02/04/2020
Angampora Martial Art 🤺
Sri Lanka has been a paradise island rich in natural resources, fertile land, as well as tradable commodities. The natural splendour of the island is what drew many from far and wide to its shores throughout history. As the nation began to attract the attention of outsiders who recognized the potential of the land, the natives found themselves having to defend their territories and communities from foreign aggressors, in addition to fighting internal squabbles and disputes.
Naturally, the need arose for a local form of tactical combat which would give the islanders the upper hand. This art of combat lived on for centuries, helping the people of Lanka to protect the sovereignty of the nation, until the period of British Ceylon, when it was banned and prohibited from being practiced or passed on to younger generations.
Here is the story of Angampora – a uniquely Sri Lankan practice, that has just recently come to the forefront and garnered the interest and attention of those within the island as well as afar…
Angampora, an ancient martial art that originated in Sri Lanka, has an intriguing and tumultuous history. Literally translating to ‘fighting with the body’, it was a unique art practiced by the natives of the island for thousands of years.
There are many versions of how Angampora came to be, since it was never officially documented, but passed down from generation to generation. However, there are a few chronicles that shed light on the possible origins of the practice.
Insight gained from ancient texts such as the Ramayana lead us to believe that the fighting technique of Angampora dates back at least 5,000 years to the time when the Raksha King Ravana reigned in Lanka.
It is believed that the king himself was a master practitioner of Angampora, and that he used it during the battle against Prince Rama of India. What made the practice of Angampora so unique at the time was the belief that the king developed not only ways of inflicting death on his opponent through a series of strikes, but also knew how to heal his soldiers through pressure point strikes. The latter has been incorporated into the ancient art of Ayurveda healing.
There is reason to believe that prior to the great war between Ravana and Rama, the king of Lanka even took Rama’s brother, Lakshmana, under his wing and trained him in the art of Angampora. This could even be one of the reasons that Rama and Lakshmana eventually succeeded in defeating Ravana.
Another iteration of the origins of Angampora is that it was perfected by the Yakkha tribe, about 3,000 years ago, and was used solely for self-defence when they were threatened by foreign invaders and other tribes.
In addition to these schools of thought, some present-day practitioners of the art believe that Angampora was devised by prehistoric men who lived on the island to protect themselves against predatory animals 🦋
