kalaripayattu

Initially, the student is made to wield the pandeeran, a stick that is five feet long (usually a cane or bamboo stick) and study all the modes of attack and defence possible with it (pandeeran veeshal), followed by the muchaanvadi (a short stick) through the course of muchaan payattu.

Pandeeran veeshal comprises ten types of moves, each of which is taught separately. The training continues till all of them blend seamlessly and fluidly into a series. It teaches the student to use the stick to aim his attacks on the opponent’s head, cheeks, chin, ribs and legs. Muchaan payattu is done using a short stick that is thick at the base (called amaram) and slightly pointed at the end (called muna). It is easy to use and can inflict real damage to the head, cheeks, intestinal area, ribs and legs.