The Kingdom of Martial Arts in India: 2019

C.V.N. Kalari Sangham / Trivandrum

Master: Sathya Narayanan Gurukkal
East Fort, Pazhavangadi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695023, India
Tel 0471-74182
Website: http://www.cvnkalari.in/index.html

Access: Located in the East Fort area, about 5 minutes by auto from MG Road and the train station. The surrounding area is a busy old town, close to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. If coming from Kovalam beach, walk 5 minutes from the bus stand at the end.

The traditional Kalari at East fort was established by Sri C.V. Govindan Kutty Nair Gurukkal in the year 1952. The Kalari functioned in a traditional thatched roof building till 1973.
Then the present building was completed with help from the Kerala government and a model Kalarippayat training center was established and inaugurated in 1975. The architect and designer of the building is the well-known painter Sri. M V Devan.
The well-known Govindankutty Gurukkal passed away in early 2006, and now the third generation Sathya Narayanan Gurukkal has been running the Kalari.

Sathya Narayanan Gurukkal

Sathya Narayanan Gurukkal appeared on the Japanese TV CM of Alinamin A supplement in a young day, showing his excellent flexibility and a stunning 3m high jump kick.

The Kalari offers a year-round training program in Kalarippayat and has classes 2 times a day for local students in the age group of 9 to 18 years.
The Kalari also offers short term courses of 3 to 6 months for foreign students and students from other parts of India.
It is also an approved center for international scholarships through ICCR, Govt.of India for a duration of 1 to 2 years.
It is recommended to everyone as an ideal Kalari across all. They have abundant experience in accepting foreigners all over the world.
The Master Sathiya in the picture above is a very warm & gentle character, and I can not imagine that he had a 3m high kick in young days!
The Kalari has a beautiful atmosphere where tradition and modern harmonize wonderfully. While in the middle of the noise of the city, the serenity inside the Kalari is amazing.
In the morning, training is taught by the assistant coach or Gurukkal, and in the evening, training is voluntary by yourself.

According to the research in 2007, Monthly fee for the lesson twice a day was 1500Rs, for staying room within the Kalari 2000Rs. Food is not served, hence by yourself or in a restaurant nearby.
At that time, they said that it was basic to get Letter from the Kalari and take Student Visa for at least six months. For those with experience in other martial arts or dance, etc. can be exceptionally accepted three months course of training with Tourist Visa, but in principle no short term training is possible.
However, a person who has only one month period or some for the training, with a strong will to learn the tradition, by all means, should have direct consultation. It seemed that you can expect a relatively flexible arrangement for such a case.
Since the current situation including the charges, is likely to have changed, trainees should contact them directly beforehand.
In addition, they can accept day tours to watch the class, so if you are interested, it's worth to stop by when visiting Trivandrum for sightseeing or business. However, in the case of general visitors, it is prohibited to shoot both videos and photos.

Padmanavaswami temple located in the center of the old town

The Kalari is located in Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala. Currently, Thiruvananthapuram is the official name, but because pronunciation is very difficult, Trivandrum is much more convenient for foreigners.
Trivandrum city is located in a hilly area close to the coast, and it is clearly divided into a new town centered on the main street MG Road and an old town centered on the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
The Indian Coffee House next to the KSRTC Bus Stand is famous for its mysterious spiral shape.
There are many lodgings concentrated in the area around the railway station to the KSRTC bus stand and further to the south of MG Road.
Also, about 40 minutes by bus from here, you can reach Kovalam, the topmost resort beach in South India.

Kovalam Beach, one of South India's best resorts

Buses are convenient to Trivandrum from neighboring cities in the state of Kerala. Night trains and planes are convenient from cities in Tamil Nadu, such as Chennai and Madurai. There are also buses and trains from Kanyakumari at the southernmost tip of India, that is only 85km from Trivandrum.
In addition, since Trivandrum is close to Sri Lanka and flight fares are very cheap, it is recommended that to go Trivandrum via Colombo by air. From the sky over the Indian Ocean, you can enjoy the beautiful panorama of coastline Kerala.

