It was the most surprising event for me to witness Mallakhamb at first among another variety of Indian martial arts.
Mallakhamb was originated as martial exercise, especially for Kushti Indian traditional wrestling.
The name Mallakhamb was derived from two words, malla means wrestler or warrior and khamb means pole, hence Mallakhamb means "wrestler's pole".
Mallakhamb is a series of extremely unique body-building systems & sports that you would have never seen before.
I'll show you incredible Mallakhamb promotion video at first which was edited by authorized Mallakhamb Association in Maharashtra, India.
Official video Mallakhamb Association Vol.1
Mallakhamb appears at first into history on ancient documents Manasollasa written in 1135, which is compiled by Someshwara Ⅲ the King of West Charukiya Dynasty.
This document is an encyclopedia of the culture, economics, architecture, medicine, cooking, arts, entertainment, sports, etc. of South India at the time, and is a valuable resource for people's daily life and the state of society.
Chalkia Dynasty was in a serious confrontation with the surrounding countries such as the Tamil Chola Dynasty and was embarrassed by a pressing force at that period.
There were tremendous needs to strengthen military power, that's why Mallakhamb as extraordinary workout system would have been described in the book and recommended to youth.
According to Mallakhamb-Wikipedia, Mallakhamb was recorded in 17th-century Rajput paintings and Mughal paintings, I personally witnessed a mural painting of mallakhamb at Bundi Palace in Rajasthan which was constructed in the 17th century.
In this painting, we can see Mallakhamb on the center, Mudgal or Jolly(Indian club) on the left, a donut-shaped stone wheel Nal on the right.
It is clear that these Indian-style training items which are typically seen in Kushti wrestling akhara nowadays had been popularly widespread by this time.
Later, it was newly introduced on a large scale by the famous Kusti Wrestler Balambhatta Dada Deodhar in the early 1800s, and it became the dawn of the modern Mallakhamb.
According to the legend, he was a famous wrestler in the Maratha Empire under Peshwa Vajrao reign.
One day the Empire was challenged by a strong champion wrestler came from the west and Balambhatta Dada Deodhar witnessed everyone's fear and retreat from that.
Seeing such a shameful attitude, he bravely decided to accept the challenge. But the challenger seems really strong tremendously, he got understand that the current his ability is not enough and needs special training for the mutch.
After questing for a while, he got inspired by seeing Hanuman monkey (Hanuman God is the guardian of wrestling) is moving freely on the tree.
He started Mallakhamb exercises copying the complicated movements of Hanuman monkey on the trees.
Then he got the secret of how to defeat the unrivaled enemy at last. It is said that is the dawn of modern-day Mallakhamb.
Whether it was a result of the mallakhamb training or not, he defeated the challenger perfectly, and since then Mallakhamb spread rapidly among Indian wrestlers with his brilliant victory.
In the early days it was popularized as basic training for wrestling, but its splendor was soon recognized, and it was established purely as a sports competition.
Its popularity and development progressed after Mallakhamb has got the entry to the All India Gymnasium held at Delhi in 1958, and it is now spread throughout India, especially in Maharashtra state as its home.
As practiced traditionally in Kushti akhara(arena), Mallakhamb is incredibly efficient holistic training for all kind of martial artist, especially for grappling fighters.
You can easily imagine that after taking enough sparing simulation against the opponent of height 2.5 to 3m an immobile giant, mere human less than 2m is nothing.
There are various theories about its origin, but because the shape of the training equipment Mukdal (Jori, Mudgal, Indian Club, also used in Kushti, which was introduced in another section), closely resembles the pillar of Mallakhamb, I think the origin of Mallakhamb is Mukudal's exercise.
While doing that training, one day someone got inspiration that "If making mukdal stand like a pillar and climb on it like a monkey, it must be super powerful work out for every wrestler".
Mallkhamb is divided into 3 categories.
0. Preparation and Basic exercise.
From basic stretch, roll and jump, exceeding to difficult floor exercise with advanced Hatha Yoga postures in continuous action on the mat.
It looks like the hybrid of Yoga Asana, Gymnastics and Chinese circus. The bodily flexibility of every student is absolutely extraordinary.
This is just warming up
1. Pole Mallakhamb
Stand the wooden pole length of 3m and half, and fixed it below the ground level depth of 30cm.
Then try to climb it up from the bottom to the top without rest, continuously move up by the combination of Yoga like postures.
Then stand on the top of the pole, finish with big jump and roll. It demands much flexibility, power of muscle, sense of balance, and total coordination of body-mind concentration.
It’s some kind of fighting simulation with a big guy of 2.7m heights. If a man can realize mastery over such kind of powerful opponent, he can easily control over normal human.
Performance of Pole & Hanging Mallakhamb
2. Hanging Mallakhamb
Hanging wooden pole, which is little smaller than a regular one, from 5m height by the rope, then make the same exercise of the Pole Mallakhamb.
Because of unbalanced condition, the degree of difficulty is much higher than regular Mallakhamb.
