Silambam or Silambattam is one of the oldest known martial art forms identified with the Tamil people. Listed among the 64 art forms of yore, stick-fighting, once a widely used method of defence among warrior clans, is an effective combat technique against even multiple assailants.
Folklore traces Silambam’s origins to Sage Agastya who is believed to have structured its framework and modalities. A network of training centres (silamba koodam) is said to have existed across the Chera, Chola and Pandya kingdoms. Literary references from the Silappadikaram and Sangam era texts trace this martial tradition to the second century BC. Alarmed by the valour of trained silambam soldiers in their battles against local chieftains, the British banned this martial art in the late 1800s. However, it continued to be practised in secret and post Independence, it regained an enthusiastic following. By now, though, the focus had shifted from war (por silambam) to demonstration (alangara silambam).
A brief introduction kick-started an absorbing demonstration by the students of the Tamilnadu VMS Martial Arts Troupe trained by grandmaster V.M. Selvaraj. The performance was held at Sri Dakshinamurthy auditorium, P.S. Higher Secondary School, under the joint auspices of the ICCR and Shri Ariyakudi Music Foundation in the presence of chief guest Prof A. Elayaperumal, Director, Centre for Student Affairs, Anna University.
Leaping, crouching and whirling, the performers, dressed in black with knotted yellow waist bands, displayed amazing flexibility. Often, the kambu (bamboo staff) was wielded so adeptly that it was barely visible in a blur of speed. Beginning with one-on-one combat, the movements progressed seamlessly from the on-guard stance to keeping the opponent at bay, initiating a duel, countering an attack and swiftly disarming the attacker even after losing one’s own weapon. The moves were further elaborated when the performer was pitted against two or more combatants.
Next, a performer positioned a series of hoops around his torso in complex formations, grouping and regrouping them with deftness to create a ‘chair’ on which a child from the audience was securely seated. In another display of skill, a student cartwheeled across the stage, to burst through a paper-stretched frame from within which, during mid-flip, he retrieved shawls that were gifted to the dignitaries present.
Also illustrated were the techniques of using sharp antlers (maan kombu), swords and shields (kathi kedayam), spears (eetti), bamboo sticks (chedi kuchi) and the flexible whip-blade (surul pattakathi). The versatility of the technique was driven home through the concept of using convenient objects within reach such as short branches wrenched from surrounding plants/trees, when caught unawares. Particularly outstanding was the dexterity of a student who juggled two short black sticks and one long white one. But it was the ‘vegetable slicing act’ that emerged as the showstopper. Placing raw bananas (vazhaikkai) on the abdomen, thighs, arms and legs of a student lying on his back, a tightly blindfolded performer, after much knife twirling, sliced clean through each vegetable in one decisive stroke.
A part of silambam training takes the form of yoga which involves weight bearing and distribution between participants who balance on each other. In the ‘tank roll’ act, they turned over and over to form a human wheel. The gymnastics segment featured somersaults, forward and reverse cartwheels and gravity-defying back flips, leading to a grand finale of group pyramid formations with the uppermost performer pulling off a headstand.
The more adventurous students were in sync with contemporary trends with their ‘stepping’ routine. An intrinsic part of U.S. street dancing vocabulary, stepping incorporates demanding moves. With an effortless ease and nonchalance that would give New York’s steppers a run for their money, these performers morphed into boneless wonders who spun dizzyingly top-like on the head, walked on their hands and executed hand springs.
It was heartening to note the appreciative audience response to the engrossing display of strength, suppleness and skill which was given much-needed encouragement and a platform by the sponsoring organisations.
