Thang Ta Entry - Encyclopedia of Martial Arts

Martial Arts of the World
An Encyclopedia Edited by Thomas A. Green

Thang-Ta

Thang-ta (Meiteilon; sword-spear) is the popular Manipuri name for a set of armed and unarmed fighting techniques developed by the Meitei people of the state of Manipur, India. The formal name for this martial system is Huyen Lallong (Meiteilon; art of warfare).

Bordered on the east by Myanmar (Burma), the state of Manipur (total area: 8,456 square miles) in northeastern India consists geographically of an oval valley of about 700 square miles surrounded by densely forested mountain ranges. Each of the various communities residing in the valley possesses its own distinct religious practices. The Meiteis have long been the principal inhabitants of this valley. Their history is characterized not only by interclan and intertribal warfare and conflicts with Myanmar, Assam, and other neighboring kingdoms but also by long periods of stable government. Thang-ta, with its long and energetic practice sessions, allowed Meitei warriors to hone their combat skills in times of peace as well as war.

The story of the origins of thang-ta is embedded in the religious mythology of the Meitei community. In the mythology of the Meitei, the limbs and bones of the community’s progenitor, Tin sidaba (also called Pakhangba), are said to have turned into various swords and tools, some of which are used in thang-ta; others are used in certain rites. Tin sidaba’s ribs turned into the thangjao (broad sword) for instance, while one of his fingers became the heijrang (kitchen knife). Even today, each of the seven clans of the Meitei owns a distinctively shaped traditional sword that must be laid out during any event of ancestor worship. Leishemlon, the story of creation in Meitei mythology, records Pakhangba as the originator of thang-ta.

During the reign of King Khagemba between the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries A.D., thang-ta reached its zenith. Chainarol, a manuscript written in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries that contains glimpses of the prevailing war customs, suggests that warriors were expected to adhere to a strict code of conduct. For instance, when an unarmed man was challenged, he had the right to fetch weapons and to fix the date for the fight. During the fight, when blood oozed from a scratch or wound on any part of a combatant’s body, that combatant was declared the loser. Afterward, the combatants shared food and wine supplied by their wives. Then, the victor cut off the loser’s head and, if the loser had requested this service, cremated the loser’s body. Heads usually were preserved by victors as trophies of prowess.

Manipur, after losing the Anglo-Manipuri War, was annexed to the British Empire in 1891. In recognition of the heroism and skill of the Manipuri army, which was ably led by Major General Paona Brjabasi, the British immediately made it illegal for a citizen of Manipur to possess a weapon and outlawed the martial arts of Manipur, including thang-ta. Thang-ta went underground and was kept alive by only a few expert practitioners. After India gained independence in 1947 (Manipur became a territory of the Indian Union in 1949 and a constituent state in 1972), thang-ta slowly reemerged. Considerable controversy surrounds modern differences in thang-ta techniques taught by the various gurus (teachers); these differences may be attributable to the long suppression of this martial art by the British colonial power.

Today, thang-ta is popular in Manipur both as a martial art form and as a technique used in theater and dance. Therefore, it receives support from the state and has gained widespread popularity. Across Manipur a number of martial arts academies train men and women in thang-ta, and many dance and theater schools include thang-ta among their course offerings. The performance of thang-ta techniques, as in the solo decorative sword dance or a choreographed thang-ta duel on the stage, has become common in Manipur. In fact, the professional Manipuri dancer is quite likely to have taken a few thang-ta workshops, and well-known Indian choreographers such as Astaad Deboo and others have collaborated extensively with thang-ta artists.

The traditional repertoire of thang-ta is divided into four broad categories. These categories are Ta-khousarol (art of spear dance), Thanghairol (art of swordplay), Sarit-sarat (unarmed combat), and Thengkourol (art of touch and call).

Ta-khousarol consists of nine extremely demanding and sophisticated movement sequences: Maram Nungshetpa, Maram Achouba, Maram Macha, Tangkhul, Athou Achouba, Thel, Maram Nungjrongba, Kabui, Athou Chumthang. Each involves a series of moves executed in a specific order—salutation, removing stakes, watching the foe, battle, and so forth. The martial artist holds the ta (spear) in the right hand and the chungoi (shield) in the left. The spear is made of bamboo, approximately 5 feet or more in length, with a blade attached on both sides. The spears used in present times are decorated with colored thread. The chungoi measures about 3 feet in length and 1 1/2 feet in breadth. It is usually black in color, with a motif painted on top.

