Dhanurveda means knowledge of archery. Sastravidya means the art of sword or the knowledge of the weapon. The martial arts can be also divided by the region if their occurrence in two groups south and north. Today I will present you some of them. Shastar Vidiya – this is an ancient martial art specifically designed for battlefield. It is part of the Sastravidya group. It Can be deadly that is why when the British came in India in 19th century they banned it and replaced it with their own way of leading a battle. Today the Shastar Vidiya is not forgotten and it can be seen even the UK. Just in matter of understanding how dangerous this martial art is i'll tell you that masters in Shastar Gvidiya can brake both arms of their opponent in 1 second with just 3 simple moves.
Kalaripayattu – It is an ancient martial art originally crated in Kerala state. Kalari means legs and it refers to kicks. For some people this martial art looks like dance because it develops swiftness of the body and helps for better concentration. There are 3 types of Kalaripayattu – Northern, Southern, and Mid-Kerala.
This Martial art can be practiced by people in all ages. Usually the students begin practice when they are only 7 years old. Kalaripayattu should be trained in a Kalari. This is training hall built in specific way in the direction from East to West. In most of the Indian martial arts are used weapons like katara, urumi and otta. Urumi is one of the unique. It is a flexible blade which can behave almost like a whip.
