SPORT OF MALLAKHAMB : A TRADITIONAL GAME OF INDIAN CULTURE
SPORT OF MALLAKHAMB : A TRADITIONAL GAME OF INDIAN CULTURE
Mallakhamb – Know the rules, history and origin of this ancient Indian sport
Started as a form of martial arts training, Mallakhamb has evolved into a spectacularly engaging performance sport over the years.
The ancient Indian sport of Mallakhamb or Mallakhamb (a type of Indian gymnastics on a vertical pole) first gained widespread international attention on the sidelines of the Berlin 1936 Olympics.
Mallakhamb was among the several indigenous Indian sports, including kabaddi, which were demonstrated at Berlin before the Olympics began and drew applause from the locals as well as the international community attending the Games.
Since then, the sport has spread all over the globe and the first-ever Mallakhamb world championships were held in 2019, with more than 150 athletes from over 15 countries travelling to Mumbai to participate.
The new-found prominence, however, doesn’t quite fully reflect the rich history of Mallakhamb.
What is Mallakhamb
At first glance, Mallakhamb may come across as a form of aerial yoga or gymnastics performed on a vertical pillar (traditionally a sheesham or Indian rosewood pole polished with castor oil).
However, at its core, Mallakhamb is a form of ancient martial arts intended as a training aid for wrestlers and ancient warriors.
‘Malla’ literally means wrestling and ‘khamb’ translates to pole. Together, Mallakhamb means wrestling on a pole. Wrestlers and warriors used to use the pole as a training apparatus to perfect martial arts moves which they could later use on opponents in the ring or the battlefield.
History of Mallakhamb
Sometimes referred to as the mother of all ancient Indian sports, Mallakhamb exact origins are almost impossible to trace.
References of some form of Mallakhamb can be found in ancient Indian epics like the Ramayana, ancient Chandraketugarh pottery dating back to the second to first century BCE and also accounts of Buddhist Chinese pilgrims to India.
The earliest direct literary mention of Mallakhamb appears in an early 12th-century text called Manasollasa, penned by Chalukya king Somesh Vara III, who ruled in present-day South India at the time.
From the late 1600s to early 1800s, the art-form remained somewhat dormant until Balam Bhatta Dada Deodhar, the fitness and sports instructor of legendary Maratha king Peshwa Bajirao II revived the artform as a training method for the Peshwa’s army.
There have been references that historical Maratha empire figures like Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, Tantia Tope and Nana Saheb practised Mallakhamb. The training methodology which honed balance, dexterity and discipline particularly suited Maratha warriors, who were known to be the pioneers of guerrilla warfare.
Mallakhamb popularity during the Maratha empire made the Indian state of Maharashtra a hub for the art form.
In fact, Mallakhamb and the other Indian sports at Berlin 1936 were demonstrated by members of a little-known physical education institute called Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal (HVPM) based out of the Amravati city in Maharashtra.
Mallakhamb first made its appearance as a competitive sport on the national level at the national gymnastics championships in 1958 held in Delhi. The first-ever national Mallakhamb championships were held at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, in 1962.
In 1981, the Mallakhamb Federation of India was founded, and the national-level organisation formalized the rules of the sport later in the same year.
A demonstration of Mallakhamb was performed at the festival 2018, preceding the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia. The sport was also due to make an appearance at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but it eventually didn’t materialize due to the COVID-19 situation.
Mallakhamb was included in the Khelo India Youth Games programme from 2022.
Mallakhamb rules
The rules of Mallakhamb are fairly simple and close to gymnastics.
Participants need to perform acrobatic feats with a vertical pole or rope as the prop and judges score them according to their mastery over the skills.
Competitors are mainly judged on five different categories – mounting (where performers jump on and run on the pole), acrobatics (where performers execute acrobatic flips, turns and twists on the pole), catches (where performers catch the pole after being airborne), balances (where performers showcase their balance on the pole) and dismounts (where performers jump off gracefully from the top of the pole).
Judges score each competitor during a performance and the one with the highest score is declared the winner.
Types of Mallakhamb
Over the years, three types of Mallakhamb variations have gained popularity in competitions.
They are Pole Mallakhamb, Hanging Mallakhamb and Rope Mallakhamb.
1)Pole Mallakhamb is essentially the traditional form of Mallakhamb. Competitors perform on a wooden pole which is 2.6m in height and has a circumference of 55cm at the base. The pole gradually tapers to a circumference of 35cm at the top.
2)Hanging Mallakhamb, meanwhile, uses a shorter pole suspended with hooks or chains as the prop. The bottom of the pole in hanging Mallakhamb doesn’t touch the ground.
3)Rope Mallakhamb is performed on a suspended rope which is 5.5m long and 2cm in diameter.
