Meïthari or mei adakkan, or meipayattu:

Defined as attack or counter-attack transitions or dodging transitions, meïthari are the backbone of kelaripayyatu.  Meïhari are the equivalent of tao in kung-fu. The movements follow on from each other very quickly.

The 12 meïpayattu lessons are a succession of jumps, extensions, limbering up, work on  balance and animal-like postures.
They improve balance, reflexes, rapidity, tone and suppleness.
The seven first ones are the kalluyartippayatu.
The next 3 ones are the tanchapayattu (tanca, elbow).
The last 2 are the vettumtancamarukal (vettum, sharp edge of the hand)
There are also 4 pakarcakalukal and 2 ettakalukal which are studied at the very end of the mastering.

Before getting into meïpayattu, the work of legs –kalukal- is necessary in order to acquire and maintain suppleness and muscular tonicity. It’s done through crossings, erakal, veetaka, thuricukal, konkal, astakonkal (ettakal), aka-puramal, veethiricurukal, pakarcakal, according to the way of throwing the leg (kal, foot). The kalukal belong to the coodakkal kriyakal, warming-up exercises which give priority to breathing, stretchings and work on joints.

After approaching the first meïpayattu, students learn how to link the Kalari greeting called kalari vandanam. This exercise is compulsory before any training after the greetings to the tharakal, the altars and before the warming-up sessions.

Vadivukal, animal postures:

The Vadivukal are inspired from animal postures in attack or counter-attack situations.
There are 8 main postures, the asatavadivukal, and other variants:

Gajavadivu: Elephant posture
Simhavadivu: Lion posture
Asvavadivu: Horse posture
Varahavadivu: Wild boar posture
Kukudavadivu: Rooster posture
Mayuravadivu: Peacock posture
Sarpavadivu: Snake posture
Malsyavadivu: Fish posture

The four last ones, hamsalina, karadikal, manthullal, garudanila are also dealt with in the mastering phase.

There are 8 basic positions called Cuvadukal: Ankacuvadu, vattacuvadu, koncuvadu, neetacuvadu, akacuvadu, cathacuvadu and neekacuvadu.

Kalaripayat includes a huge number of jumps, catangal.
Examples: ottaripongal (splits jump), teerignucatam (fish jump above water)

The karanangal are more sophisticated jumps including turns;

Simhakaranam : lion jump
Maslyakaranam : fish jump
Marjarakaranam : cat jump
Pasukaranam : cow jump
Sarpakaranam : snake jump
Garudakaranam : eagle jump

After acquiring those basic transitions, postures and warming-up exercises, students learn Kolthari (wooden weapons drill), Ankalthari (metal weapons drill), Verum Kai (hand-to-hand fight) and finally kalaricikilsa.