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WABUKAN Arsenal · Flexible weapons · India

Urumi

A sword with a flexible blade that whips around like a belt. It is one of the most dangerous weapons of kalaripayattu, taught only to advanced students.

Urumi
Urumi WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

ഉറുമി · chuttuval; aara

Origin and history

The urumi, the flexible “sword-whip” of Kerala, is taught at an advanced level in kalaripayattu, usually only after years with other weapons. It is often trained together with a small shield.

Martial arts that use it

Kalaripayattu

Construction

One or several thin, flexible steel strips of about 1.2–1.8 m fixed to a sword handle; when not in use it can be coiled like a belt.

Basic techniques

Training

Flexible weapons are learned slowly with foam, rope or rubber versions: first the swings and wraps around the body, then changes of hand and stops, and only later strikes at a target. They punish mistakes on the user first, so speed comes last.

Safety

Start with soft versions, wear eye protection and keep a wide empty circle around you. Check chains, cords and joints before each session: a part that breaks mid-swing becomes a projectile.

Legality (general information)

Sticks, staffs and other impact or flexible weapons are ordinary objects in some countries and restricted weapons in others (several European countries, for example, regulate nunchaku, batons or weighted chains). Carrying one in public without a good reason can be an offence even where owning it is legal. Transport it in a bag and use it in the training hall. This is general information, not legal advice: check local law.

Did you know?

Because the blade flexes and rebounds, the urumi is considered one of the hardest weapons to master safely.

More weapons

Kusarigama Nunchaku Manrikigusari Meteor hammer Rope dart Nine-section chain whip

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Urumi
  2. Wikipedia — Kalaripayattu