The grandmother who owns the sword of India is still strong at 82

An 82-year-old woman who teaches Calaripate's ancient Indian martial arts, says there are no plans to retire.

“I will probably practice Calari until the day I die,” says Menakshi Ragavan, widely considered the most old woman in the world to practice the form of art.

Kalaripayattu – Calarie means the battlefield and Payato means battle – it is thought to have arisen at least 3000 years back In the southern state of Kerala and is considered the oldest martial art in India.

Not only practiced for fighting or battle; It also serves to inspire discipline, build strength and development of self -defense skills.

G -ja Raghavan is kindly known as Menakshi now – but it means the mother of Malay – in the Vadakara of the Kaerla where he lives. The city is home to other known arts such as Unrisorcha, Arommal Chekavar and Thacholi Othenan.

Meenakshi Amma occurs from time to time in other cities, but mainly managed her own school in Calari, founded by her husband in 1950. Her days are busy, for hours from five in the morning.

“I teach about 50 students every day. My four children were also trained (in the form of art) by me and my husband. They started learning from the age of six,” she says.

Kalaripayattu has four stages and requires patience to learn the form of art.

The training begins with meypattu – oil massage, followed by body conditioning exercises.

After about two years, students move to coltars (battle with sticks), then to angari (weapons fight) and finally to Verumkai – the highest level including unarmed fighting. It usually takes up to five years to master Kalaripayattu.

It is believed that Kung Fu has adapted principles such as breathing techniques and Marcashastra (stimulating vital points for optimizing energy flow) by Calaripa, according to Vinod Cadangal, another teacher in Calarie.

Legend has it that around the 6th century, Indian Buddhist monk Bodhidharma introduced these techniques to Shaolin monks, influencing the more famous Chinese martial art.

Meenakshi Amma still remembers the first time he enters Calari – the red earth arena where art is practiced – 75 years ago.

“I was seven and pretty good at dancing. So my guru – Vice President Ragavan – approached my father and offered to learn kalaripayatt. Just like dance, the form of art requires you to be flexible,” she says.

A native of the Kerala community these, Menakshi's guru, but was 15 years old when he and his brothers opened their own school in Calipayu after being refused recognition elsewhere because of their low social caste.

“There was no bias when it came to girls who enrolled to study Callari – in fact, physical education was obligatory in all the schools in Kerala at the time. But we were expected to stop after we achieved puberty,” she says.

Unlike others, Menakshi's father has encouraged his education in late teens. At 17, she fell in love with Ragavan and they soon got married. Together they continued to train hundreds of students, often free of charge.

“At that time, many children came from poor families. The only money he (ragavan) accepted were in the form of Dacchina Or a tribute paid to the teacher, “she says.

The donations maintained the school while later Ragavan took teaching work for additional income. After his death in 2007, Meenakshi Amma officially took responsibility.

While at the moment she has no plans to retire, she hopes one day to hand over the school to her largest son Sandzhiev.

The 62-year-old, who is also an instructor at the school, says he is lucky to have learned from his best mother. But being a son does not win any services; He says she is still his most difficult opponent.

Meenakshi Amma is a local celebrity. During our interview, three politicians stop to invite her to the awards ceremony.

“Well, we have to bond us in your presence,” says one of them with his arms folded.

“Thank you for considering me, I will attend,” she replies.

Her students talk about “cruel admiration” for her. Many have opened their own schools in Calari throughout the country, a source of great pride for Menakshi am.

“She is an inspiration for women everywhere – a rare person who shows love and affection for her students, but still remains a strict discipline as for Calarie,” says CF Thomas, a former student.

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