C.V.N. Kalari / Kollam

Master: Yogacharya Malabar P. Vasudevan Gurukkal
Souhardha Nagar 4, Kollam-Ayoor Rd, Ammannada, Kollam, Kerala 691021, India
Tel: 9387323242
Website: http://cvnkalarikollam.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CVN-KALARI-KOLLAM-382498585224092/

Access: Take a bus toward Kannalloor from the bus stop in front of the Kollam train station, get off at Puliyathu Mukku Bus Stop, then walk few minutes. You can take a bus from the main bazaar too, but in any case, the city bus departs from a completely different place from the KSRTC bus stand, so ask the locals.

L: Vasudevan Gurukkal, R: Sivakumar Gurukkal

History: Founded at Kottayam in 1954 by Vasudevan Gurukkal. He's passed away in 2002, but now his sons are running three branches in Kottayam, Kollam, and also in Varkala. Kollam Kalari is run by P.V. Sivakumar Gurukkal.
In 1986, the Kalari performed a 25-day demonstration at the Kerala village opening event in Little World, Nagoya, Japan and presented the tradition to the Japanese audiences, which is said that it was the first live performance of Kalaripayattu in Japan.

Bodily Exercise & Wooden Weapons

Metal Weapons

Kalari Massage

When I visited in 2007, there were resident trainees from England, with whom I could get some interview about their practice. Having said that, I got used to Indian English, hence their pure England English was too dialect for me, that I had a hard time listening to.
There were few local students on a daily basis at that time, and I felt that the Kalari is especially for foreigners.
However, if you look at Facebook over time, It seems that the value of Kalaripayattu has been re-evaluated recently in local public, and local students have been dramatically increasing in number, and the group lesson is being given at schools by this Kalari.
It seems that a new Karari arena also has been newly opened.

Inside the newly opened Kalari: from Facebook

According to the 2007 information, a foreign trainee can stay the vacant house around the neighborhood, rented at several thousand Rs/month, but the price and quality vary depending on the timing.
The British who I met at that time shared a luxurious single-family house with two people and said that it was 2,000 Rs a month. The monthly fee of the lesson was 8,000 Rs. Meals are usually self-catering.
Price rates in India are up sharply in the meantime, so the above information is for reference only, and it is necessary to inquire directly in English through Facebook, etc. about the current situation, including fees.

P.V. Sivakumar Gurukkal performs Ottapayattu / from Facebook

The town of Kollam is famous for its backwater boat tours that connect to Alappuzha in the north. The main bazaar in the city center has a traditional Indian atmosphere, contrasting the area with many foreign tourists around the boat jetty.

Backwater cruises are the highlight of Kerala travel

It takes 2 hours by bus to the Kollam from Trivandrum in the south. 3 hours by bus from Alappuzha in the north.
Of course, moving by boat takes time but it is highly recommended.
Transportation is well-maintained by city bus, suburbs, and long-distance bus service. The main base is the state-owned KSRTC Bus Stand.
The bus stand and the boat jetty are very close, but there are few suitable hotels around it. If you go to the main bazaar by Rikshaw, the choice of accommodation will be expanded.

E.P.V. Ayurveda Kalari Yoga Centre / Kaduthuruthy Kottayam

Master: E.P.Vasudeva Gurukkal
Temple Road Kaduthuruthy Kottayam Kerala India
Ph: 04829-282422

Access: From Kochi, take KSRTC bus to Kottayam then get down at Kaduthuruthy. 5 minutes by walking near the famous Thaliyil Mahadeva Shiva Temple.

E.P. Vasudeva Gurukkal was born in 1932. He learned his basic lessons in Kalari from his grandfather Aiyappa Thandar. Later he took proper Kalari training from Chandappan Gurukkal. He also mastered the nuances of northern Kalari under the tutelage of Pathriyil Gopalan Gurukkal, who is the guru of Chappan Gurukkal.
Later, he came to split with Govindankuthi Gurukkal of C.V.N.Kalari Trivandrum because of his intensely practical thought on Kalaripattu as 'Real Martial Arts'.

In 1959, he set up his own Kalari training center at Kaduthuruthy to spread Kalari techniques to everyone. Over 10,000 disciples both nationals and foreigners have been trained under his tutelage.
He's appeared on the program "Way of Warrior" of the British BBC taken in the 1970s. At that time he was a sharp-eyed tiger-like warrior !

