Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu claims to be the oldest extant martial art in the world. While Greek Pankration is currently the oldest martial art that remains discernible in the West, it is clear from epic tales and religious texts that organized fighting techniques existed in India long before the rise of combat methods in the Mediterranean. Information is sketchy at best and scholars have been unable to patch together information to produce a workable replica. In India itself, the early arts seem lost to antiquity but records indicate that as early as 1500 BC wrestling was practiced.

The combative method we witness today dates dates from the twelfth century and is thought to contain clues as to its forerunner styles, perhaps even copies of techniques. The art originates in Kerala, in southwest India, and was formerly part of the training program used to prepare the local warrior caste for combat. Tradition holds that it was the sage Parasurama that created the art, combining methods of prolonging life with martial practices.

Training in Kalaripayattu

Training, as might be expected, has religious undertones, though practice in the art is non-denominational. For physical exercise the body is stretched and massaged, as much for health reasons as to promote martial ability. Basic training includes footwork, stance practice and various thrusts and kicks before moving onto the study of weapons and how to counter an armed opponent. Further training focuses on manipulating pressure points to both harm and heal, as well as the ability to counter any attacks made against one’s own weak areas. The tradition generally identifies 107 such pressure points with sixty-four being considered practically accessible in a fight. Advanced practice in striking vital points utilizes the otta, a carved, curving stick, with each curve corresponding to a specific arm position. Using this stick combative techniques are replicated before the practitioner goes on to effect the movements against an opponent.

Certain key points that are replicated throughout Asian fighting arts are found in this art and perhaps suggest a common basis in Yoga for assumptions on the generation of power. Masters teach that a vital energy flows through our systems, an energy that can be harnessed in times of need. Furthermore, it gives pride of place to the lower abdomen as being the area from which all movement should originate. These guiding assumptions are replicated in Chinese, Japanese and Korean arts and to a lesser extent (most particularly the idea of the existence of an invisible vital energy) in other areas of Asia.

In combat the master relies on strikes to weak points of the opponent’s body, using basic strikes and throws to disorient and allow for the successful execution of a pressure point attack. Attacks are met first with evasive body movement that puts the adversary in a disadvantageous position.

Affirmation Meditation

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Affirmation Meditation is a more vigorous technique that requires you to use your mind consciously and actively.

An affirmation is a statement of truth. More relevantly to us, an affirmation is used by followers of personal development and various religious faiths in the belief that what is stated, even if not currently true, will have an effect on the current and future reality and eventually manifest in the real world. Therefore in Affirmation Meditation you will be making statements of truth or intentions.

How this appears to work for the individual is that an affirmation (here, just a positive statement, whether currently true or not) will affect one’s self-perception and, in turn, one’s self-image. Basically, if you tell yourself that you are a positive, healthy person, this will enhance your self-image far more desirably than telling yourself that you are a negative, unhealthy person. In turn, how you see yourself will directly influence how others see you, thereby confirming the success of the affirmation. By using Affirmation Meditation you can establish a strong self-image and project that strength outwards.

Used in conjunction with and in order to create a meditative state repeated affirmations will begin to work directly on the subconscious mind from the beginning.

The first step is to get clear about what you want to affirm. Start with a single affirmation that states what you want out of life clearly and concisely. Some examples might be to improve your performance in sparring or generate more energy or increase your level of concentration. When you have an idea the next step is to write it down.

Let's take generating more energy as an example to work with.

Precisely how you state your affirmation can vary and you should experiment to find the method that suits you best. One approach is to simply say the word ‘energy’. You can develop this into ‘I want more energy’. Personal development teachers such as Tony Robbins go further and argue that stating the affirmation in the present tense (that is, as if it were currently true) will produce better results. Therefore your affirmation would become ‘I am more energetic’. Some teachers such as Michael Losier on the other hand suggest a couple of different variations; either to use the prefix ‘I’m in the process of...’ (so, ‘I’m in the process of becoming more energetic’) or the prefix ‘I have decided...’ (‘I have decided I am more energetic’). My own personal approach to affirmations is inspired by Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and I state not only my desired result but also what I am doing to bring about my goal in the present continuous tense. My affirmation on generating more energy would therefore be something like ‘I am eating healthy food, getting enough rest and stimulating my mind to become more energetic’. Precisely which approach you use is up to you. I have simply given you a few ideas. Find the one that best suits you.

Once you have written out your affirmation and committed it to memory you can begin your practice of Affirmation Meditation. This is achieved by continuously repeating your chosen affirmation aloud until you enter a meditative trance. Continue to speak your affirmation and allow your mind to become empty of everything but the sound of your voice and the words you are saying. Do this for 5-10 minutes once or twice a day. When you have finished take your time, as always, to allow your mind to move out of the trance. Move your body gently and take a moment to mentally examine yourself. How do you feel? Get in touch with yourself and seek to distinguish your mental state before and after meditation.

You can cater your affirmations to any aspect of your training or, indeed, your life. Affirmation Meditation is a great way of keeping your mind focused on your goals and it can also act like as a chant or mantra to concentrate your mind, eventually bore it, and allow you to enter a deep meditative trance, achieving a shift from left to right hemisphere dominance.

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