ABSTRACT
Mallakhamb is combination of Yoga, Gymnastics, and Martial Arts. The Exercises of poles of Mallakhamb and rope are played against the Gravity during upward and downward movement. Mallakhamb is the name given to a little-known style of physical culture practiced in India. Mallakhamb developed in the state of Maharashtra in India and the first reference to it is in the Manasollasa (1135 AD). In 17th century Shri. Balam Bhatta Dada Deodhar introduced this game to others. There are many types of Mallakhamb such as Pole, Rope, Hanging, Niradhar (without support), on cane, on floating platform, Mallakhamb with weapons etc. Mr. Takejamal was the first performer to demonstrate the art of Mallakhamb to Sir. Elphniston (British Resident of Pune). Saptashringi Wani, Nashik & Kothure were the birthplaces of Mallakhamb. Mallakhamb was originally practiced developing the strength, agility and flexibility of wrestlers and has now developed into a National Sport of India.
In 1962, Gymnastics Federation of India organized the official First National Championships of Mallakhamb at Gwalior (M.P.) as apart of National Gymnastic Championships. The National Championships of Mallakhamb were organized until 1976 due dissociation of Mallakhamb from GFI, in 1968-69, the game of Mallakhamb was introduced in the All-India Inter-University Gymnastic Championship. During these Mallakhamb championships, they instituted the “Mallakhamb Federation of India on January 29, 1981. Since then, different state associations of Mallakhamb affiliated to MFI are organizing the National Mallakhamb championships in different age groups of Boys, Girls, Men and women. Mallakhamb was included by SGFI in National School Games in 2008-09 .
A total of 35 national championships had been organized by different state of India for different age groups Mallakhamb players up to 2015. Maximum number of national Mallakhamb championships were organized in the state of Maharastra followed by Madhya Pradesh., Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, U.T (Goa), Rajasthan, Madras, Punjab, Gujrat, Pondicherry and Tamil Naidu.
Practicing the exercise on Mallakhamb helps to develop flexibility, grace, swiftness and rhythm, endurance, strength and stamina, speed, reflexes, concentrate and Coordination of individual, and combat game’s player i.e. wrestling, judo, gymnastics, athletics, horse Riding, tennis tennis and badminton etc. But with the phenomenal and ever-increasing popularity of Mallakhamb in the past few years, there is a surprising lack of research in this specific area.
INTRODUCTION
Mallakhamb is known as “The mother sport of ancient India.” Mallakhamb is the most scientific ancient art of making the body swift, supple, agile and healthy. Mallakhamb is no exception for this Indian Traditional culture. At present, 5th generation of Mallakhamb the is carrying forward and resulting in even growing popularity not only in India but also throughout the world. The literatures of Mallakhamb were published in Encyclopedia of Indian Culture, souvenir of different competitions, Vyayam magines, some Journals and books earlier in India., the Vyayamdnyankosh, a incomplete book on Mallakhamb was written & published in Vadodara city in 20th century. This sport requires agility, suppleness of body, quickness of reflexes, coordination of different muscles, strength, flexibility for the performers to execute turn, twist, stretch, balance exercises on the pole of Mallakhamb during training and competition.
Mallakhamb needs concentration, speed and flexibility. It is the only game which is played against gravity. It is good exercise to our body, especially for backbone. Our whole body gets a message while performing on Mallakhamb.
Mallakhamb is a pure Indian game. It is a sport that combines various exercises that improve speed, flexibility, strength, concentration, coordination and agility. Along with neuromuscular development, areas of personal character, discipline and self-motivation will be strongly enhanced. Becoming top player isn’t for everyone. It improves concentration, helps enhance immunity power, increases the competitive spirit, and to fight the stress levels in an organized and better ways.
Mallakhamb is combination of Yoga, Gymnastics, and Martial Arts. The Exercises of poles of Mallakhamb and rope are played against the Gravity during upward and downward movement. This Sport provides the maximum exercises in minimum period of time for maximum muscles of Mallakhamb players. Sport makes the player agile. Mallakhamb is a anaerobic type of activity. Strength endurance play a vital role in the game of Mallakhamb. Mallakhamb strengthened the sport muscles of human body. Mallakhamb imparts proper tone and form to every muscle and perfect control over each part of the body. It stimulates the mind and builds the body. The controlled and rhythmic breathing and smooth balanced movements in Mallakhamb help in the development of the mental and physical faculties of our body. Mallakhamb training improves the speed of movement, vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate, enhances concentration-based performance and voluntary control of breathing of players.
ORIGIN, HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF MALLAKHAMBIN INDIA
The origin of Mallakhamb can be traced to the 12th century, where it is mentioned in Manas-Olhas - a classic by Chalukya in 1135 A.D. In 17th century Shri. Balam Bhatta Dada Deodhar introduced this game to others. There are many types of Mallakhamb such as Pole, Rope, Hanging, Niradhar (without support), on cane, on floating platform, Mallakhamb with weapons etc. But at competitive level only pole, rope and hanging Mallakhamb are being performed by Mallakhamb players. The boys are performing on pole, rope and hanging Mallakhamb and girls on rope Mallakhamb. For seven centuries, the art lay dormant, till it was revived by Balam Bhatta Dada Deodhar, the sports and fitness instructor to Peshwa Bajirao II, who reigned during the first half of the 19th century Deodhar was wrestler from the Peshwa court in Pune. He developed Mallakhamb as a training aid for wrestlers over the years, He was involved in gymnastics.