EP Vasudeva Gurukkal (83), eminent Kalaripayattu teacher and founder of CVN Kalari at Kadathuruthy, has passed away.
The end came at his residence near CVN Kalari at Kadathuruthy on Friday morning 2015/10/02.
He was a master with serene equanimity deep inside his heart, was a precious senior in the Kalari field where the generation change is rapidly advancing now.

He's also studied yoga and meditation, been teaching it to disciples. I received the most spiritual impression on him in the whole research of Kalaripayattu.

According to the research in 2007, for foreign students, the entry fee to the Kalari was 500Rs and 200Rs for a monthly training fee. Staying the cottage just near to the Kalari costs 100Rs per day. Meals are self-catering. All tools are provided.
However, it is necessary to inquire as the situation of all price rate seems to have changed considerably in India these days.
The very low pricing was the manifestation of Vasudeva Gurukkal's unwavering policy that "teaching Kalaripayattu martial arts is not like modern-day business for money". I'll head down to the height of his aspiration.

The Kalari is surrounded by a forested hilly area, where you can enjoy the different attractions and atmosphere of Kerala from the coastal area.

The Kalari in Kaduthuruthy was run by Vasudeva Gurukkal with his eldest son, Madhu, while his second son, Shaji, has opened an independent Kalari in Pala, slightly away from Kaduthuruthy.
Dr. Shaji : Kathedral Church Road Pala Kottayam / Tel 04822-215644
Master Shaji seems to have succeeded Kaduthuruthy Kalari too after Vasudeva Gurukkal now.

Vallabhatta Kalari Sangham / Chavakkad, Thrissur

C. Sankara Narayana Menon Gurukkal (Unni Gurukkal)
Chavakkad Thrissur 680506 Kerala, India
Tel:0478-2509140
http://www.vallabhattakalari.com/index.html

Currently, Menon Gluckal is almost in a retirement state, and the Kalari is being run by his three sons in which Krishnadas Gurukkal is now in charge.

L: The serene ambiance of the Kalari surrounded by woods, R: Swords & shield on the wall

L: Parashrama, R: Predecessor Gurukkal

The Kalari has a serene and sacred atmosphere, and the relationship between the teacher and the student, elder and younger are strictly disciplined. Also, whole Kalari vicinity is kept neat and clean.
I felt strongly that the Kalari is a not only martial arts school but also the temple of prayer at the same time.
In addition, it was rare that they use not only the indoor arena but also outdoor precincts field evenly to practice kalarippayattu. The ground of the white sandy soil was always swept cleanly, and it reminds me of traditional Japanese martial arts Dojo with the back ground of Shinto-ism. It brought out an atmosphere resembling something more than sacred.

It is surrounded by deep tranquility when visiting other than the time of training

It is one of the most impressive karari I've ever known personally, and in particular, the character of Krishnadas Gurukkal, who speaks English and deals with foreigners is warm and cheerful and friendly, that when listening to his Vaithali (verbal command) I felt my body desiring to start practice together, and got strong impression that it must be good training at all.

L: Nel Kal, with his toes pointing to the heaven & earth, R: a boy who receives a senior's instruction

A senior becomes a teacher and teaches children. The basic is "to imitate"

Sword practice. The practice of adult disciples around the age of twenty make us full of excitement

Even when I visited, a couple of westerners were practicing, and English instructional instructions spoken by Gurukkal was very easy to understand, and in a good sense that it was emitting energy of "make disciples do it".

Practice in the Kalari. The long stick moves are agile and powerful

With regard to the style of Kalaripayattu, it is the so-called central style, and the form before being modernized or “spoiled” by CVN way is still vividly alive there.
In particular, with regard to empty hand techniques (Karate-like) called Vermukai, it is very similar to Southern style Adi Tada and Kuthu Variisai of Tamil Sirambam.

About Kalari treatment system, as for the counterpart of the martial system, there are always some patients from the local area receiving oil massage and other treatments continuously within almost three hours of my visit.

