| Lathi | | | | means-reasoning with them and discouraging |
| Lathi is a martial art and is also the name given to | | | | them- before striking, kicking, knifing, or clubbing |
| a bamboo pole, 6-8 ft (1.8-2.8 m) long, with a | | | | them, or attacking with any other improvised |
| metal tip at the end, which is wielded like a sword. | | | | weapon. Humiliation of the opponent during the |
| Lathi is thought to have originated from an | | | | fighting process is also of primary importance and |
| ancient and peaceful yogic practice in which | | | | it is believed that this can help effect a swift |
| practitioners try to release "kundalini" (coiled-up | | | | victory. |
| energy) through the body via circular and | | | | Taught and practiced widely in rural south India, |
| figure-eight movements. It later became a martial | | | | but marma atti is a holistic and practical method |
| art and was initially popular in eastern and | | | | of self defense rather than a sporting art. |
| southern India. | | | | Practitioners are taught to maintain an impeccable |
| The stick was originally used to help keep buffalo | | | | character of high moral standing to cultivate inner |
| in order-in fact, a common Hindi saying goes "jiski | | | | strength and an understanding of one's own ego. |
| lathi, uski bhains," meaning, "he who wields the lathi | | | | This in turn engender an attitude of avoiding |
| gets to keep the buffalo." Farmers skilled with the | | | | aggressive individuals. But marma atti is, in |
| stick were often called to become militia and | | | | essence, an evolution of natural defensive |
| settle disputes on behalf of regional warlords and | | | | mind-and-body practices. |
| landowners. The art later evolved into a sport and | | | | Nata |
| duels, in which practitioners could show their | | | | Nata is a martial art form in which finger |
| prowess and possibly gain employment or | | | | movements, taken from an ancient Indian dance, |
| enhanced status among the men of their village, | | | | are used alongside yogic movements. Although |
| were common. | | | | little is known about the art today, it is quite likely |
| Today, the term "lathials," derived from the art | | | | that it included finger- and wrist-locking maneuvers |
| form, is commonly used as a word to describe | | | | and weapons disarms based on joint locks and |
| men for hire who will fight, settle scores, and | | | | pain-compliance techniques. |
| restore honor among farmers who feel slighted. | | | | The practitioners of ancient Indian dance |
| It was the British, during the colonial rule of India, | | | | possessed a good understanding of the |
| who introduced the lathi as a weapon to be used | | | | physiological make up of the joints, in particular |
| in crowd control and during riots. In present day | | | | the arms, hands, and fingers, as these types of |
| India, the lathi is us as a weapon by the national | | | | movements were stressed in ancient Indian |
| police for similar purposes. | | | | dance. It is likely that the arts were included in |
| Bandesh | | | | other ancient Indian martial arts such as weapon |
| Bandesh was thought to have originated several | | | | forms and grappling sports. |
| hundred years ago, bandesh is a system of | | | | In the 3rd century BCE, the author Patanjali |
| grappling, locking, choking, disarming, and | | | | wrote the Yoga Sutras, the ancient foundational |
| forced-submission techniques, commonly used | | | | text of yoga. These yogic elements, as well as |
| against an armed assault. It is a martial art that | | | | finger movements in the nata dances, were later |
| stresses non-lethal use of force; practitioners are | | | | incorporated into various martial arts. |
| encouraged to reduce the risk of injury to their | | | | Furthermore, there are several references in |
| attacker. While practice matches can involve | | | | early historical Buddhist texts such as the Totus |
| hand-to-hand combat, they generally include | | | | Sutra, written in the 1st century ce, which refer |
| weapons-the winner is deemed to be the | | | | to Indian martial arts of boxing and, in particular, |
| practitioner who successfully disarms his opponent. | | | | techniques of joint locking, fist strikes, grapples, |
| But Marma Atti | | | | and throws. |
| But Marma Atti follows the principle that attacking | | | | Although the subject of speculation among |
| and opponent must take on a two-pronged | | | | historians, it is possible that these elements |
| approach. The first prong consisting of the | | | | describe the evolution of hand movements and |
| physical side and the other prong being the mental | | | | locking techniques from the early nata dances into |
| or spiritual aspect. Practitioners first aim to erode | | | | later martial-art forms. |
| their opponent's will to fight by psychological | | | | |