Kalaripayattu gives me confidence and dignity: Arifa

Flashing her urumi and wearing a hijab,

Arifa Kodiyil

reminds one of Arackal Ayesha, the famous Muslim warrior of Kerala immortalised through stories. The sixth semester optometry student from Edappal, Malappuram, is a

Kalaripayattu

instructor who has many laurels to her credit right at a young age. Many eyebrows rise upon learning about her community background, but the four-time State champion says all that matters to her is the passion for the art. In conversation with Arifa:

How were you introduced to Kalaripayattu?
My family has a solid background in Kalaripayattu and thus, I was introduced to the art when I was five years old. I used to watch my uppa K

Haneefa Gurukkal

taking classes in his

Kalari

and he is also my first guru. Classes would begin early in the morning and go on for hours. I used to practise with my siblings Asif and Anshifa, and that has been my routine, growing up. I follow the thekkan (southern) style of Kalari. Now, I train more than 20 students, ranging from the age of five to 30. For me, Kalaripayattu is another word for confidence and dignity.


How does society react to a ‘Muslim girl practising Kalaripayattu?
I am from the Malabar region of Kerala where women often get restricted to household chores. But thanks to a supportive family, I never had to be like that. My parents always taught me to stay fearless and fight back, when needed. I am a devout, headscarf-wearing Muslim girl who is very serious about her beliefs, but I don’t think it has affected my love for Kalaripayattu at all. I believe that I have also inspired more girls from our region to take up this martial art and be confident. I don’t think one’s religious beliefs need to be mixed with the various interests we pursue.


How does Kalaripayattu empower women?
Women often face safety issues in our society and thus, Kalaripayattu can be quite helpful as it has many defence techniques that come in handy. For instance, we are trained in a technique called ‘drishti,’ which teaches you to give a razor-sharp look at an object. Many girls I know have narrated tales of using it against eve-teasers. I also teach my students various defence techniques using umbrella, pen, shawl and bag. There is also a move called ‘Kalari vanakkam,’ which if you excel at, can be quite helpful in shielding yourself when in need.

How does knowing Kalari help a person?
It can increase your levels of patience and improve your stamina and confidence. I was quite an ill-tempered girl when I started out but now I am very clam and peaceful. The cherry on the cake is the Kalari treatment. My uppa has taught me a few aspects of it, which I have tried whenever my friends or others have mentioned bone and joint problems.


Tell us about your experiences as an instructor.
Many women today are enthusiastic about equipping themselves with some defence techniques and the story is not different in my class too. My disciples don’t bunk classes even when it rains heavily, and are also thrilled to try out the new techniques they learn. They also often share stories of how they tackled miscreants at school premises or bus stops using Kalari.

My friends too say in jest that they are proud to have a Kalari gurukkal as their friend. Nobody dares to mess with my friends for this reason (laughs). I am also often called Unniarcha and Jhansi Rani at my college and I enjoy it.