The medical clinic always crowded with regulars from the neighborhood

The Karali accepts one to several months of the stay-based trainees. Many foreigners have already attended the course, therefore newcomers also will be able to enter with ease and confidence. However, basic English skills are required.
The practice is 2 hours in the morning and 1 hour in the evening. Foreign students can take almost always one-to-one instruction.
The residential trainees can stay at a lodge in the town of Chavakkad or in a private house(homestay) nearby. You can cook your own meal or ask it to local mothers.
The monthly fee(dakshina) was 3,000 Rs at the time of research in 2007 but need inquires through Facebook or Homepage regarding current charges and total expenses in detail.
Also, it's better to inquire in advance if you just wish to visit and watch the practice.

Near the Kalari there situated Elephant Fort, famous for elephant breeding and training. In addition, the first-class Hindu holy place Guruvayur temple, which worships Lord Krishna, is nearby, and the whole area keeps the atmosphere of an attractive religious cultural town.

The main building of the Guruvayur Krishna temple where the mural paintings on the wall is incredible. Unfortunately, foreigners cannot enter inside

Access: There are many buses from Calicut and Cochin. As Chavakkad itself is a small town with nothing special, it usually goes via Guruvayur. If you come from Kochi, take a bus that runs along the coast course and it gets much faster.
The town of Chavakkad is in the Thrissur District, so it's categorized after it here, but the town of Thrissur (Trichur) itself is a bit far from Chavakkad, so if you want to go there just for a tour, I would recommend staying at Guruvayur.
However, there are many lodgings refusing foreign guests in Kerala, and in the case of Guruvayur, there have been many cases where accommodation is often refused if the guest is a single traveler, so it may be safe to reserve the room through Expedia, etc. in advance.

C.V.N Kalari Gopalan Gurukkal Smaraka / Kozhikode

Popular Name: C.V.N. Kalari East Hill
Master: V.M.Vijayan Gurukkal
Address: Gopalan Gurukkal Road, East Hill, Calicut, 673005, Kerala, India
Tel +91 495-2381766 Mobile: +91 98462 48108
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Vijayan Gurukkal is starting Puja for Puttara

The founder of this Kalari is Gopalan Gurukkal who is one of the founding members of the C.V.N.Kalari Movement that has become the driving force of the Kalari Renaissance.

L: C.V.N.Nair Gurukkal, R: Gopalan Gurukkal

He learned Kalaripayattu under both C.V.Narayanan Nair, Kottakal Kanaran Gurukkal. As one of their beloved disciple, he gathered fame and established this Kalari here in Calicut 1943.

Meypayattu shows outstanding flexibility

Practice takes place within very close distance almost touching the shoulders

After Gopalan Gurukkal passed away, his son, Vijayan Gurukkal took over the Kalari and maintained it. Now his son(grandson of Gopalan Gurukkal) Vikas is mainly teaching Kalaripayattu practice, and Vijayan Gurukkal is concentrating on Kalari treatment.
The whole family is a passionate believer in Sai Baba, also teaching students in Puttaparthi and White Field.

Elephant Posture

Lion Posture

Cat & Rooster Posture

Irithi & Wild Boar Posture

The Kalari is a family run of Vijayan Gurukkal, his wife Kanchana, the successor son Vikas and younger sister Kavitha. Most of the stay can be very relaxing like a homestay. It was disappointing that Kavitha, who was the most proficient in English, served as a good mentor to foreign guests, but got married in April 2007 and left home.
However, I've heard that she often comes home and helps her father's treatment work.

L: Kettukali Long Stick, R: Gadha

L: Sword & Shield, R: Otta Curved Stick

Very speedy demo of Short Stick Mucchan

Kettukali Long Stick Fight

The disciples coming here also have an unpretentious nature both adult and youth, and both Gurukkals are trusted as a Kalari physician by the people surrounding.
The author also stayed for more than one month in the research travel 2005 and 2007, learned Kalaripayattu under Vijayan Gurukkal. These photos and videos posted here are the fruits of the cooperation by everyone in the Kalari.

All the kids are pure and cute

The guest room is added to the main house where the Gurukkal family lives on the first floor, and the Kalari is on the ground floor underneath. In recent years, they have built a separate guesthouse too.
The Kalari is located in a quiet residential area a little away from the center of Calicut city. It takes about 20 minutes by auto both from the bus stand and train station. If you get familiar with it, you can take the city bus that runs frequently and cheap.

