Simhalan Madhava Panicker
Encyclopedia
Simhalan Madhava Panicker was a well known South Asian martial artist and actor of film and theater. Born into a family of plantation farmers in Kerala
in 1930, he left home at the young age of 8 and traveled to all corners of India
. He found his passion in the martial arts and acting. He was an expert and authority in Marma Kalari, a variation of the ancient martial art of Kalarippayattu
.
Simbhalan Panicker
learned the Northern and Southern styles of Kalarippayattu
during 18 years of training under many teachers, and specialized in Varma Kalari, which he learned from Balan Gurukkal. From then on, he practiced the art, improvising and developing his own version of it. Using his background as a trained dancer, boxer and street fighter, he carried the art form into its highest level of expression. He created Simhala Kalari in 1975.
He was associated with contemporary martial artists like Chandrashekharan Gurukkal and Vallabhatta Vishwanathan Gurukkal. Notable disciples are Sensei
Moses Thilak, Master Manoharan and Karate Mani.
Like all martial art masters, Panickar Gurukkal, (as he is popularly known), was secretive about his Varma Kalari skills and has taught very few students, all of them renowned martial art masters in Southern India. In 1983 he was featured as a 'most dangerous man' in Chennai
in The Way of the Warrior: Martial Arts and Fighting Styles from Around the World, a book that was the basis for a TV documentary released by the BBC
which presents various martial art forms of the world.
Panicker Gurukkal's interests extended beyond martial arts. He was also an actor of theater and film, with more than 175 movies to his credit. He taught at the Film and TV Institute of Tamil Nadu
, Chennai
, India
.
He moved back to Kerala
in 1998, where he continued practicing Simhala Kalari. He died in March 2004. He is survived by his wife Chinnamma and daughter Jasmine Simhalan
, a noted Kalarippayattu
and Silambam
martial artist living in the UK. They both continue his vision of the dissemination and popularization of Kalari
.
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in 1930, he left home at the young age of 8 and traveled to all corners of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He found his passion in the martial arts and acting. He was an expert and authority in Marma Kalari, a variation of the ancient martial art of Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
.
Marma Kalari
The martial art of Marma Kalari involves attacks to an opponent by striking at specific vital points of the body to cause maximum injury or, conversely, revival of the same. These vital points are junction points or nerve nodes which, when struck from a specific angle and with a particular speed, can result in temporary paralysis, extreme pain, loss of consciousness, or even immediate or delayed death. Only experts in the art can execute this efficiently after decades of training.Simbhalan Panicker
Panicker
Panicker is an Indian title or last name used by members of various communities in the state of Kerala. The Kaniyars community of Kerala, particularly central and northern region, by virtue of their traditional occupation as teachers of a martial art are commonly known as Panicker...
learned the Northern and Southern styles of Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
during 18 years of training under many teachers, and specialized in Varma Kalari, which he learned from Balan Gurukkal. From then on, he practiced the art, improvising and developing his own version of it. Using his background as a trained dancer, boxer and street fighter, he carried the art form into its highest level of expression. He created Simhala Kalari in 1975.
He was associated with contemporary martial artists like Chandrashekharan Gurukkal and Vallabhatta Vishwanathan Gurukkal. Notable disciples are Sensei
Sensei
' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
Moses Thilak, Master Manoharan and Karate Mani.
Like all martial art masters, Panickar Gurukkal, (as he is popularly known), was secretive about his Varma Kalari skills and has taught very few students, all of them renowned martial art masters in Southern India. In 1983 he was featured as a 'most dangerous man' in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
in The Way of the Warrior: Martial Arts and Fighting Styles from Around the World, a book that was the basis for a TV documentary released by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
which presents various martial art forms of the world.
Panicker Gurukkal's interests extended beyond martial arts. He was also an actor of theater and film, with more than 175 movies to his credit. He taught at the Film and TV Institute of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
He moved back to Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in 1998, where he continued practicing Simhala Kalari. He died in March 2004. He is survived by his wife Chinnamma and daughter Jasmine Simhalan
Jasmine Simhalan
Jasmine Simhalan is a practitioner of the Indian martial arts and classical Indian dance. Her father, Simhalan Madhava Panicker, was a well known Martial Artist. Simhalan is an instructor in Silambam and a Gurukkal in Kalarippayattu. Simhalan is a performer and choreographer based in the United...
, a noted Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
and Silambam
Silambam
Silambam or silambattam is a weapon-based Dravidian martial art from Tamil Nadu in south India but also practised by the Tamil community of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. In Tamil, the word silambam refers to the bamboo staff which is the main weapon used in this style...
martial artist living in the UK. They both continue his vision of the dissemination and popularization of Kalari
Kalari
The word Kalari means battle ground in Tamil and translates as "threshing floor" or "battlefield" in Malayalam. Training for Kalarippayattu, a martial art of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is traditionally done inside the Kalari....
.
See also
- Kalari-Payatt
- Simhalan Panicker's article in Chennaibest
- To Heal and/or To Harm: The Vital Spots (Marmmam/Varmam) in Two South Indian Martial Traditions. Phillip ZarrilliPhillip ZarrilliPhillip Zarrilli is a British practitioner of the Indian martial arts of Kalarippayattu and Marma Adi. Zarrilli has also trained in variations of Yoga, the Wu style of T'ai chi ch'uan, and is one of the notable Western authorities on the subject of Indian martial arts.Zarrilli trained with Gurukkal...
, University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.