Silambam

The rattan staff is traditionally sized relative to the practitioner, commonly reaching somewhere between the shoulder and the top of the head — roughly 1.6 to 1.8 meters for most adults. It is gripped with one hand forward and one hand back, unlike many other staff arts.

Silambam, from Tamil Nadu in South India, traditionally uses a one-hand-forward grip and emphasizes continuous circular striking and evasive footwork, while Okinawan/Japanese bōjutsu typically uses two-handed grips with more linear technique. Both develop blocking, striking, and coordination, but the training rhythms feel distinctly different.

Practitioners trace it back well over a thousand years, pointing to references in Tamil Sangam-era literature. As with most folk martial arts, precise dating is difficult, but it is considered one of the older documented staff-fighting traditions.

Yes, schools and federations now teach it internationally, including organizations such as Silambam Asia that promote the art and run competitions. It is increasingly taught alongside better-known Indian arts like kalaripayattu.