Advanced acrobatic and sword skills are required in thang-ta, as is demonstrated by this photograph of two men in
Manipur, ca. 1994. (Lindsay Hebberd/Corbis)





Today, the spear dance is a popular solo performance piece for the expert martial artist, and Ta-khousarol techniques are used widely by drama directors and dance choreographers in Manipur.

Thanghairol encompasses two kinds of swordplay: Leiteng-thang (decorative swordplay) and Yanna-thang (combat swordplay). The expert swordsman carries a chungoi (shield) and three swords, namely, a yetthang (right-hand sword), an oi-thang (left-hand sword), and a tendonthang (additional sword); this last is kept at the back and used like an arrow in an emergency. In Leiteng-thang, the swordsman moves either two swords or one sword and the shield gracefully in a show of valor and virtuosity. A typical technique involves twirling two swords around the swordsman’s body so that they trace the path of a figure eight without ever touching one other. In Yanna-thang the swordsman learns to master the various units of Thanglon (language of the sword), which include bladework and the accompanying footwork, so that the swordsman can defend against all modes of attack and counterattack. The thang is about 2 feet long, straight or slightly curved, with a handle made of brass and wood. In contemporary Manipur, Thanghairol is taught in martial arts academies
and also seen frequently in theatrical productions.

Sarit-sarat consists of a series of techniques that must be mastered by every student. The training begins with different types of somersaults and various methods for rolling on the floor and later continues to include strategies of offense and defense without the use of weapons. This tradition focuses on using movements such as punching and kicking in strategic ways in order to deal with sudden attacks of any kind. It also includes unarmed fighting techniques for fighting an armed opponent. In stage performances of thang-ta, a popular theatrical piece is one showing a woman who defends herself against a male attacker by using the self-defense techniques of Sarit-sarat.

Thengkourol involves ritualistic movements that must be executed in sequence on the symbolic diagram of the paphal (coiled snake). The martial artist’s movements form patterns by connecting the points of the diagram with the feet. Rather than being a system of techniques used for direct combat with another human being or an animal, Thengkourol functions as a magical practice in which the prayer along with the mode of action performed brings about the desired effect on the enemy or the kingdom. The knowledge of Thengkourol is highly valued by the community, and those warriors who possess this knowledge are believed to possess the ultimate knowledge of the art of warfare.

Very little information is available about Thengkourol. It is a sacred art, the knowledge of which is preserved in secrecy. It is never performed in public. Currently, only a handful of martial artists claim to know Thengkourol.

Although gurus sometimes disagree about the details of a Thengkou (one of the forms of the art), they concur on the overall idea. There are nine Thengkou: Akao, Leiphal, Leichai, Nongphan, Leikak, Leinet, Lankak, Akham, Leishit.

The records of Manipur document occasions on which a series of Thengkou were performed to bring victory. For example, during the reign of King Garibniwaz, in the first half of the eighteenth century, Sarot haiba Toglen Wangkheirakpa, a noble, performed Akham Thengkou. Pandit Gopiram performed the Akham Thengkou during the reign of Rajarshi Bhagyachandra in the second half of the eighteenth century. The revered stories of these occasions have lived for generations in people’s memories. A student must be both the trusted disciple of a guru and over the age of forty before learning Thengkourol because it can bring destruction to others or even kill the performer. These strictures are meant to ensure that the martial artist has enough maturity and discretion to avoid misusing this mystical and dangerous sacred art.

The system of training in thang-ta is strict and bound by tradition. Training begins with the initiation ceremony, Ojha Boriba (teacher acceptance). On the auspicious day selected for the ceremony, the training ground is cleaned and candles are lit in front of the picture of the Pakhangba, the originator and ruling deity of thang-ta. The student is asked to meditate in front of Pakhangba and then to bow down and offer the teacher a gift of fruit, cloth (usually a khudoi, a locally woven garment worn by men at home), betel leaves, betel nuts, candles, and a token remuneration (usually one Indian rupee). The teacher accepts the gift and the student as a disciple, and that day the student officially starts training with the teacher. There are strict codes of conduct in the institutions. The following represent the disciplinary regulations of Hula Sindamsang, a school of thang-ta located in Imphal, Manipur.

