Martial And Healing Traditions Of India

During the more than two decades publishing the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, we were fortunate to have Dr. Phillip Zarrilli on our Editorial Board. Internationally known for training actors through an infusion of Asian martial arts and yoga elements, he was a devoted teacher and theatre director/ performer. When he went to India at age 29 to study Kathakali dance, he was sidetracked after becoming captivated by kalaripayattu — the Indian martial art he studied in Kerala State. He eventually became the leading Western scholar who focused on martial arts and healing practice in south India. Just as we are finishing the preparation of this special anthology for publication, we learn that Dr. Zarrilli passed away on March 9, 2020. This work contains four of Dr. Zarrilli’s articles previously published in our journal. These are highly significant for anyone interested in Indian martial traditions and are of great value for comparative studies with other Asian martial arts. Dr. Zarrilli’s material here focuses on the combat arts of kalaripayattu and varma ati, and associated healing arts that encompass massage and herbal modalities. Those familiar with Far Eastern martial arts will find Dr. Zarrilli’s thorough presentation of vital spots and energy channels congruent with the theory and practices of acupuncture and the knowledge of energy meridians. Dr. Sara Schneider shares her experience studying kalaripayattu in Kerala as an American single female in a foreign culture. Her observations as a scholar are insightful. Although not recorded in her writing, it would be equally insightful to obtain the views of how the native guru, his family and students perceived her presence as a foreign academic researcher and martial art practitioner. Two more chapters broaden the coverage. Khilton Nongmaithem and Dainis Jirgensons present the martial art of Thang-Ta (“sword-spear”) as practiced in the northeastern state of Manipur. Their work also hints at the great depth and breadth of Indian martial traditions. Music and dance are natural companions with martial traditions. By looking at these art forms, Dr. Bandana Mukhopadhyay’s chapter brings out some essential elements that accompany the culture of warfare in India. We hope you will enjoy reading this special anthology — dedicated to Dr. Phillip Zarrilli.

The first book in English on the Indian martial art that was the precursor to the Chinese and Japanese traditions • A rigorous martial arts practice that also promotes harmonious self-development • Provides practices for controlling the circulation of energy and vital forces throughout the body Originating in the southern Indian province of Kerala, kalaripayat is the most ancient of the Eastern martial arts. Yet today it has been practically forgotten. Former CBS war correspondent Patrick Denaud looks at this neglected tradition, whose history spans millennia, from the time it was transmitted by the god Vishnu to the sage Parasurama and his twenty-one disciples, the original Gurukkals, to its present-day practice. More than an art of combat, kalaripayat is a way of life and a spiritual discipline. Its martial techniques are designed to create states propitious for deep meditation. Long the jealously guarded art of the Nair warriors of southern India, kalaripayat was banned by the British East India Company in 1793 and was long believed by outside observers to be extinct. Several Gurukkals continued a clandestine practice and secretly trained the students who would transmit the teachings to today’s keepers of the art, such as Gurukkal Pratap S. Balachandrian. Like other spiritual disciplines, kalaripayat draws from the science of breath. Focused, silent breathing creates highly concentrated trance states and helps control the inner circulation of vital energy. The practitioner learns not only how to be a capable fighter with or without weapons but also an accomplished healer. The emphasis of this practice on circulating energy throughout the body is not only of interest to martial arts practitioners but also to all those interested in the harmonious development of the self.

Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets provides an ethnographic study of varmakkalai, or "the art of the vital spots," a South Indian esoteric tradition that combines medical practice and martial arts. Although siddha medicine is officially part of the Indian Government's medically pluralistic health-care system, very little of a reliable nature has been written about it. Drawing on a diverse array of materials, including Tamil manuscripts, interviews with practitioners, and his own personal experience as an apprentice, Sieler traces the practices of varmakkalai both in different religious traditions--such as Yoga and Ayurveda--and within various combat practices. His argument is based on in-depth ethnographic research in the southernmost region of India, where hereditary medico-martial practitioners learn their occupation from relatives or skilled gurus through an esoteric, spiritual education system. Rituals of secrecy and apprenticeship in varmakkalai are among the important focal points of Sieler's study. Practitioners protect their esoteric knowledge, but they also engage in a kind of "lure and withdrawal"---a performance of secrecy---because secrecy functions as what might be called "symbolic capital." Sieler argues that varmakkalai is, above all, a matter of texts in practice; knowledge transmission between teacher and student conveys tacit, non-verbal knowledge, and constitutes a "moral economy." It is not merely plain facts that are communicated, but also moral obligations, ethical conduct and tacit, bodily knowledge. Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets is an insightful analysis of practices rarely discussed in scholarly circles. It will be a valuable resource to students of religion, medical anthropologists, historians of medicine, Indologists, and martial arts and performance studies.

