Indian martial arts
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Indian martial arts refers to the fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent. A variety of terms are used for the English phrases "Indian martial arts", deriving from ancient sources. While they may
Kathiravan
Locking technique shown at 12th century Airavatesvara Temple
Mughal warriors practicing horseback archery, a skill they were highly renowned for
Statue of Shivaji, the warrior-king who brought the Maratha people and fighting style to prominence.
Malla-yuddha
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Malla-yuddha 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
Indian martial arts
…and fighting with kicks, finger strikes, knee strikes and headbutts. The oldest recorded organized unarmed fighting art in the Indian subcontinent is malla-yuddha or combat-wrestling, codified into four forms in the Vedic Period. Stories describing Krishna report that he sometimes engaged in wrestling matches…
5th-century terracotta sculpture of wrestlers from Uttar Pradesh, India.
Krishna and Balarama fight the evil king Kamsa’s wrestlers: page from a dispersed Bhagavata Purana, 1650, The Met Museum.
The Malla Purana describes Pramada exercises with clubs; these were still current in the 19th century, as illustrated here
Bhima kills Jarasandha in a wrestling match, a folio from the Bhagavata Purana. c. 1520–1540