Varma ati
Encyclopedia
Varma adi or Marma adi ("hitting vital spots") is a part of the art of healing and harming Varma Kalai Marma Vidhya, It is a component of adi murai "law of hitting" which is a martial art that teaches methods to attack pressure point
s of the human body.
This system of marmam is part of Siddha Vaidhyam, attributed to the Tamil sage Agastya
and his disciples.
It is practiced in the Travancore
region in Kerala
and almost all parts of Tamil Nadu
. It is supposedly derived from traditional Siddha medicine
.
The Kerala Kalarippayat Association formed in 1958 started claiming kalaripiyattu was an umbrella term for all Indian martial arts and gave "Adi Murai" and its component Marma adi as well as silambam and other tamil martial arts the title of "southern style" of Kalarippayattu
although its techniques origins and application are recognized as distinct from those of Kalarippayattu. Adi Murai emphasise empty hand techniques. Southern kalaripayat is practiced in most cities of Tamil Nadu
, of erstwhile Travancore areas.
The 108 marmam points of Varma adi allegedly have parallels in certain schools of
Chinese martial arts
since kung fu and other martial arts in china were derived from varmakali thought by the third Pallava prince Bodhidharma
.
Pressure point
A pressure point in the field of martial arts refers to an area on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific manner...
s of the human body.
This system of marmam is part of Siddha Vaidhyam, attributed to the Tamil sage Agastya
Agastya
Agastya was a Tamil/Vedic Siddhar or sage. Agastya and his clan are also generally credited with uncovering many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman...
and his disciples.
It is practiced in the Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
region in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and almost all parts of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is supposedly derived from traditional Siddha medicine
Siddha medicine
The Siddha medicine is one of the oldest medical systems known to mankind. This system of medicine originated from south Indian Tamil traditional medicine, as part of the trio Indian medicines - ayurveda, siddha and unani. This system was very popular in ancient India...
.
The Kerala Kalarippayat Association formed in 1958 started claiming kalaripiyattu was an umbrella term for all Indian martial arts and gave "Adi Murai" and its component Marma adi as well as silambam and other tamil martial arts the title of "southern style" of Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
although its techniques origins and application are recognized as distinct from those of Kalarippayattu. Adi Murai emphasise empty hand techniques. Southern kalaripayat is practiced in most cities of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, of erstwhile Travancore areas.
The 108 marmam points of Varma adi allegedly have parallels in certain schools of
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
since kung fu and other martial arts in china were derived from varmakali thought by the third Pallava prince Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
.
Pressure points
Varma adi recognizes 108 marmas, 12 Padu marmas (death marmas) and 96 Thodu marmas (touch marmas). There are also counter marmas to heal trauma to the marmas.External links
- Zarrilli, Phillip B. To Heal and/or To Harm: The Vital Spots (Marmmam/Varmam) in Two South Indian Martial Traditions University of ExeterUniversity of ExeterThe University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
.