Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu, which was invented in Kerala in the 12th century, is one of the oldest martial arts in the world. Kalarippayattu is considered as the forerunner of all martial arts in the world such as karate, judo etc. In the word kalaripayattu, 'kalary' means the 'training ground' and 'payattu' means 'fight'. In all kalarys there will be a master called 'gurukkal. There are two types of kalaripayattu: northern and southern. The southern system focuses on foot movement, called 'chuvadukal', whereas in the northern system the focus is on weaponry.
Kalarippayattu contributed hugely in the development of the classical dance forms of Kerala such as kathakali and krishnanattam.