Kalari Online Workshop with C.M. Sherif Gurukkal
December 12th – 13th for Beginners & Intermediate
Seize the unprecedented opportunity to train with one of the most renowned Masters of Northern, Southern and Central Style Kalaripayattu in an exclusive online workshop providing invaluable insights for beginning students, active practitioners from any tradition, as well as any holistic athletes, coaches or trainers looking for inspiration from one of humanity’s last remaining root arts.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Presenters
The Sessions
Booking Form
Introduction
**Please note: All proceeds of this workshops will directly go to C.M. Sherif Gurukkal and his family as support during this time of crisis that has been preventing the proper operation of the family’s clinic and Kalari. We feel that it is time to give back. If you feel the same, please feel free to top up your workshop fee with a donation for the purpose of supporting the family through this time of crisis.**
Seize the rare and unprecedented opportunity to practice with one of the most renowned Grandmasters of Northern, Southern and Central Style in an exclusive online workshop!
Scope and presentation make this a rare treat not only for beginning or returning students of any Kalaripayattu tradition or style, but also for martial artists, yogis, movers or students of any holistic movement tradition interested in experiencing one of the primal and oldest traditions of martial arts and movement still alive.
On the first day of workshop, C.M. Sherif Gurukkal will guide us through some of the key conditioning and warm-up exercises, as well underlying aspects of the core 5 Animal Postures, like marma point activation for perception. The afternoon will be dedicated to details of the salutations of Northern Style , Vandanam and the first three Vanakkam Forms.
Day two will kick off with a close look on Meippayat, the Body Forms of Northern Style, and its application. In the last session, we will take a journey into Southern Style Kalaripayattu, focussing on three selected forms, their technique and application. We will close the workshop with some extra time for questions from the global Kalari Community.
Please note: The complete Workshop will be recorded and made available online for registered participants. It will stay accessible for 7 days following the completion of the live sessions on order to provide sufficient opportunity for you to revisit the sessions following your own timing!
The Presenters
The section below provides background information on the presenters of the upcoming Online Workshop: Gurukkal C.M. Sherif and his sons, K.V.M. Zameel and K.V.M. Shahabaz.
C.M. Sherif Gurukkal
C.M. Sherif Gurukkal was born into a long line of warriors and healers. He has been heading the Malabar Kalari Kendram (MKK) for almost 35 years and is renowned in both India and abroad for his deep knowledge of Vaddakkan, Thekkan and Madhya Sampradayam, often simply known as Northern, Southern and Central Style Kalaripayattu. His extensive knowledge covers both the fighting applications and the healing art, known as Kalari Marma Chikitsa.
Ever since his contact with prominent western martial artists in the early 1980s, C.M. Sherif quickly became one of the first major international exponents of the art outside of India. He has been featured in the 1998 book “When the Body becomes all Eyes” by Phillip Zarilli and presented Kalaripayattu on occasions like “Budo Gala” in Germany, “Paqua del Bodo” in Italy, as well as the Chung-ju World Martial Arts Festival at South Korea under the patronage of UNESCO in 2003 and 2004, representing India. Other prominent features include the 2000 German TV documentary “Die Kämpfer der Kriegsgöttin, as well as the 2003 National Geographic TV documentary “Deadly Arts”, flanked by the 2004 book “À la rencontre des grand maîtres” by Canadian martial artist and journalist Josette D. Normandeau.
Today C.M. Sherif continues to research both Kalaripayattu and Kalari Chikitsa and remains a beacon for the art and his students in countries like Germany, USA, UK, Japan, Poland, Latvia and Sweden.
K.V.M. Zameel
Zameel started practicing Kalaripayattu with his father C.M. Sherif Gurukkal when he was just 7 years old and specialised in the body conditioning and fighting aspects of the art. In addition to assisting his father in the training and treatment of his students and patients, his knowledge of Martial Arts was further enhanced by training in free style Indian wrestling, Kushti, as well as traditional western fencing, becoming the Kerala state champion after just one year of training. Zameel is a studied bachelor of physiotherapy B.P.T. and has also been studying the treatment aspect of Kalaripayattu with his father. In his opinion, it is the most sophisticated and reliable system of treating sports, neuromuscular and orthopaedic injuries.
K.V.M. Shahabaz
Born in 1990, Shahabaz has been studying Kalaripayattu with his father C.M. Sherif since his childhood, and started assisting with the training of foreign students, as well as the presentation of the art on occasions such as the Chung-Ju World Martial Arts Festival as early as 2004. After finishing school, he studied Physiotherapy, becoming a B.P.T. Shahabaz carries on the family tradition and has also been holding the position of Chief Physiotherapist at the Malabar Kalari Kendram, treating and training with students and patients from both India and abroad.
The Sessions
The section below provides a quick overview over the individual sessions of the upcoming workshop.
Saturday 11.00am – 12.30pm
Warm-ups & Animal Postures
Session I: Lohar & Vadivu
Saturday December 12th | 11.00am – 12.30pm (CET / MEZ / UTC+1)
In the first session of Kalaripayattu Online Workshop, C.M. Sherif Gurukkal will guide us through some of the key conditioning and warm-up exercises, as well underlying aspects of the core 5 Animal Postures, like marma point activation for perception.
- Lohar and the application of first 6
- 5 Animal Postures and their details like marma activation for perception
Session II: Vandanam & Vannakkam
Saturday December 12th | 01.30pm – 03.00pm (CET / MEZ / UTC+1)
The afternoon will be dedicated to details of the salutations of Northern Style , Vandanam and the first three Vanakkam Forms.
- Kalari Vandanam
- Kalari Vanakkam (I-III)
Saturday 01.30pm – 03.00pm
Salutation Forms
Sunday 11.00am – 12.30pm
Body Forms and their application
Session III: Meippayatt
Sunday December 13th | 11.00am – 12.30pm (CET / MEZ / UTC+1)
Day two will kick off with a close look on Meippayat, the Body Forms of Northern Style, and their application.
- Meippayat Body Forms
- Application
Sunday 01.30pm – 03.00pm
3 Southern Style Forms and their application
Session IV: 3 Thekkan Forms & application
Sunday December 13th | 01.30pm – 03.00pm (CET / MEZ / UTC+1)
In the last session, we will take a journey into Southern Style Kalaripayattu,, focussing on three selected forms, their technique and application. We will close the workshop with some extra time for questions from the global Kalaripayattu Community.
- 3 forms from Southern Style
- Application
Bookings
Please use the form below to join us for the upcoming Online Workshop.