1. The student must enter barefoot into the sindamsang (school) or the home of the teacher.
2. The student must bow in greeting to the teacher and elders who are already present.
3. The training floor must be well groomed and sprinkled with water before and after each training session.
4. Pregnant or menstruating women are not allowed on the training floor.
5. Before each training session, the student must bow to Pakhangba with reverence.
6. Before each training session, the student must bow to the partner and salute the partner with the weapon wielded by the student.
7. Before picking up a weapon (whether a sword, spear, shield, or stick), the student must touch it with the fingers and then touch the fingers to the forehead, thus acknowledging the sanctity of the weapon.
8. The student’s feet must never touch the student’s weapon or the partner’s weapon.
9. If any person comes between practicing partners, all practice must be stopped for the day.
10. All students must stand still when receiving the instructions from the teacher.
11. No student shall come to the school intoxicated. Chewing of betel and smoking are not allowed in the sindamsang or in the presence of the teacher.
12. At the end of a training session, the student must bow again to the teacher.

Such regulations ensure that students learn in a disciplined and controlled environment, an important factor given that the slightest lapse in concentration may result in injury or even death. Students learn and execute a rigorous practice routine of different sets of exercises, after having mastered basic exercises that develop balance, flexibility, agility, endurance, and coordination. Beginning students practice with sticks of different sizes. Training in the use of various swords, the shield, and the spear follows once the student is proficient enough to use actual weapons.

Thang-ta provided the basis for two other movement traditions of Manipur: the classical Manipuri dance and the performance techniques of the ensembles of drum dancers and cymbal dancers and singers known as Nata Sankirtana. The decorative, nonnarrative hand gestures and the footwork of Manipuri dance are said to derive from thang-ta. Also, the basic stances of the drum dance and the cymbal dance have been influenced by this martial art.

The ever-present threat of invasion by the warriors of Myanmar and other kingdoms fostered in Manipur a strong martial tradition, which gave impetus to a vibrant physical culture as well. Among the ancient indigenous sports of Manipur are Sagol Kangjei (polo, which the British learned in Manipur), Khong Kangjei (a type of field hockey), Yubi Lakpi (coconut snatching, similar to rugby), Mukna (a style of wrestling), and Kang (a team sport played indoors only between mid-April and June).

Sohini Ray

See also India; Meditation; Performing Arts; Religion and Spiritual
Development: India
References
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Doshi, Saryu, ed. 1989. Dances of Manipur: The Classical Tradition. Bombay, India: Marg Publications.
Hodson, T. C. 1908. The Meitheis. London: David Nutt.
Kabui, Gangumen. 1991. History of Manipur: Pre-Colonial Period. Vol. 1. New Delhi, India: National Publishing House.
Katyal, Anjum, ed. 1997. “Theater in Manipur Today.” Seagull Theater Quarterly 14/15. Calcutta, India: Seagull Foundations for the Arts.
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———. 1993. Fragments of Manipuri Culture. New Delhi, India: Omsons Publications.
———. 1997. Manipuri Dances. New Delhi, India: Omsons Publications. Singh, L. Bhagyachadra. 1987. A Critical Study of the Religious Philosophy of the Meeteis before the Advent of Vaishnavism in Manipur. Imphal, Manipur, India: L. Momon Devi.
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———. 1998. Recent Researches in Oriental and Indological Studies. New Delhi, India: Parimal Publications.
———. 1988. Religion and Culture of Manipur. New Delhi, India: Manas Publications.
———. 1980. Religious Development in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Imphal, Manipur, India: Manipur State Kala Akademi.
Singh, N. Khelchandra. 1995. “The Origin of Thang-ta and Its Present Trend.” In Diamond Jubilee Volume. Manipuri Sahitya Parishad (Manipuri Literary Academy).
Singh, P. Phonendrajit Singh. 1987. Paona Brajabasi. Imphal, Manipur, India: P. Phonendrajit Singh.
Singh, R. K. Jhalajit. 1987. A History of Manipuri Literature. Imphal, Manipur, India: Public Book Store.
———. 1992. A Short History of Manipur. Imphal, Manipur, India: R. K. Jhalajit Singh.
Singh, S. Devabrata. 1995. “Contemporary Position of Manipuri Martial Arts and towards Its Understanding.” In Souvenir. Irilbung, Manipur, India: Huyen Lalong Manipur Thang-ta Cultural Association.

