| n Wrestling | | | | kick; usually front kicks or leaping front kicks are |
| This wrestling style, native to Mizoram, thought to | | | | performed to the sides, waist, or chest area of |
| have originated in the village of Dungtland around | | | | the opponent. Although padding is not worn, fights |
| 1750. It is a sport with strict rules that prohibit | | | | are generally light contact and, although foot |
| kicking actions, bending the knees, or stepping out | | | | collisions are common, serious injuries are rare. |
| of the fighting area—a 15-16 ft (4.5-4.9 m) | | | | Silambam |
| diameter circle. The rules of inbuan wrestling state | | | | Silambam is a stick-fighting art based on bamboo |
| that in order to achieve a decisive victory fighters | | | | staff-fighting arts purportedly used by indigenous |
| must lift their opponent off the ground before | | | | people of the area while defending themselves |
| three rounds (each lasting between 30 seconds | | | | against both animals and bandits. The main solid |
| and one minute) have elapsed. Belts worn by the | | | | staff in use today is approximately 51/2 ft (1.67 |
| players, which must remain tight at all times, are | | | | m) in length, has a diameter of around 2 in (5 |
| often used as leverage instruments to help effect | | | | cm), and weighs anything between 1-2 lb (0.5-1 |
| a swift and decisive lift. | | | | kg). Once mastered, techniques can also be |
| Aki Kiti | | | | transferred to the use of live blades and |
| This is a kicking art and sport that is practiced at | | | | sometimes the metallic whip; the double deer |
| tribal ceremonies in Nagaland. Although the Nagas | | | | horn, sword, and club are also used in the art |
| are now mostly Christians they were formerly | | | | form. |
| practicing head hunters. | | | | Ancient history |
| In aki kiti only the feet are permitted to be used | | | | Although claims of the art having a history of |
| and they serve as both striking and blocking tools | | | | 5,000 years are difficult to verify (and there is no |
| for the fighters. The goal of the competition is to | | | | known literature from the period to definitively |
| fell an opponent by either driving him to his knees | | | | support the theory), staff-fighting in India is |
| or out of the circular ring area assigned for the | | | | common, and many of the ancient martial arts of |
| competition. There is no existing training syllabus | | | | India include staff-fighting. |
| for the art but any exercises that help the | | | | However, we can reasonably assume that the art |
| fighters with strength, stamina, and flexibility, along | | | | as codified today bears a good resemblance to |
| with target practice, are part of the fighter's | | | | the older stick-fighting arts in the region with a |
| normal training regime. | | | | two- to three-thousand-year history. |
| Score-settling | | | | The ultimate goal of the modern art is that a |
| Rather than having set forms or patterns similar | | | | practitioner should be able to defend himself with |
| to "kata" in Japanese martial arts, the art is solely | | | | a stick against multiple opponents brandishing |
| intended for the sporting tournaments that may | | | | various weapons. The bare-hand training aspect of |
| serve the purpose of righting wrongs, restoring | | | | the art is known as silambam kuthu varisai. |
| honor, or settling scores between tribes and | | | | Training for this includes a number of set routines |
| tribesmen without the need to resort to more | | | | of punching sequences that supplement the |
| extreme violence. | | | | standard weapons-training regime. |
| The art is unique in the way that the fighters | | | | |