried out all over India.
In the Kalari hall of Meenakshi, her shirtless son Sanjeev Kumar has an archer tied around his waist, allowing barefoot students, boys or girls, to walk on the ocher ground.
“This is a form of poetry,” said Sanjeev’s daughter, 29-year-old civil engineer Alaka S Kumar. “I want to teach Karali with my brother. We must take over. Otherwise it will be gone.”
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