Kerala   

Sharing an interest in `kalarippayat'

What is common about Gorden Fleming, Sergio Olabegogeaskoetxea and Konstantina Kelaiditi. Certainly not their nationalities.

Gorden is from Italy, Sergio Olabegogeaskoetxea from Spain and Konstatina is from Greece.

What they share is a deep interest in the "kalari" system of medicine and the exciting "kalarippayat", the martial art form of Kerala. They had set out on a search for a place to get a first hand feel of "kalari". And the three had by coincidence reached the same destination - CVN Kalari of T Sudhakaran Gurukkal at Edakkad in Kozhikode.

Gorden Fleming is at CVN Kalari in search of a cure for or at least relief from pain in joints that has been troubling him for years. "Back home in Italy we have the most advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities in allopathy. But these have not brought me any relief. I tried ayurveda. And now I am here hoping to get some relief from the kalari system of medicine," says Fleming, explaining why he had flown such a long distance to Edakkad. Fleming, 70, is afflicted with a spinal ailment that allopathy doctors, he consulted, told him is irreversible.

Preparing to leave for home after three weeks of treatment at CVN Kalari, Fleming said he was feeling much better than when he reached here.

Sudhakaran Gurukkal, who teaches kalarippayat, arranges demonstrations of the martial art form and practises "kalari" system of treatment. "This medical system gives relief. That is why foreigners like Gorden Fleming travel long distances to visit kalaris in Kerala. Gorden responded well to our treatment which consisted mainly of massage with medicated oil."

Unlike Gordon, Sergio Olabegogeaskoetxea and Konstantina Kelaiditi had come to CVN Kalari not in search of a cure for any health problem but to learn the basics of kalarippayat.

Fleming said not much was known outside India about "kalari". It was by chance that he came to know through a web site on martial art.

R. Madhavan Nair

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