AN ANCIENT MARTIAL ART originating from the Kurinji mountains in Tamil Nadu 5,000 years ago, Silambam is said to have arrived on the shores of the Malay Peninsula as early as the 14th century, and up till the 19th and 20th centuries under British colonial rule, when there was a surge of migration of Tamil workers brought in to work the plantations.

Traditionally, Silambam was practised by warriors to promote agility, coordination and discipline. With its intricate footwork, complex movements and rhythmic strikes, Silambam became a means of cultivating both physical prowess and mental fortitude.

Formal Silambam instruction can be more readily traced to the early 20th century, particularly in areas like Kuala Selangor, Kapar and Klang. Silambam likely did not receive official recognition during the colonial period, which may have led to less formal settings for its instruction. After Malaya’s independence, Silambam flourished; classes were often held in community centres, temples or open-air venues.

What many may not know is that Silambam in Malaysia can be classified into two types: sports Silambam and tradition Silambam.

Sports Silambam

A modern, competitive version of the traditional martial art, Silambam in sports is common in Malaysia, and is practised using a long bamboo staff, involving intricate footwork, strikes, spins and defensive techniques. However, it has also evolved over time, with several Silambam associations and classes offered by the Rakan Muda programme in the 1990s introducing weapons from other traditional Indian martial arts like the maru (a thrusting weapon made from deer horns), aruva (sickle), vaal (a curved sword) and sedikuchi (short stick), among others.

In sports Silambam, points are given upon contact of the bamboo stick on any of the opponent’s body parts. Points are also given based on how the bamboo stick rotates during the performance.

The Malaysian Silambam Federation has played a crucial role in promoting the martial art through tournaments and exhibitions. Those trained under clubs registered with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) are encouraged to join competitions. Shivashangaree Chanasekaran participated in sports Silambam from age 9 until 17 in the early 2000s and bears a black belt.

“At that time, we had to participate in two competitions— one under Persatuan Silambam Malaysia and another under Rakan Muda, representing my state, Perak. For both competitions, we had to travel to other states. For competitions under Rakan Muda, those who won gold received RM1,000 from the Perak Sultan. There was also a celebration dinner at the Sultan of Perak’s palace,” she recalls.

Penang’s Silambam athletes recently came into the spotlight after securing an impressive 12 gold medals at the Asian Open Silambam Championship held in Qatar. They were the overall champs for 2024, beating Qatar, the UAE, India and Saudi Arabia.

Nillaikalakki Silambam

Tradition Silambam, however, is seen as a martial art passed down from one generation to the next—it is tougher to learn and offers intangible value to the practitioner. Nillaikalakki Silambam—that can now only be found in Penang—is one of the traditional Silambams practised in Malaysia.

In 1936, a grandmaster of Nillaikalakki Silambam by the name of Mariapakiam arrived in Penang as forced labour. He was the 15th descendant of Nillaikalakki. Asan Anbananthan Ramasamy met him in 1960 and learnt this art form from him. He then registered the association on 20 February 1975, and the group, consisting of 20 members, had just celebrated their 50th anniversary. Anbanathan is now considered one of a few living masters teaching this art form; the form is said to be unadulterated—it is exactly how Nillaikalakki Silambam has been practised since its inception.

The word “nillai” means “stance” and “kalakki” means “to disturb”. According to Munieswaran Krishna Kumar, president and senior master of Nillaikalakki Silambam, those two words together means to disrupt an opponent’s posture to gain an advantage during combat. In the spiritual sense, it means disturbing our own stance, aura or physical negativity to become a better person.

“There are several differences between Nillaikalakki and sport Silambam. For one thing, our focus is on preserving the intangible part of Nillaikalakki. There is no belting system; we use a sash. Yellow is for juniors and red is for those who have completed the basic lessons and have graduated to the advanced level,” he says.

“Students will need seven years to complete basic to get the red sash. There are altogether 10 levels to complete in seven years—that is, if they commit to attending lessons five days a week, continuously. There is no shortcut, because there is no prearranged combat. When you are in combat, you are by yourself, that is why our students need to master every level. The focus is on understanding,” he adds.

Despite being around for five decades, Munieswaran explained that there is not much support in terms of student enrolment because the training can be perceived as “boring” as there are no modifications and it is not particularly glorified like other types of martial arts. They currently have approximately 50 students consisting of Indians, Chinese and Malays.

However, they have been supported in other ways, like being invited to do demonstrations during many state government-related events like George Town World Heritage Day and other festivals.

“Right now, we are doing our best to document the art. I am interviewing my master and noting down what he has learned from his grandmaster,” he reveals.

A Cultural Legacy

On 9 January 2025, Asan, at 78, was awarded the PHTHSBC-GTHH Living Heritage Treasures 2024-2025 by the Penang Heritage Trust (PHT)—a recognition of his role in training 20 Silambam masters throughout Malaysia. For 60 years, Asan taught Nillaikalakki Silambam for free at Gelugor’s Balai Rakyat. He recently started a class for 10 autistic children under age 12. According to the PHT vice president, Loh-Lim Lin Lee, this award “highlighted a long-ignored traditional self-defence martial art form, and is a special acknowledgement for an often sidelined community”.

“We did our research and found him to be an excellent candidate. Most of all, he was committed, devoted and provided an avenue for many disadvantaged youths to find purpose and commitment,” she adds.

One of those who benefitted from Asan’s work is Munieswaran, who has been his student since he was 17. Now 43, his two children started taking lessons four years ago.

This award was first presented in 2004 by PHT to honour Penang locals who are considered guardians of cultural heritage, and each recipient is entitled to RM2,000 per year for the rest of their lives. However, for the Nillaikalakki Silambam community, it is recognition for all their efforts in preserving the art and for successful knowledge transfer. After all, this art is already extinct in India.

“They [the PHT team] came to watch our training, and what we have promoted and preserved has been seen by the judges. [Asan] is the only martial art grandmaster that has achieved this award. With that, we feel seen by the community.”