Why Enrolment Of Children For Silambam In Tamil Nadu Is On The Rise

While martial arts have become a symbol of recognition in many Asian countries like China, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Indonesia, India still lags in that aspect. While these countries and many more have their martial art embedded in their cultures, it is not a well-explored avenue in India. That does not mean that we do not have our martial arts. Kalaripayattu from Kerala and Silambam from Tamil Nadu are some of the oldest forms of martial arts in existence and yet they remain obscure and unknown to most people except for practitioners.

In Tamil Nadu, to increase awareness about the sport, government jobs are easily available to Silambam practitioners under the sports quota. Silambam is a stick or staff-based martial art, apart from its use for self-defence is also a great sport for better cardiovascular health and increased muscle strength. Since Silambam does not contain high spinning kicks or footwork like martial arts like Taekwondo, even a 60-year-old with a fair amount of fitness can start learning the sport.

At present, there’s a noticeable rise in Silambam sports training classes across various districts in Tamil Nadu. Concurrently, there’s a growing interest among the public in supporting and promoting endangered traditional sports. The people of Villupuram have shared with Local18 as to why they send their children to learn Silambam.

Enrolling children in Silambam training classes offers numerous benefits, enhancing both their physical and mental strength. Through proper training, children develop proficiency in various activities. Moreover, they learn to perform tasks with greater care and precision, leading to improved bodily function overall.

In addition to its physical and mental benefits, Silambam also opens avenues for government employment. Parents are increasingly recognising this and are keen on preparing their children accordingly. Particularly for girls, learning Silambam offers a means of self-protection against potential threats while also instilling a sense of discipline. Overall, parents emphasize the importance of preserving our traditional arts by passing them down to the next generation.