A World Tour
Martial Arts
Martial arts are about respect, balance and focus, not just kicks and punches. Let's meet one that looks like a dance, and some of India's own martial arts!
Did you know?
Capoeira, from Brazil, mixes martial art with dance, acrobatics (flips and cartwheels) and music. Players move to the beat of the berimbau, a bow-shaped instrument. In 2014, UNESCO added the capoeira circle to its list of living traditions.
Judo means 'the gentle way'. Jigoro Kano started it in Japan in 1882. It first became an Olympic sport at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Kalaripayattu comes from Kerala. 'Kalari' means training ground. Its stances are named after animals, and teachers also give herbal-oil massages to keep students flexible and help small injuries heal.
Try this: Crane Balance Challenge
Martial artists practise balance every day. Stand on a soft mat, away from furniture. Bow to show respect, just as judo students do in a dojo (training hall). Now lift one knee up high, stretch your arms out like wings and hold still. Count slowly to 20, then switch legs. Next, try it while staring at one spot on the wall. Did it get easier?
Go further: Silambam: The Bamboo Staff Art
Silambam is an old martial art from Tamil Nadu. Players spin and swing a bamboo staff about 1.68 metres long, taller than many grown-ups! The art is named after a kind of bamboo that grew in the Kurinji hills. Old Tamil writings mention Silambam, which shows that people have practised it for more than 2,000 years. Today, children learn it for fitness, focus and fun.