THANG TA MARTIAL ART OF MANIPUR: A CULTURE OF PERFORMANCE

By: Lokendra Arambam, Khilton Nongmaithem
Presented at International Workshop Festival "Way of the Warrior", London, 1998

THANG TA is popular term for the ancient Manipuri Martial Art known as HUYEN LALLONG. The art developed from the war environment of the tiny state of Manipur in North-east India, which was an independent kingdom since the early Christian era. It played an important role in the geopolitical environment of medieval times in between India and China with many independent states at war with each other. Constant life and death struggles between clans, tribes and states resulted in the devising of ways and means of safeguarding the lives of the citizen soldiery and at the same time developing an inward attitude to problems of life, death and afterlife.

The art of the battle simultaneously envisioned a deep value system or world view ensconced within the culture of the small ethnic communities struggling for survival from constant attack from hostile neighbours and also to sustain a social order based on rank, status and kin affiliations of a collective kind. The individual was always in deep relationship with the community using ritual as a means of constant regenerative action in tune with the movement of the spiritual world of ancestors beyond human life. The world of man was an outward revelation of the inner life of the natural world and the universe. Deep harmony between outer action and inner forces resulted in the use of the body in various forms of expression.

The art of the battle and the use of weaponry, when its warlike engagements were over, developed into a system of wielding objective elements in organic relationship with the cosmos. The body itself became a space where the tensions and dynamics of creation was worked out in a system of movements reflecting the essence of these creative forces. The whole world of the dynamic cosmos was recreated within the world of the body of man.

THANG TA (The art of sword and the spear) thus became an expressive art form which however retained its fighting character at the secret home schools of individual teachers or Gurus, after being prohibited during the period of the colonial raj (1891-1947). It survived during the period of Manipur's integration with the Indian Union in 1949, where the art was shown in festivals and performance platforms abroad since 1976. Unfortunately, the internal system of meditative practices and its essential spiritual character is at risk of being lost through lack of knowledge and committed practice by the present generation. Contemporary theatre practitioners are gaining awareness of its basic energy use and creative exercise of the body's resources which would enhance the performance energy of the artist. It is at an exploratory stage that this new culture is being re-examined.

The movement behaviour of the different parts of the Manipuri martial body are derived from the cultural and habitual uses of daily life. Certain extra-daily postures, positions, and movements are compiled into codes adding to the natural repertoire.

Physical Characteristics in Customary Usage and Ritual Practice

LKhurumba (the bow) -where the forward/downward flexion of the relaxed spine is used.
2.Tha Leiba -Rotation and tilts of the pelvic joint in different angles while supporting the torso in regular curvilinear uses are most common. The half turn of the chest are also common.

Thong khong (bridge support) - The squat is also a familiar use of the lowering of the upper extremities nearer to the ground, where the two legs in deep bent position support the whole body, thereby proximally utilizing the use of the upper extremities at the ground level. Men use three positions of squat in a descending order to enable the firmer hold of the body in pro-gravitational positions.

Wai teiba - a daily ritual of cleaning the floor by women. Women use a different flexible squat system with the bent knees opened out to enable the forward flexion of the torso or spine. The hand uses the washcloth with more space at her command while rubbing the floor. The entire system of body use are rich and varied, and the wrists could be most appropriately exploited in Khujeng Leibi (Wrist circling) to emulate the figure of eight.

Thang(Art of the sword) emphasizes Phidup (coil), lowering of one's body near to the ground to enable a spring action for expansion and attack.

TA(Spear) emphasizes PHANBA, an opening out of the body with two forms, NONGPHAN to stimulate the expanse of the sky, and the LEIPHAL emulating the expanse of the earth at the ground level in order to reach out to all directions of space. The spear uses about 75% of the lower extremities in motion, while the wielding of the sword normally takes 75% exercise of the upper extremities.

The martial system is a much more vigorous use of the body in order to reach out to the space of the opponent, and the two arts are derived from the physiographic and cultural environment of the Manipur plains and the hills. The Meitei in the plains, the pre-dominant ethnic group are capable of using both sword and spear in its weapon system. The sword is most favourably used in protecting the body from attack from all sides, whereby the figure of eight is extensively used to cover the all vulnerable parts of the body. The Meitei often use more movement than stillness while preparing to fight the opponent, and the self as target is dynamic, moving and shifting position often. There is also the use of stillness while awaiting the attacking move of the opponent, depending on the nature of the enemy.