A comprehensive reference tool for maximizing healing of the mind, body, and spirit through a holistic synergy of Chinese medicine and Ayurveda • Details the foundational principles of each tradition and the many concepts they share, such as qi and prana, meridians and nadis, and energy centers and chakras • Provides tools for self-assessment including a primer on tongue diagnosis and a mental, emotional, and physical constitutional questionnaire • Offers breathing exercises, dietary regimens, herbal recommendations, and guides for detoxification, including safe and gentle at-home cleansing Chinese medicine and Ayurveda are two of the oldest healing systems in use today. Each is a complete art, in and of itself, and has profoundly contributed to the health and well-being of millions of people around the world. Drawing on their shared roots and spiritual principles, Bridgette Shea, L.Ac., MAcOM, shows how these two practices integrate seamlessly, with the two traditions’ individual strengths harmonizing to form a practical basis for prevention, wellness, detoxification, and treatment. The author explains the foundational principles of both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda in detail, providing the reader with a working understanding of both disciplines. She examines shared concepts such as qi and prana, meridians and nadis, and energy centers and chakras. She explores the strengths of each practice, such as the clinical efficiency of diagnosis and the use of acupuncture for pain relief, improving fertility, and stress reduction in Chinese medicine and the dietary, detoxification, and spiritual guidance of Ayurveda, including the detox branch of Ayurveda known as Panchakarma. Moving beyond theory into practical application, she explores the Elements, known as the Five Phases and the Panchamahabhutas, and how they affect our well-being. She provides tools for self-assessment including a primer on tongue diagnosis and a mental, emotional, and physical constitutional questionnaire. Offering treatment and prevention strategies that draw from both disciplines, she encourages the reader to implement an integrated practice of these two systems in daily life or clinical practice. She details breathing exercises, dietary regimens, herbal recommendations, and guides for detoxification, including safe and gentle home cleanses, all rooted in the holistic synergy between Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. Sharing case studies that highlight the interconnectedness of these approaches, Shea provides a comprehensive guide for self-healing of body, mind, and spirit and a practitioner’s resource to cross-reference complex questions with respect to both healing traditions.

Shastra vidya is the name of the ancient North Indian martial art of the Kshatriyas - Hindus of the Vedic warrior class. This work, which is the result of many years of devoted research, looks at Shastra vidya's history, philosophy and technique.With textual evidence extracted from ancient Hindu scriptures, epics and treatises, this book presents the Kshatriya's art of armed and unarmed combat which includes punches, palm slaps, finger jabs, kicks, elbow attacks, knee strikes, head-butts, chokes, strangles, body throws, ground-fighting moves, sword strikes, mace blows, trident thrusts, lasso hurls, discus throws, archery techniques and mantras for operating divine missiles - all accompanied by nearly 120 line drawings.Also included: the connection between Hindu gods and martial arts, the life and fighting skills of renowned ancient Hindu warriors, weapon worship, animal sacrifice, Dharmic rules of warfare, the four enemy-defeating remedies, formidable fortification, training of war elephants, horses, chariots and infantry, pre-battle goddess worship, battle arrays, battle spells, espionage, assassination methods, martyrdom and more...

The Healing Arts of India: An Exploration of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy is a comprehensive guide to the ancient healing systems of India. This book delves into the history, philosophy, and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, and explores how these traditional healing systems can be used in the modern world to promote health and well-being. In this book, we also discuss the role of Yoga therapy and Ayurvedic herbology and pharmacology. As well as the importance of understanding Ayurveda and Cancer and the future of Indian traditional healing systems in modern world.

The essential text on the human body, as defined by Eastern and Western medicine. Comprehensive, easy to understand, and lavishly illustrated in full color. Specially designed for students, healing professionals, and martial artists.----- This unique book will familiarize healing practitioners and martial artists with basic concepts of the human body, as defined by both Western and Eastern medical traditions, allowing those engaged in healing and martial arts to develop a more complete, holistic, and scientifically forward-looking understanding of the body. Overviews of philosophical and conceptual underpinnings are followed by detailed drawings and diagrams of the body's internal systems, as seen by both traditions. Written in a clear and concise style, this beautiful and informative book presents information previously unavailable in any single text, making it an essential work for students, healing professionals, and martial artists. This lavishly illustrated book includes: Over 147 color drawings and 54 duotone photographs An easy-to-understand overview of Western anatomical concepts A detailed overview of Eastern medical principles, including information previously available only in specialized, costly medical texts A comprehensive listing of Oriental pressure points and meridians in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, cross-referenced to nerves, blood vessels, and other anatomical landmarks Twenty essential self-massage and revival techniques Detailed principles of pressure point fighting, as used in traditional Asian martial arts An essential text for students, healing professionals, and martial artists View sample pages, read book reviews, or get more information at marctedeschi.com -----Frequently used with: ESSENTIAL ACUPOINTS POSTER An exceptionally high-quality, 7-color poster illustrating the 400-plus acupoints and 14 meridians that are the basis of Eastern medicine and martial arts. Also highlights Qi-flow, Yin-Yang, 5 Phases, and martial targets. Designed by Marc Tedeschi as a companion to the book Essential Anatomy for Healing and Martial Arts, this unique and beautiful poster exhibits a level of accuracy, detail, and functionality unobtainable elsewhere. ISBN 0834805103-----

Spiritual Dimensions of the Martial Arts is a study of the meditative and religious elements that form the core of the great martial arts traditions. Unsurpassed in scope and detail, this martial arts book covers the spiritual beliefs and the practices of the fighting arts of India, China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, and the United States. Subjects discussed include: Bruce Lee's unique views on spirituality and meditation Rituals used to induce altered states of consciousness in Indonesian Pencak-Silat The unusual relationship of Korea's Hwarang warriors to Mahayana Buddhism The importance of Buddhist ritual in Muay Thai Spiritual practices in the Filipino martial arts The significance of Zen and esoteric Buddhism to the Samurai The relationship of Indian martial arts to Yoga The impact of Daoist concepts on the Chinese martial arts Psychological development and martial arts training

In modern societies the functional differentiation of medicine and religion is the predominant paradigm. Contemporary therapeutic practices and concepts in healing systems, such as Transpersonal Psychology, Ayurveda, as well as Buddhist and Anthroposophic medicine, however, are shaped by medical as well as religious or spiritual elements. This book investigates configurations of the entanglement between medicine, religion, and spirituality in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa. How do political and legal conditions affect these healing systems? How do they relate to religious and scientific discourses? How do therapeutic practitioners position themselves between medicine and religion, and what is their appeal for patients?