3. Rope Mallakhamb
Hanging cotton rope length of 10m, then climbing up from the bottom to the top using both hands and the crotch of big toes.
On the way of climbing, make many variations of Yoga like postures.
In a highly advanced level, speed, agility, power, and fluidness bodily movements are extremely fascinating. It looks like the origin of the great Chinese circus.
The most thrilling girl's sports
Ordinary [3] is fit for girls, then [1] and [2] are only for boys because it's practiced by the naked body using friction glip of the skin.
But some girls are trying to practice Pole Mallakhamb too nowadays especially in western countries.
Besides the above three types, there are some variations as their circus-like subspecies as seen in the video below.
Play Mallakhamb by a group of player on hanging poles set on rotating playground equipment like system, play Mallakhamb in blind and holding a sword in both hands, set a pole on glasses or bottles and play Mallakhamb on it, and play Mallakhamb on a floating boat, etc.
More acrobat versions of Malakhamb 3:20~
Mallakhamb seems to be widely spread over more than 20 states in all India, but among them, Mumbai, Satara, Solapur in Maharashtra are known for its zenith.
Mallakhamb may demand some talent like extream flexibility, that's why it has not become very popular for everybody yet.
And in most cases, there is limited teaching practice in certain cities or schools where avid trainers live.
In recent years, where economic growth has been rapidly growing in India, the traditional culture has been reviewed, and this Malakhamb has also been featured in various media such as India's Got Talent.
Program from India's Got Talent
I returned from the second Indian martial arts research trip in the spring of 2007.
I uploaded many videos that I shot and given by the local master one after another on the emerging Youtube site.
It was a time when the words "Youtuber" have not been popularized yet.
The million hit video on our channel
Later, at the fourth research trip, I met Malakhamb coach Vitthal Gole, who lives in Wai Maharashtra State.
He gave me a variety of very high-quality Mallakhamb videos to promote Mallakhamb all over the world.
After returning to Japan in the summer of 2010, I edited and uploaded those videos to Youtube as a series of "The Topmost Mallkhamb Players".
One day in autumn, a video of them suddenly buzzed and got over 1 million views in a blink of an eye.
That's the video above.
In the wake of this "incident", Malakhamb has attracted attention all over the world, and the video was introduced on television shows in Japan, Brazil, Germany, France, etc. including CNN Television in the USA.
I heard that Mallakhamb clubs are currently established mainly in developed countries such as Germany, the United States, and Japan.
I was very encouraged that even with such small personal activities like Sangam Institute, it can achieve something a bit great.
The Mallakhamb Association in India is now conducting various promotional activities aiming to make Mallakhamb to be adopted as an official sport (exhibition) at the first Olympic Games in India (hopefully held in 20XX).
We would like to promote Mallakhamb continuously for the brilliant its future.
School students play on a low pole for practice
Mallakhamb was originated as martial exercise, especially for Kushti Indian traditional wrestling.
The name Mallakhamb was derived from two words, malla means wrestler or warrior and khamb means pole, hence Mallakhamb means "wrestler's pole".
Mallakhamb is a series of extremely unique body-building systems & sports that you would have never seen before.
I'll show you incredible Mallakhamb promotion video at first which was edited by authorized Mallakhamb Association in Maharashtra, India.
Official video Mallakhamb Association Vol.1
Mallakhamb appears at first into history on ancient documents Manasollasa written in 1135, which is compiled by Someshwara Ⅲ the King of West Charukiya Dynasty.
This document is an encyclopedia of the culture, economics, architecture, medicine, cooking, arts, entertainment, sports, etc. of South India at the time, and is a valuable resource for people's daily life and the state of society.
Chalkia Dynasty was in a serious confrontation with the surrounding countries such as the Tamil Chola Dynasty and was embarrassed by a pressing force at that period.
There were tremendous needs to strengthen military power, that's why Mallakhamb as extraordinary workout system would have been described in the book and recommended to youth.
According to Mallakhamb-Wikipedia, Mallakhamb was recorded in 17th-century Rajput paintings and Mughal paintings, I personally witnessed a mural painting of mallakhamb at Bundi Palace in Rajasthan which was constructed in the 17th century.
Mallakhamb is drawn with another kushti exercises
It is clear that these Indian-style training items which are typically seen in Kushti wrestling akhara nowadays had been popularly widespread by this time.
Later, it was newly introduced on a large scale by the famous Kusti Wrestler Balambhatta Dada Deodhar in the early 1800s, and it became the dawn of the modern Mallakhamb.
According to the legend, he was a famous wrestler in the Maratha Empire under Peshwa Vajrao reign.
One day the Empire was challenged by a strong champion wrestler came from the west and Balambhatta Dada Deodhar witnessed everyone's fear and retreat from that.
Seeing such a shameful attitude, he bravely decided to accept the challenge. But the challenger seems really strong tremendously, he got understand that the current his ability is not enough and needs special training for the mutch.
After questing for a while, he got inspired by seeing Hanuman monkey (Hanuman God is the guardian of wrestling) is moving freely on the tree.
