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CVN Style of Kalari As Composed By Kottakkal Kanaran Gurukkal

The present method of kalari fighting style as well as kalari (chikitsa) healing practices observed by the CVN kalaris throughout Kerala has its origin in Kottakkal Kanaran Gururkkal who was a missionary in this art. About a century back kalari was a banned performance in the state of Kerala –the origin of kalari. Being punishable almost all masters of the art left the job. Sri Kottakkal Kanaran was among a few left. It is said that at that time kalari was not taught to people of the lower castes and Kanaran as a small boy stealthily wandered all places and watched and studied the upper caste members practicing it one day they noticed it and Kanaran had to run away leaving his home. He wandered every where and visited all places which had some connection with the art of Kalari and studied about it thus mastering an art that was in a sinking stage. What he got from various places where pieces of information and lessons from here and there. It was the sheer dedication and hard work that enabled him to compile it in to a procedure. Perhaps the greatest thin he did was to transfer all what he has gathered and what he himself has contributed to his dear disciple Sri CV Narayanan Nair, who arose to the position of the greatest performers of kalari ever born.

Veera Shree CVNarayanan Nair gurukkal compiled all he got from Sri Kanaran Gurukkal

And other great masters available like Chembolior gurukkal (The Thulunadan style) and Sri Kunhomanapanikker (very secret and dangerous practices in kalari). By compiling all these and adding his own contributions he gave shape to a unique form of art which now known as the CVN style of kalari. This is the curriculum followed in the kalaris by name CVN kalaris.

The generation lineage of the gurus shown as follows.

Vandya sri Kottakkal Kanaran Gurukkal.

Veera Shree CVNarayanan Nair Gurukkal.

Sri Gopalan gurukkal. Sri Chandappan gurukkal.

Yogacharya Malabar P. Vasudevan gurukkal.

P.V. Harshakumar gurukkal—(Kottayam CVN kalari)

P.V. Sivakumar gurukkal. ---- (Kottayam CVN kalari)

Sunit.S. Kaimal gurukkal.

S. Brejesh gurukkal.

Other Styles of Kalari.

As per the mythologies prevailing Lord Parasurama gifted the divine knowledge of kalari to four Brahmin families for the self defense of their members). Those families in turn transferred this knowledge gave this gift to 21 masters and sent them to different places for the spreading of this divine martial art. The names of those families are as follows.

1. Ugramvelli. 2. Dhronamvelli. 3. Koramvelli. 4. Ullur thuruthi.

Generally the kalari tradition is divided in to three. They are “Thulunadan” “Malanadan” “Venadan”. The Thulunadan style is more stressed on use of sword hence students of kalari used to go at Thulunad to study the same after learning the other two. The kalaris of Thulunad (present state of Karnataka) were known as “Garadis”. These garadis are now only common temples and thy have nothing to do with martial arts. However there are evidences to prove their association with martial arts up to the early years of the 20th century.

There is one more way the kalaris in Kerala can be classified they are the “North Kerala” and the “Middle Kerala” styles. Even among these two there are variations depending upon the regions and the gurukkal (it is a title awarded to a kalari artist after certain period of training and very high standards of performance) they can be considered as masters of the art.

North Kerala styles.

‘Vatten thirippu” and “Pilla thangi”(Kaikuthi payattu), “Arappakai” are the main subdivisions in the north Kerala style. where as.

Middle Kerala styles.

“Kalam chavittu”, “Odimurisseri”, and “Dhronamvalli” are the main braches of the middle Kerala style. The styles gifted by the great saint Agasthya are known by names “Maravanvazhi”, “jambavanvazhi”, are popularly known as “Adithada”(striking and blocking) and “Adimura” (style of striking).

A brief biography of Sri Malabar P. Vasudevan gurukkal.

