Kolthari This is the second step of kalaripayat with the introduction of wooden weapons: pandicuran, mucan, otta.
Kolthari is the art of fighting with a stick, the favourite weapon of Buddhist monks and pilgrims. Either long or short, held from the bottom with one or two hands, this very hard wooden stick could pit its strength against a sword and give lethal hits.
Fighters also use their feet and fists.
This martial science was highly improved; nowadays some fights are made with walking sticks whose tips were coated with indigo and the fighter hits the body of the opponent without hurting him.
Kerala, a land of jungles and woods, abounds with teak, bamboos, palm trees and coconut trees. Most of the weapons are made out of bamboo. The stick is used as a weapon, a tool, an instrument and it symbolizes power. It is one of the most ancient human attributes.
The Pandicuran or kettukari is a long flexible stick (about 12 spans, from the ground to the user’s forehead. Its goals, which are limited by size, are the top of the skull, tala, the temple, cenni, under the chin, keezhtadi, the sides, vari, the legs, kal. Wielding this stick takes 12 regular sessions each time. Pandicuran training is introduced with a short prayer called mukakettu. The mucan, or ceruvadi is a short stick (about 3 spans). The wood out of wich it is made is more rigid and its diameter is superior to that of the pandicuran.
Quickness of arms and hands, velocity of eyes, firmness of steps, ground anchorage, such are the typical aspects of these sequences, which also amount to 12.
The training also starts with a specific mukakettu.
The otta, a short and curved stick, is at the heart of kalaripayattu vadakkan. There is a rigid wooden stick shaped like an elephant’s trump which ends with a point. It has three curves, hence its second name, muppiri. Without the handle, it is 18 inches long. Vital spots – marmam- are first studied with the otta. These sessions include snare techniques and each attack aims at a vital spot. 64 of these vital spots are studied in 18 sequences.
The characteristics of otta sessions are very quick plan changes (forwards, backwards); they consist in working on catangal jumps, cuvadukal postures, locks, puttakal.
The first day of study of the otta has to be an auspicious day and a puja (prayer, ceremony) is made in the kalari to honour Ganesh, who clears obstacles notably with the offering of a coconut) as well as to honour Kali, who is the goddess of the kalari.
Daily, otta training also has its specific mukakettukal, one from the 1st to the 3rd sequence, another one for the 4th to the 7th, and another one for 11 last sequences.