Marma adi

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Varma adi or Marma adi ("hitting vital spots") is a part of the art of healing and harming Varma Kalai (Tamil: வர்மக்கலை) Marma Vidhya, It is a component of adi murai "law of hitting" which is a martial art that teaches methods to attack pressure points of the human body. This system of marmam is part of Siddha Vaidhyam, attributed to the Tamil sage Agastya and his disciples.^[1]

It is practiced in the Travancore region in Kerala and almost all parts of Tamil Nadu. It is supposedly derived from traditional Siddha medicine.^[2]

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.^[3] Southern kalaripayat is practiced in most cities of Tamil Nadu,^[3][4][5] of erstwhile Travancore areas.

The 108 marmam points of Varma adi allegedly have parallels in certain schools of Chinese martial arts.^[6][7]

Pressure points

Further information: pressure point

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.^[8]

References

1. ^ Luijendijk, D.H. (2005) Kalarippayat: India's Ancient Martial Art, Paladin Press
2. ^ Varma Ati. (2001). In Martial Arts of the World.
3. ^ ^{a b} Zarrilli 1998
4. ^ [1] Martial arts of the world: an encyclopedia, Volume 1 By Thomas A. Green
5. ^ Zarrilli 1992
6. ^ Subramaniam Phd., P., (general editors) Dr. Shu Hikosaka, Asst. Prof. Norinaga Shimizu, & Dr. G. John Samuel, (translator) Dr. M. Radhika (1994). Varma Chuttiram வர்ம சுத்திரம்: A Tamil Text on Martial Art from Palm-Leaf Manuscript. Madras: Institute of Asian Studies. pp. 90 & 91. 
7. ^ Reid Phd., Howard, Michael Croucher (1991). The Way of the Warrior: The Paradox of the Martial Arts. New York: Outlook Press. pp. 58–85. ISBN 0879514337. 
8. ^ Luijendijk, D.H. Kalarippayat: The Essence and Structure of an Indian Martial Art, Oprat, 2008

• Philipp B. Zarrilli, 'Varma ati' in: Thomas A. Green (ed.), Martial arts of the world: an encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, 2001, ISBN 978-1-57607-150-2, 647-651.
• Asan, Ramu & Nadar, K.Kochukrishnan; "Tekkan Kalriyude Marmam". Published by K.Kochukrishnan Nadar, Kerala, 1970
• Luijendijk, D.H. (2005) Kalarippayat: India's Ancient Martial Art, Paladin Press, ISBN 1-58160-480-7
• Luijendijk, D.H. (2008) Kalarippayat: The Essence and Structure of an Indian Martial Art, Oprat, ISBN 978-1-4092-2626-0
• Asan, Ramu & Nadar, K.Kochukrishnan; "Tekkan Kalriyude Marmam". Published by K.Kochukrishnan Nadar, Kerala, 1970

External links

• Zarrilli, Phillip B. To Heal and/or To Harm: The Vital Spots (Marmmam/Varmam) in Two South Indian Martial Traditions University of Exeter.