The TA is often a one-sided weapon, used often in piercing style of attack, with horizontal slashes of course used in combat. A spear with or without the shield also could be used by either single or both hands during combat. The common practice is its use with the shield or CHUNG, made from big Rhino skin (probably drawn from Assam), and later from the skin of Bos-frontalis, the distinctive indigenous bull of the Northeastern Hills. The movement of the spear is normally frontal in fight, a habit of the tribals of the hills, whose settlements on the ridges and slopes of the mountains providing frontal attacks and defences. When the Meiteis incorporated the TA as a system of combat and in ritual practice, more refinement was added to the vocabularies with all round use. The entire movement based on use of the lower extremities, with the energy drawn from both mother earth and father sky, however, emphasize a lot of shifting of balance while in the air. The spear exercises also enables the person to develop poise, to strengthen the lower extremities of body, to secure balance, to develop endurance, control and agility of both legs and feet. Most of the alteration of balance and gesture formation of the legs are done in mid-air and an emphasis on anti-gravitational use of the body is most exercised by this art of the spear. Spirals, curves, twists and turns are most vitally used. The spear movement enables the exercise of openness of the body to the utmost limits and the balance of the earth and sky are sensously harmonized. Nine forms of Ta-Khousarol (Language of the spear) are known.

One unique feature in the performance art of the Manipuris in the use of the body movement is the use in space and in time and rhythm of the "Twilight Zone" (Left over land) or Maha (interval) in the martial art and Sankirtana dances respectively, though it has some approximation to the same. This is to take a vital space behind or in between normal steps of the feet, which give the artist a sensitive and strategic use of the body in time's space, thereby giving advantage over the opponent in terms of reach of the weaponry, and in art, on the use of a mid-rhythm or interval which gives a singular feature in the rhythm pattern.

The martial artist's and drummer's use of the Tha-Khaiba, the use of the thoracic zone in the body's flow of movement within a rhythm pattern adds an aesthetic dimension of additional value to the overall performance. This is also an entirely novel form of the use of the body in space by the Manipuris.

Another important development is the artist's relationship in ritual with the serpent dragon father. This is the use of energy in ritual and control over events, space and environment. Here the element of psychic exercise, mental and physical energy is being so deeply co-ordinated so as to enervate the air and the environment and the world of impersonal forces. The Thengkou (Summoning of spirit) is the ritual form whereby the protagonist does a personal ritual with the sword or spear so as to effect control over events, manipulation of vital energies of objective realities of the world. This is an art of concentrated use of the mental and bodily energy which is based on mystical union with the spirit of the serpent dragon ancestor, on whose imaginary spread under the surface of the earth (Paaphal), the celebrant treads with utmost precision and lightness. It is an exercise where the feet opens out the entire bodily diagrams of the cosmos, unleashes the power of the sword to effect changes in the rhythm and objective physical realities of events, and ways of the behaviour of the elements and after effecting the ritual movement the celebrant returns to the motherOs womb, the womb of the universe for protection and return to former self.

Belief in life and spirit/anima, exists in very object-wood, stone, plant, tree, water and every object of creation. This anima of life is in the sword, that the fighter uses. The sword should be treated as having its own life with birth, maturity and death. After its function is over, over war, revenge on person, personal enemy and fulfilment of its promise, it must undergo a burial, a natural relegation of its cycle into oblivion. Ritual burial is practiced. The sword therefore is almost a surcharged life, which when its task is accomplished, should return to rest, to be buried, with appropriate food, clothing and acoutrement. Veneration of the sword is therefore part of our self in existence, and extension of the self.

The personal routine of the sword wielder's body is a regimen to preserve vital essence. Food and plants to eat, days of the month on which certain plants are taboo, moderation in diet are all emphasized. All his physical behaviour is based on a system of understanding nature's way which is indicated in your breathing. The breath which is the essence of your life giving force, has a way of signalling appropriate moments of relationship with nature's path, when you must act, meet your enemies/foes or any other person or event. When your inner breath is in tune with the forces outside of yourself you are all right. If the inner breath is in harmony with the outer air, there shall be no harm or untoward event happening. Only when your inner breath, the vital Nungsit merges with the outer air Nongsit, that it signals your death. Breathing therefore is a vital means of your body awareness. When one understands the behaviour of the air outside, any disturbance in the equilibrium give signals for you to take protective action.