He started Mallakhamb exercises copying the complicated movements of Hanuman monkey on the trees.
Then he got the secret of how to defeat the unrivaled enemy at last. It is said that is the dawn of modern-day Mallakhamb.
Whether it was a result of the mallakhamb training or not, he defeated the challenger perfectly, and since then Mallakhamb spread rapidly among Indian wrestlers with his brilliant victory.
In the early days it was popularized as basic training for wrestling, but its splendor was soon recognized, and it was established purely as a sports competition.
Its popularity and development progressed after Mallakhamb has got the entry to the All India Gymnasium held at Delhi in 1958, and it is now spread throughout India, especially in Maharashtra state as its home.
As practiced traditionally in Kushti akhara(arena), Mallakhamb is incredibly efficient holistic training for all kind of martial artist, especially for grappling fighters.
You can easily imagine that after taking enough sparing simulation against the opponent of height 2.5 to 3m an immobile giant, mere human less than 2m is nothing.
There are various theories about its origin, but because the shape of the training equipment Mukdal (Jori, Mudgal, Indian Club, also used in Kushti, which was introduced in another section), closely resembles the pillar of Mallakhamb, I think the origin of Mallakhamb is Mukudal's exercise.
While doing that training, one day someone got inspiration that "If making mukdal stand like a pillar and climb on it like a monkey, it must be super powerful work out for every wrestler".
From Wikipedia
Mukdal exercise using both hands, Kushti akhara in Orissa
It becomes a pillar of Mallakhamb when big size Mukdal is erected on the ground, Kushti akhara in MP state
0. Preparation and Basic exercise.
From basic stretch, roll and jump, exceeding to difficult floor exercise with advanced Hatha Yoga postures in continuous action on the mat.
It looks like the hybrid of Yoga Asana, Gymnastics and Chinese circus. The bodily flexibility of every student is absolutely extraordinary.
This is just warming up
Stand the wooden pole length of 3m and half, and fixed it below the ground level depth of 30cm.
Then try to climb it up from the bottom to the top without rest, continuously move up by the combination of Yoga like postures.
Then stand on the top of the pole, finish with big jump and roll. It demands much flexibility, power of muscle, sense of balance, and total coordination of body-mind concentration.
It’s some kind of fighting simulation with a big guy of 2.7m heights. If a man can realize mastery over such kind of powerful opponent, he can easily control over normal human.
Performance of Pole & Hanging Mallakhamb
Hanging wooden pole, which is little smaller than a regular one, from 5m height by the rope, then make the same exercise of the Pole Mallakhamb.
Because of unbalanced condition, the degree of difficulty is much higher than regular Mallakhamb.
3. Rope Mallakhamb
Hanging cotton rope length of 10m, then climbing up from the bottom to the top using both hands and the crotch of big toes.
On the way of climbing, make many variations of Yoga like postures.
In a highly advanced level, speed, agility, power, and fluidness bodily movements are extremely fascinating. It looks like the origin of the great Chinese circus.
The most thrilling girl's sports
But some girls are trying to practice Pole Mallakhamb too nowadays especially in western countries.
Besides the above three types, there are some variations as their circus-like subspecies as seen in the video below.
Play Mallakhamb by a group of player on hanging poles set on rotating playground equipment like system, play Mallakhamb in blind and holding a sword in both hands, set a pole on glasses or bottles and play Mallakhamb on it, and play Mallakhamb on a floating boat, etc.
More acrobat versions of Malakhamb 3:20~
Mallakhamb may demand some talent like extream flexibility, that's why it has not become very popular for everybody yet.
And in most cases, there is limited teaching practice in certain cities or schools where avid trainers live.
In recent years, where economic growth has been rapidly growing in India, the traditional culture has been reviewed, and this Malakhamb has also been featured in various media such as India's Got Talent.
Program from India's Got Talent
I uploaded many videos that I shot and given by the local master one after another on the emerging Youtube site.
It was a time when the words "Youtuber" have not been popularized yet.
The million hit video on our channel
He gave me a variety of very high-quality Mallakhamb videos to promote Mallakhamb all over the world.
After returning to Japan in the summer of 2010, I edited and uploaded those videos to Youtube as a series of "The Topmost Mallkhamb Players".
One day in autumn, a video of them suddenly buzzed and got over 1 million views in a blink of an eye.
That's the video above.
In the wake of this "incident", Malakhamb has attracted attention all over the world, and the video was introduced on television shows in Japan, Brazil, Germany, France, etc. including CNN Television in the USA.
I heard that Mallakhamb clubs are currently established mainly in developed countries such as Germany, the United States, and Japan.
I was very encouraged that even with such small personal activities like Sangam Institute, it can achieve something a bit great.
The Mallakhamb Association in India is now conducting various promotional activities aiming to make Mallakhamb to be adopted as an official sport (exhibition) at the first Olympic Games in India (hopefully held in 20XX).
We would like to promote Mallakhamb continuously for the brilliant its future.
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