Rarely do you see a melee weapon that is almost equally menacing for the opponent as it is for the one wielding it.

Meet the Urumi. 5 feet of razor sharp, steel mayhem. Wanting to deter the neighborhood hooligans from ding-dong ditching your house? Try standing in the middle of your yard and swinging one of these around. There would be nothing left unscathed within an eight foot radius, including your own flayed limbs.

Unless, of course, you happen to be an accomplished Kalaripayattu master. Originating a few thousand years ago in Kerala, India, Kalaripayattu is thought to be one of the earliest forms of martial arts and the predecessor of Shaolin Kung Fu.

The emphasis of Kalaripayattu is divided into two variants by region. From the southern region of Kerala, the focus is mainly on footwork and the striking of deathly vulnerable points on the foe’s body. The northern tradition emphasizes lethal weapons, like the urumi.

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Kalaripayattu is a martial art which originated as a style in Kerala The martial art of Kalaripayattu had its origins in 3620 BCE .The word kalari first appears in Sangam literature to describe both a battlefield and combat arena.

The urumi is a flexible long sword, made of double edged steel or brass, and is 4 – 5.5 feet (122-168 cm) long. Some urumis are made with a single handle and multiple blades. Some variations have up to thirty or more!

Because it is so unwieldy and dangerous to ones self, only the most skilled Kalaripayattu practitioners are trained in its use. As seen in the video, the urumi is swung like a metal whip. With proper technique, this weapon can offer 360 degrees of protection from would-be attackers…or just those pesky neighborhood hooligans.

How sparring partners like these, without even protective eyewear, can walk away without losing an ear, much less a scratch, is baffling.