Kadathanad K.P.C.G.M. Kalari Sangam / Vadakara

Master: Madhu Puthuppanam Gurukkal
Reg. No. 25/63 Puthuppanam Vadakara Calicut Dist. Kerala India
Ph:0496-2528135
https://www.facebook.com/kpcgm.kalari/

Madhu Gurukkal receiving the salutation

Kottakal Kanaran Gurukkal, the teacher of modern Kalaripayattu innovator C.V.N. Nair, was born in Vadakara, inherited the tradition of Kalaripayattu in this area and transferred it to his disciple Nair.
Due to this history, Vadakara is an important holy place for CVN Karari practitioners, but that is not the only reason.
There is the guardian temple of Kalaripayattu warriors called "Lokanarkavu" in this town.

Thacholi Othenan, the legendary martial hero of the medieval Malayalam Ballads 'Vadakkan Pattukal' was a famous fighter trained under Kadathanad style Kalaripayattu.
It is said that Lokanarkavu temple was the place where he used to pray daily for gaining martial strength and victory toward Durga Goddess, the main deity of the temple.
Since then, Lokanarkavu temple is the most important place of worship for Kalaripayattu practitioners who visit and pray in this temple at the milestone of their life or occasion having something strong wishes.
They also demonstrate Kalaripayattu here at the festival time twice a year with various ritual performances like dance and music.

traditional wooden architecture of Lokanarkavu temple

The temple is built in Kerala's traditional wooden architecture and would be worth a look along with its beautiful façade(gable).

With such a rich history and settings, there are many local Kalari schools here in Vadakara.
In particular, the Kalari tradition of the Vadakara region is called Kadathanad style, which inherits the ancient style of the arts not modernized yet like the C.V.N. style, shows its unique presence in the Kalaripayattu field.

Kadathanad K.P.C.G.M. Kalari Sangam has a history of over 200 years, where Madhu Grukcal has succeeded after his father Kadathanad Chandran Gurukkal, who was known as a master of Otta Payattu.
The Kalari quietly sits on a hilly settlement a little north of the National Highway.
The practice is extremely distinctive compared to other Kalaris of CVN style. Along with the Kalari construction, it is the school that keeps the most traditional form of training system I have ever visited.

L: Traditional palm leaf thatched-roof, R: Loincloth called Kaccha

L: Weaved palm leaf for thatched-roof, R: Flexibility!

L: Gurukkal's daughter and friends, R: Praying for Puttara

I visited here in early 2007, anyway because it is a pure local Kalari, I could not communicate with them well in English, and had conversations with gestures & inspirations at the time of research.
Even with some difficulties, they were very friendly and cooperative, and I enjoyed all the time of research.
There are many disciple children, and girls have been practicing as much as boys, probably because of the presence of daughter in Madhu Gurukkal, and while they do not understand the English very much, the girls were at the center to cooperate entire research where I was able to see various demos.

L: Girl's troop, R: Boys troop

Kalari practitioners are the expert of Yoga too

L: Salute for the Gods and Goddess, R: Gurukkal & senior disciples

The above pictures show soil wall with several layers, which is a "stratum" because this Kalari has traditional dug-out structure called Kurikalari, means they are practicing underground.
The low temperature of the soil and the wind passing through the walls of this semi-underground structure cools the body of the trainee moderately, and even in the tropical country of Kerala, it is possible to continue practicing comfortably all year round.
There shows also high-level yoga poses, but as you can see in Mallakhamb, advanced Yoga-Asanas, which has high difficulty for ordinary people, are just a kind of preparatory or warming up for them, and many Kalari schools incorporate yoga-Asana in their training.
It is more obvious to watch the movie than to spend a million of words for understanding actual practice landscape. Although it is child-centered member, we can see the high level of flexibility and predominant agility with much power not found in CVN styles.

The interior of the Kalari had a poor light intensity, and although it was not captured very well by the cheap camera at that time, its unique feature of practice would be understood easily.
In Kalaripayattu, traditionally boys practice in loincloth called Kaccha as shown in the above photos. They showed me how to roll up the kaccha, therefore I'll show you the videos of its process.
The appearance of rolling up a very long cloth in layering way tightly on the lower abdomen is very interesting and seems similar to the "Mawashi" loincloth in Sumo wrestling.

