Malla-Yuddha, literally means fighter war. Malla meaning ‘fighter. Yuddha meaning 'war'. It is a one of the oldest martial arts in existence. Direct references of this art are found in the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana dating back to the 5th to 2nd centuries BCE. The martial art is said to have existed long before then and it is speculated that it reached it's prime by the 2nd century BCE, when Vyasa and Valmiki described it as the fighting style of Indian mythological figures like Bhima. The mentions of Mallayuddha are similar to the mentions of Jacob wrestling an angel in the Christian and Jew mythologies.

Types of Mallayuddha

Mallayuddha is differentiated in four types of styles depending on the methods and forms of fighting skills used. Namely,

• Hanumanti : Type of fighting where the emphasis is on using the Intelligenct moves rather than raw power to overcome your opponent.

• Jambuvanti : This is a method of fighting in which the fighting style or the moves are more important. Since using them to take advantage is the key in defeating the opponent.

• Jarasandhi : It is style for fighting with only aim is killing your opponent.

• Bhimseni : In this kind of fighting the fighter mainly relies on his superior physical prowess than his moves.

Indian martial arts