P. Vasudevan gurukkal pertains to the lineage of Unni Rarichan. He was born on February 18 -1942 to Sri Nanganadathu Pulparambil Kelukutty and Smt Parappurathu Cheriya Pennu. Young Vasudevan learned his elementary education from Janaki teacher and primary education at Paroppady Mappila School under Janab Hussain Sahib master. Vasudevan completed his high school education at Vellimadukunnu Higher Secondary School and went for further studies in Sanskrit. At the age of nine he started his kalari training in under Sri Gopalan gurukkalin the kalari near Mannathu kandi temple. This kalari was built by Mannathu Kandy Chandukutty and it was inaugurated by Veera Shree CV Narayanan Nair (CVN). (this kalari happens to be the first of Pathriyil Gopalan gurukkal. Sri Pluparambil Chandappan gurukkal was a senior member of this kalari.

After that Sri Vasudevan gurukkal has worked as Master for several years in kalaris owned by Sri gopalan gurukkal and those owned by Sri Chandappan gurukkal. At that time the kalari team comprising of Chandappan gurukkal, P. Vasudevan gurukkal, and his sisters Shantha and Lakshmi etc were very famous in Kerala. At the age of 21 Sri Vasudevan gurukkal started own kalari at Kodanchery in Thamarassery. This was in the year 1953. Sri Vasudevan gurukkal was a teacher of pure form of kalari and kalari chikitsa (kalari healing) and the popularisation of the both was his noble aim. The beginning of the new kalari was made by the advices as well as the whole hearted co operation of his masters.

Sri Vasudevan gurukkal has imparted kalari training to many disciples mainly

Kozhikode district - Thamarassery, Chethukadavu, REC, Mukkom, Kattangal, Agasthyn moozhi, Kalarikkandi, Nellippoil, Thiruvampady and Pulluran para

Kannur district - Kelakam, Adakka thodu, and Alakkode.

Kasaragode district - Ramanthali.

Wayanadu district - Nadavayal, Surtan battery, Kalppatta.

Kottayam district - Vadayar, Kaduthuruthi, Njizhur, Ponkunnam.

(In October 1986 a five member team led by Vasudevan gurukkal was invited to visit Japan to perform stage shows there in connection with the inauguration of the “Little world museum of man” movement. They performed about 65 stage shows in various locations of that country during their one month tour program). Among the numerous disciples he has trained about fifteen are now active in the field in the field by conducting kalaris and in imparting training and kalari chikitsa to students in various parts of India. There are many others who are trained in field but engaged in other employments. At present there are about fifty CVN kalaris functioning in Kerala which have close association with Yogacharya Vasudevan gurukkal.

In imparting all the open as well as secret techniques of the Kalari fighting as well as healing methods to his disciples Yogacharya Vasudevan gurukkal was always far ahead of his peers. He considered his students as his own children and did all help for those who completed training successfully to start their own kalaris. It is interesting to mention there are numerous gurukkal (masters) in this field who cannot point out even a single disciple who has mastered all the 18 techniques and successfully conducting a kalari. Most of them never taught the real secret techniques to their disciples as they thought that their monopoly of the knowledge will come to an end as the disciples study the same.

Yogacharya Vasudevan gurukkal was different in his approach as he continued the spreading of kalaris as a lamp is used to lighten another. He was a real master and guru without comparison who loved his disciples as a father to his children. It was on 23rd June the leading light to the martial art of kalari who poured out all he knew to his disciples and passed away leaving his blessings and entrusting them the duty of keeping the lamp of kalari lighted for generations to come. His daughter Ushadevi is conducts a kalari and a kalari chikitsa centre at Vayanadu. His elder son Sri Harshakumar gurukkal also is in this field he conducts kalaripayttu, kalari chikitsa and yoga centre in Nehru stadium in Kottayam. Sri Vasudevan gurukkal’s younger son used to train students in “kanavu” at Vayanadu and at present conducting a kalaripayattu, kalari chikitsa and yoga at Puliyathu mukku in Kollam.

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