At the base of Kalaripayattu lies the thought and practice of Kundalini Yoga, and it seems that there is a methodology that enhances and activates the power of chakra by rolling up the kaccha tightly.
This point reminds me "臍下丹田：Seika-Tanden", the focusing point of "気：Chi" on the lower abdomen in Japanese martial arts.
This is a personal hypothesis, but the traditional Japanese martial arts such as Sumo wrestling and Jujutsu seem to be influenced by Indian martial arts DNA somewhere in its history.

When I wrote the old edition of this homepage, I commented "A lot of young children are in the high level of flexibility and stamina. It is a very promising Kalari for after ten years,". Then ten years have passed now, it seems to have grown into a powerful Kalari with many outstanding young players.
According to the interview at that time, I wrote "if foreigners joined the Kalari, accommodation can be arranged in a nearby private house for around 2,000 rupees per month. The lesson and the tuition fee is from 5,000 rupees a month. You can ask for meals to housewife nearby or self-cooking" on the old edition of this site.
But all prices have risen sharply during these periods, so if you wish to learn and stay there, you should make contact them directly and ask for detailed info beforehand.
Even though ten years have passed, it seems that there are almost no foreigners accepted, but I have no doubts that it must be a valuable experience just by observing it, so I highly recommend to visit them if you have an interest and opportunity.

Access: From the bus stand of Vadakara, take a local bus bound for Quilandi to the south and get off at Arabinndagosh Road. Turn east on the corner of the store and take 5 minutes by auto or 20 minutes on foot. As auto is difficult to catch in the early morning or the evening, it is best to take an auto directly from the bus stand.
If you want to visit or practice there, you can either call them directly or talk in advance using Facebook's English message, considering the difficulty of conversation.
I visited Vadakara once in the winter of 2007, and it was a hard schedule to cover four Kalaris during my stay only for a few days, I could not do anything like sightseeing, but only one place I visited was the Lokanarkavu Hindu temple already mentioned above. It's worth visiting there, I strongly recommend it.

Kerala Kalaripayattu Academy / Kannur

Also called: KKA Kalari Kannur
Master: C.Mohammed Sherif Gurukkal
Adress: Chalad, Kannur, Kerala 670014, India
Ph: 0497-2768178

KKA Kalari Kannur is run by Muslim Master Sherif Gurukkal. He is a man of intellect and has appeared in the famous book describing Kalaripayattu in detail "When the Body Becomes All Eyes" by Phillip P. Zarrilli. In the book, Sherif Gurukkal shows off hidden stories of Kalaripayattu in detail.

Access: Trains from the north such as Goa, Mangalore are convenient. Buses also depart frequently from & to Calicut. Go to Palliyamoola Beach by city bus from the Kannur station and a few minutes by walk, you can reach there. Or take an auto rickshaw directly to the Kalari from the station.

Transportation in the city of Kannur is well-maintained and there run many buses inside the city, going to suburbs and long-distance. The starting point of the move is the private Central Bus Stand.

The state of the city center is a little urban style. The contrast between the latest shopping center and the old bazaar is distinct.

A few steps away from the bustling city center, the red-tiled roofs of the old houses are scattered in the lush greenery, bringing out the remarkable flavor of the Malabar coast.

C.M. Sherif Master with Japanese Trainee

In early 2007 when I visited, Miss. Kaoru Osanai, who studies Ayurvedic medical treatment at Gujarat University, was staying here for a long period of school holidays to practice Kalari martial arts and medical treatment, and we could talk a bit about Kalaripayattu and Master Sherif in Japanese.

I was pretty impressed that when I asked her "What kind of person your Master is?", She answered "Bodhi Dharma!", just in a second.

L: Kalari Vandanam, R: Daily Practice Scene

Basic Animal Postures

To state it simply, here is a Kalari vacation program especially for foreigners. The condition of that staying at a cozy cottage on a resort beach with natural foods, being sent by a car for come and back to the Kalari, having one instructor for each student, and the teaching method is systematically easy to understand, are pretty good.

The cost includes room, two meals and coaching was the highest level I have checked at that time, but satisfaction guaranteed.
For details information, make contact to master directly.

Recently this Kalari tends to be a treatment-centered policy, so Kalari practice program is not strongly promoted, but they can accept foreign student yet. If you have interested in this Kalari, it's worth enquiring.

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