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The human
body contains 107 marma points which, when struck or massaged, produce the
desired healing or injurious results. Marma adi is now a near-extinct
science, existing only in a few remote corners of the place of its origin.
The earliest evidence of the concept of vital pressure points dates back to
roughly between 1700–1100 BC.Numerous other scattered references to vital
points in Vedic and epic sources, it is certain that India's early martial
practitioners knew and practised attacking or defending vital points.
Sushruta (c. 6th century BC) identified and defined 107 vital points of the
human body in his book 'Sushruta Samhita' , the "father of Surgery".Of these
107 points, 64 were classified as being lethal if properly struck with a
fist or stick.Sushruta's work formed the basis of the medical discipline
Ayurveda, which was taught alongside various Indian martial arts that had an
emphasis on vital points, such as Varma Kalari.Siddha Vaidya (southern
style) recognizes 108 marmas, 12 Padu marmas (death marmas) and 96 Thodu
marmas (touch marmas). There are also counter marmas to heal trauma to the
marmas.
Six categories of Marma Points
Maasa Marma (on the skin/muscles)
Asthi Marma (at bones)
Snayu Marma (at the nerves)
Dhamani Marma (at arteries)
Sandhi Marma (at the joints)
Shira Marma (at the veins)
According to marma adi, our body is crisscrossed like irrigation channels
with meridians, a closed interconnecting system through which prana flows in
the body. While acupressure, or shiatsu, follows a 14-meridian theory (with
361 marma or tsubo points), marma shastra believes there are 26 meridians in
all. Of these, 12 are located in pairs on the left and right sides.
Marma points, supposed to be located on these meridians, boost the prana
each time it flows through, resulting in a stronger life force energy. Marma
points are also divided on the basis of their pancha bhautic (five elements)
constitution into sadya pranahara (fire), kalanthara pranahara (water),
vishalaya ghunam (air), vaikalyakara (earth) and rujakara (space).
While six of the 12 pairs of meridians have negative polarity (Shakti, yin,
ida), six are of the positive polarity (Shiva, yang, pingala). The negative
meridians begin from the toes or the middle of the body and go upward to the
head. The positive meridians begin at the head and go down. The intensity of
prana flow varies according to the time of the day, peaking and diminishing
in a 12-hour cycle. A marma point is most vulnerable when prana is flowing
through it.
The prana leaves the lungs at dawn between 1.00 a.m. and 3.00 a.m. and
returns after flowing through 13 other channels within 24 hours. When the
flow of prana is disturbed, the corresponding organ is affected. A study of
the exact location of prana is imperative for marma adi to be effective, for
it works only if the blow is precisely on the marma point. The hit should
also be vertical. This excessive stress on a precise hit and the years of
practice it demands has stymied the popularity of this martial art form.
Two kinds of weapons can be used in marma adi: natural and artificial. The
natural weapons include various hand and finger strikes including snake
strike, dart strike, mantis strike and dragon fist strike. The metamorphosis
of your hand from a wobbly five-fingered prong to a deadly weapon requires
much practice, including jabbing your fingers on leather strips, wood, wall
or even a bucketful of sand. But before doing any of these, make sure that
you massage your palms, fingers and wrists with oil to regulate the blood
circulation. Usually these exercises are recommended three days a week, with
a gradual increase in the strain. |
