Our third day in Kerala was a "free" day which we of course tried to pack with as many activities as possible. The one event that wasn't planned y students was a demonstration of an ancient form of traditional Kerala martial arts called Kalaripayattu. I had no idea what to expect and, after our action packed day, hadn't thought about it much.
I showed up to the performance with no expectations and I was incredibly impressed. The feats that they pulled off were amazing and at every new move I was shocked. They started very simple with salutations and basic form. However, as the night went on, the acts got more and more dangerous. Below is a video that shows exactly how crazy talented these performers were.
Throughout the performance it struck me how talented they were. This group of men has been able to keep alive a tradition that was derived thousands of years ago. This is one of the oldest surviving martial arts techniques in India and it's being kept alive by these men. Its not practical to devote all your time to an ancient form of martial arts. They must have families and a livelihood to sustain. Still, they find time in their busy, modern lives to devote to this traditional art form. I really respect what they do to maintain culture and identity in such an interconnected world.
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