For a martial artist, in learning to become a warrior he has to undergo certain disciplines in his entire routine of daily life, whereby his engagement of mind and body are attuned to a realm of preparation, relaxation and focus where a spirit of calmness, concentration and devotion become a feature of his life. The old traditional values emphasized in YAAHIP, CHAKCHA, PHAMPHAM (literally Sleeping, Eating, Sitting) which are basic value based discipline systems of organizing the body and mind in order to reach perfection in totality of his life are most rigorously followed by the artist. The value emphasized in culture are thus to respect the elders in the family and in the community, develop a spirit of sacrifice and love for the country, with the ability to give away ones life without rancour, not to hurt the enemy when he runs away or when he is naked, not to do whatever is against the moral order of the day.

The martial body of the Manipuri is therefore a ready body, deeply focused, energized, and capable of all forms of spring action. The concentration of energy in the martial body and consciousness it arouses in the senses in such that in the local lore, it is stated that the hand is the sword , the closed body is the shield, the eye is the arrow and the leg is the spear. The condition of the senses so keenly aroused provide the saying that you must be able to hear with your eye and see with your ear. The essential facility with which the senses are organized, that the gross elements in the body are so deeply and dialectically synthesized that the vital flow of essence emerging from below the navel to the top of brain reaching the enlightenment or MANGAL PHANGBA, the ultimate in consciousness pervade the body and mind of the artist.

The traditional Martial artist share the essential harmony between the Sky and the Earth as Father and Mother, where Man plays the facilitating role of the MAIBA or physician priest. In the eternal copulation of Father Sky and Mother Earth, the union takes place at the horizon, in the sacred zone below the sacrum of the cosmos. There is dynamic movement in the horizon, which is Man's place in the universe, under the navel of the cosmos. Thus Man has facilitated the distribution of the life-force or vital essence throughout the entire cosmic universe. The human body is a microcosm in the universal system of the macrocosm, yet this macrocosm is present in body, in the microcosm itself. The exercise or body rhythm in Martial Arts is itself a stretching of the universe, in its mystico-physical space, where the two vital spaces and energies or the Paa and Pee - strong and soft - principles are united in harmony and balance, which sustain the creative process. The soft and strong are elements of energy, which both inhabit an artist's body both male and female. These energies cannot be gender valued since sexual categorization often inhibit a true understanding of the energy in movement or stillness. The two polarities, similar to great principles in either India or China, also pervade in the philosophical and belief system of the Manipuris, like Purusha- Prakrit! or Yang and Yin.

Creation of the Universe is believed to have been the result of cosmic sexual act between the Universal Father, Atingkok and the Universal Mother, Leimarel. Creation has a rich storehouse of legend and myth deeply embedded into the belief system of the Meities. A late master of the martial art of SATJAAL, the true way, stated that the Universal Father almost ravished the Universal Mother with his spear as the phallus in primal time, where the mother with two swords as Yoni engulfed the piercing spear, thereby evoking waves of devastating sparks throughout the universe, which resulted to the formation of the stars, the constellations and the earth. Major creation myths however provide a better narrative structure of the ultimate Father's urge to create, when he brings forth the female aspect from his being and three creative forces: Father Sky (Atiya Shidaba, Ether), the creator Sons (Sanamahi or Aseeba, water) and (Konjin Tuthokpa, Fire), the latter representing the destructive energy, whose works brought the universe into being. When the creative and destructive principles of father Sky and mother Earth unite, separate and unite, it releases life's essences everywhere in terms of movement and renewal. This the martial artist emulates through the figure of eight.

The entire art of his performance is then a harmonizing, spiritualizing act whereby the balance of the Sky and the Earth is constantly exercised for the world to continue, in the eternal cycle of movement and renewal which is symbolized by the serpent-dragon with its tail in the mouth. The figure of eight which represent the serpent dragon is the source of the movement patterns of Thang and Ta.

The form of Manipuri martial art and its impact on the human body of a learner is in the process of study in contemporary theatre research. Learning a foreign form and its codes may be an exotic experience which may give contradictory signals to serious students of performance energy, but it has been learnt that physical study of an other culture and its performance motifs do have an effect on personality change on the artist that with its constant association in the physical and psychic realm of the student, there is a sense of awakening and awareness of one's body potential and ability to utilize the creative resources of the body again, apart from understanding and having experiential insight into aspects of concentration and release of energy in the learned form, which may be universally similar in all cultures. The study of Manipuri martial art therefore and its various exercise systems in a demystified manner would be of help to the decoding of this experience.


http://www.thang-ta.com/

Tumbling with Sword

Baker goes Long

Baker goes Long

Tumbling with Sword

Basic tumbling with sword skills.

All Fall Down

A couple of basic tumbling exercises.

All Fall Down

A couple of basic tumbling exercises.