Silambam

Silambam – Indian Martial Arts

Silambam is an Indian martial arts focused primarily on staff fighting. Silambam students generally use a bamboo staff about 5 1/2 feet in length. Nevertheless, they can train with other weapons as well (i.e. swords). This martial arts is practiced in areas with large Tamil communities such as India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

According to Silambam.com, “Silambam is the name in Tamil for a practice encountered throughout the whole South India. It supposedly comes from Silam or Silambu, meaning hill in Tamil, and Bamboo, a Marhat word. Hence Silambamboo, shortened to Silambam, roughly meaning “Bamboo from the Hills”, as sticks were usually made out of a special kind of filled, yellow bamboo found there”.

Demonstration Video of Silambam Techniques

References

  1. Silambam.com, Introduction to Silambam Nilaikalakki, http://www.silambam.com/, Added – 11/12/14