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July 12, 2005

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  USTAD HAJI: MALAYSIA'S 'KALARI' EXPONENT
Ustad Haji, Malaysia
 

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His father had taken young Hamsa to Malaysia for assistance in hotel business. But the adolescent boy, who was wedded to the traditional martial art Kalari, had other plans. And within the next 5 decades, he has become one of the well known Kalari exponents in the world with almost 10000 disciples spread over many countries.

Ustad Haji – as he is known among the Malaysians – started the International Dynamic Self Defence Kalari Academy in 1973. Today, the Academy has branches in US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, UAE, Kuwait etc.

While maintaining the traditional style of Kalari, Ustad has done many experiments and enhancements to the traditional Kalari learning. He had introduced ‘belt’ and ‘grade’ system to suit to the Western learners. He considers as his achievement the inclusion of Kalari in the sport study of the Malay University.

At the University he was involved in training hundreds of women. And for his effort to popularize the art form, he had been honoured by the Malaysian Sports Ministry.

63-year-old Ustad, who is now at the ancestral home at Andathode, Edappal, is busy teaching the preliminaries of Kalari art to his grandchildren.



Courtesy: Unni Sukapuram, Mathrubhumi, June 14, 2005
Contributed by: Administrator

 

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