Indian martial arts

Kalaripayattu (), also known simply as Kalari, is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala during the 11th–12th centuries CE.

thumb|Statue of Shiva holding a trishula. The trishula () is a trident, a divine symbol, commonly used as one of the principal symbols in Hinduism. It is most commonly associated with the deity Shiva and widely employed in his iconography.

The katar is a type of push dagger from the Indian subcontinent. The weapon is characterised by its H-shaped horizontal hand grip which results in the blade sitting above the user's knuckles. Unique to the Indian subcontinent, it is the most famous and characteristic of Indian daggers. Ceremonial katars were also used in worship.

The kirpan (; pronunciation: [kɪɾpaːn]) is a blade that Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear as part of their religious uniform, as prescribed by the Sikh Code of Conduct. Traditionally, the kirpan was a full-sized talwar at around 76 cm (30 inches) long; however, British colonial policies and laws introduced in the 19th century reduced the length of the blade, and in the modern day, the kirpan is typically a dagger between 5 to 12 inches. According to the Sikh Code of Conduct, "The length of the sword to be worn is not prescribed", but must be curved and single edged (as its original sword form

The talwar (), also spelled talwaar and tulwar, is a type of curved sword or sabre from the Indian subcontinent.

Gatka (; ) is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab. It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate swords. The Punjabi name, , refers to the wooden stick used and this term might have originated as a diminutive of a Sanskrit word, , meaning "mace".

Pehlwani, also known as Kushti, is a form of wrestling practiced in the Indian subcontinent. It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Persian Koshti pahlevani with influences from native Indian Malla-yuddha. The words pehlwani and kushti derive from the Persian terms pahlavani (heroic) and koshti (wrestling, lit. killing) respectively, meaning "heroic wrestling". A practitioner of this sport is referred to as a pehlwan (Persian for hero) while teachers are known as ustad (Persian for teacher or master) or guru.

blunt mace or club from India

thumb|170px|Urumi usage in Kalaripayattu demonstrated by Gangadharan Gurukkal in Perambra, [[Kozhikode.]]

type of sword

type of sword common in Indian martial arts

exercise and body posture in which a person stand on their feet and hands with their back turned down

200px|thumb|right|A ceremonial procession of akhara marching over a makeshift bridge over the Ganges river, during Kumbha Mela at [[Prayagraj, 2001]] Akhara or Akhada (Hindi: अखाड़ा, romanised: Akhāṛā) is an Indian word for a place of practice with facilities for boarding, lodging and training, both in the context of Indian martial artists or a sampradaya monastery for religious renunciates in Guru–shishya tradition. For example, in the context of the Dashanami Sampradaya sect, the word denotes both martial arts and religious monastic aspects of the trident-wielding martial regiment of the ren

claw-like weapon from India

sword

Vel () is a divine spear associated with Murugan, the Hindu god of war.

fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent

The bichuwa or bichawa (pl. bichuwe) (, ) is a dagger, originating from the Indian subcontinent, with a loop hilt and a narrow undulating sharp blade. It is named for its resemblance to the sting of a scorpion, for which the Hindi name is bichuwa. The weapon was based on the maduvu, or horn dagger created in South India, and many bichuwa have blades which retain the shape of buffalo horns. Early examples of the bichuwa come from the medieval southern Karnataka empire of Vijayanagara. Being relatively easy to make, the bichuwa has persisted into the 20th century as a decorative dagger.

Dagger originating from Gujarat

Indian study of vulnerable anatomy

Parashu () is the Sanskrit word for a battle-axe, which can be wielded with one or both hands.

Combat sport of Sümi Naga people in Nagaland

thumb|right|Modern pesh-kabz with scabbard made in [[India. Blade: steel; hilt: buffalo horn and brass.]] thumb|right|Pesh-kabz, 18th century. Blade: gilt steel; hilt: gilt ivory or bone, Louvre Museum, Paris France. The pesh-kabz or peshkabz (, ) is a type of Indo-Persian knife designed to penetrate mail armour and other types of armour. The word is also spelled pesh-qabz or pish-ghabz and means "fore-grip" in the Persian language; it was borrowed into the Hindustani language. Originally created during Safavid Persia, it became widespread in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent during the

Musti-Yuddha (Sanskrit: मुष्टि युद्ध) is a traditional combat sport originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term literally means "fist combat", from the Sanskrit words muṣṭi (fist) and yuddha (fight, battle, conflict). While this would originally have been used as a general term for any boxing art, today it usually refers to muki boxing from Varanasi, the only surviving unarmed style. In the Punjab there still exists an armed form of boxing called loh-musti in which the fighters wear a kara on one hand, although it is no longer used for sparring.

Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, ) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in the Indian subcontinent. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian wrestling is described in the 13th century Malla Purana.

Adimurai is an Indian martial art originating in modern-day Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, the southernmost region in India. It was traditionally practiced in the Kanyakumari district of modern-day Tamil Nadu as well as nearby areas in southeastern Kerala. Its preliminary empty-hand techniques are called Adithada and application of vital points are called Varma Adi, although these terms are sometimes interchangeably used to refer to the martial art itself. Adimurai is a portmanteau in the Tamil language where adi means "to hit or strike" and murai means method or procedure. In modern period it is us

The aruval (ISO: ) is a type of billhook machete from southern India, particularly common in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is also known as the koḍuvāḷ, the kodavali, the machchu longu or the koita. It is a type of long sickle with a knife-like scythe-handle, and is used both as a tool and a weapon. Tamils revere the weapon as a symbol of Karupannar. In popular culture, it is sometimes associated with gangsters, especially in the Rayalaseema region. In Kerala, its primary use is for agriculture, mainly in coconut cutting, clearing pathways, cutting wood and other uses.

thumb|Soldier with a barsha A barcha, barsha or brchha is a type of lance with a wooden handle, once common in South Asia (the word itself is Hindi). They were common in the 16th century. ==Use in combat== The weapon found itself very handy with the emerging Marathas in the early seventeenth century. It was lighter to carry in the mountainous terrain and easier to manufacture. A skilled spearman (bhalaeet) could keep a heavily armed foot soldier at bay. With his slashing and thrusting motions, he could inflict much damage while surrounded by a number of swordsmen. The illustrious use of this w

Vajra-musti (Sanskrit:, "thunder fist" or "diamond fist") refers to a fist-load, knuckleduster-like weapon and also a form of Indian wrestling in which the weapon is employed. The weapon is sometimes called Indra-musti, meaning "Indra's fist".

Mukna is a form of folk wrestling from the north-east Indian state of Manipur. It is popular in Imphal, Thoubal and Bishnupur. The game is generally played on the last day of the Lai Haraoba festival and is an intrinsic part of the ceremonial functions.