Kalaripayattu Basics: Strength, Grace, and Focus | 3 Day Residential Workshop

Kalaripayattu is one of India’s oldest martial traditions, born in the gurukulas and battlefields of Kerala and refined over centuries as a complete system for strength, agility, focus, and inner discipline. Far beyond a display of kicks and leaps, it trains the body to move with animal-like grace, the mind to stay steady under pressure, and the senses to become sharply aware of space, rhythm, and energy.

This 3-day Kalaripayattu Foundation workshop offers a structured initiation into this living art. Participants will learn fundamental warm-ups, postures inspired by animal forms (vadivu), basic kicks, steps, and movement patterns that recalibrate natural alignment and coordination. Whether you are an athlete looking to enhance performance, a yoga practitioner wanting deeper body awareness, or a professional seeking a stronger, more resilient body-mind, this immersion will equip you with practical tools to build strength, flexibility, balance, and mental discipline that you can carry into everyday life.

Key Learnings Involve:

• Vadivukkal: Postural allignment, building the structural integrity of the body to improve strength and stability.
• Kaalugal: Dynamic leg movements that improve coordination, balance and flexibility.
• Adithada: Reaction and defence
• Kalarivandanam: Resets the nervous system and creates mental discipline
• Vadiveeshal: Vadi – cane weapon spinning

The Details of the Retreat are as follows:

*Suitable age group 12 to 18 years and above* Open for all, no prior experience or training required in Kalari or in other movement form.

Date and timings: Starts on the 13^th May (Wednesday) at 4:30 PM and concludes on 16^th May (Saturday) 2026 at 4:30 PM.

Venue: Indica Gurukulam @ Ritambhara, No. 69, BMTC Layout, Adjacent to Kammasandra Village, Lakshmipura-Hobli.

The Retreat Place, located just on the outskirts of Bangalore city, is a small beautiful space dedicated to Yoga and spiritual studies and practices in a simple and clean environment adjacent to a farm of its own.

Workshop Contribution: Rs 7,800/- per person. The fees are inclusive of boarding, lodging and teaching plus resource materials.

Accommodation: Shared accommodation will be provided

Food: Simple sāttvik food with fresh-grown vegetables from the farm.

Reaching the Venue: The venue is about 22 km from Majestic Bus Stand and is accessible through Magadi Road and Tumkur Road, preferably through your own vehicles. The retreat centre is very close to “Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra”, a highly popular Raghavendra Swamy temple, which has become much-known in recent years. It would take approximately an hour to reach the retreat venue from the city centre. Participants have to make their own arrangements to travel to the venue. If any assistance is required, the Indica Yoga Team will help.

Metro Rail Access: Take Green Line, get down at Madavara Metro Station. From there, it takes 25 mins (9.2 km) via Lakshmipura Road by Auto Rickshaw / Taxi.

Contact: namaste@indicayoga.com / +91 9880916243 / +91 8431570343

The Workshop will be led by

Sri Tarun Kumar

Founder of Swasthya Holistic wellness

Sri Tarun Kumar is the founder of Swasthya Holistic Wellness and a dedicated practitioner of Kalaripayattu and Yoga, committed to integrating ancient wisdom with modern science for human wellbeing. With a strong background in strength and conditioning coaching and exercise science, he specialises in refining human movement and physical fitness while using technology as a tool to support healthier lifestyles. His work is grounded in a holistic vision that nurtures body, mind, and spirit together, recognising their deep interconnectedness in achieving true, sustainable wellness.