There are references to Indian wrestling in Vedic texts that date back to 1700 B.C, in the Rig Veda (Avari 2007), and also in the classic Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Wrestling in India is a synthesis of two distinct forms. The indigenous Indian form, Malla- yuddha , is described in the Mahabharata which was written between 500-300BC, and then later references to wrestlers exercising on wooden poles occur in the Manasollasa (1135AD),which is a detailed instruction manual on the scholarship and military training of young Chalukyan princes written by the Western Chalukya king Somes Vara III (Ghoshal 1962,Alter 1994). It was from malla-yuddha, or the indigenous wrestling form, that Mallakhamb historically traces its origins in the 12th century The next reference to Mallakhamb does not appear until the early 18th century. This lack of any historical documentation about Mallakhamb for a period of more than six centuries is remarkable
By the early 18th century, the Peshwas , who were Brahmin prime ministers appointed by the Marathi king, had seized control of the Maratha Empire. These coned Mallakhamb revival happened during the reign of the last Peshwa ruler, Bajirao Peshwa II, who was later defeated and annexed by the Britishin1819 (Ferguson2004).In the inter weaving of legend and history that is a distinctive part of Indian culture, a legend describes Hanuman appearing before the great warrior
Uday Deshpande, a Mallakhamb expert said, "Malla as in wrestler, khamb as in pole, evolved as a game, where the pole became the opponent for the wrestler. Mallakhamb own name entwines Sanskrit and Hindi to literally means “pole wrestling.” The climbing, joyfulness, and irreverence of Mallakhamb are said to be informed by the spirit of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, and its strange apparatus reflect his anatomy: the pole is his phallus, and the rope is his tail. Hanuman is said to have appeared to the famed physical trainer of the Marathi kingdom’s royal Prime Minister, Balam Bhatta Dada Deodhar, in the late 18th century, after he was challenged to a wrestling match by sinister outsiders. The trainer watches Hanuman climb a tree and acquires the monkey-god’s skills, learning to mimic Hanuman’s strength and agility.
. Mr. Takejamal was the first performer to demonstrate the art of Mallakhamb to the foreigner Sir. Elphniston. He was the British resident of Pune . He was also the trainer of Mallakhamb to kings of Vadodara. and Sir Jummadada of Indian Military. Saptashringi Wani, Nashik & Kothure were the birthplaces of Mallakhamb. Sir Balam Bhatt Dada Deodhar was the founder of Mallakhamb from Kothure. Afghan wrestler challenged Bajirao to fight with him, this challenged was accepted by Balam Bhatta Dada Deodhar. He practiced wrestling tricks on Mallakhamb and defeated Afghan wrestler. In the 19th century, Ali and Gulab wrestlers from the Nizam of Hyderabad came to the Darbar of Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa and threw open challenges to the State wrestlers for a bout. 18-year young Guru Balambhattdada Deodhar accepted their challenge. He started practice practicing yoga and wrestling tricks. During the deep meditation, he saw a vision of Lord Hanuman demonstrating a few tricks on a wooden pole. He rigorously practiced the tricks from his vision on the wooden pole and defeated his opponents easily.
During the First National Gymnastics Championships were held at the Pahadganj Stadium, Delhi, in the year 1958. Gymnastic Federation of India proposed to recognize and include game of Mallakhamb in subsequent National Gymnastics Championships. In 1962, Gymnastics Federation of India organized the official First National Championships of Mallakhamb at Gwalior (M.P.) as apart of National Gymnastic Championships. However, in the year 1968-69, The game of Mallakhamb was included and introduced in the All-India Inter-University Gymnastic Championship. The National Championships of Mallakhamb were organized until 1976. After dissociation of Mallakhamb from GFI, recognized National Championships of Mallakhamb were not organized from 1977 to 1980.
Mr. Rajesh and Rakesh Shrivastava, Dr. Bamshankar Joshi and some other lovers of Mallakhamb at Ujjain (M.P.) instituted an All-India Level Association on 21/11/1980, which was later called Mallakhamb Federation of India. First All India Invitational National Mallakhamb Championships were held at Ujjain from 27- 29 January 1981. During these Mallakhamb championships, they instituted the “Mallakhamb Federation of India on January29, 1981. Since then, different state associations of Mallakhamb affiliated to MFI are organizing the national Mallakhamb championships in different age groups of Boys, Girls, Men and women.
MALLAKHAMB AT INTERNATIONAL PLATEFORM
After that, Mallakhamb gained wide publicity and extensive popularity among the youth. of India. This sport is slowly accepted in the USA, Germany, and Japan as well. In the US, every year players perform demonstrations and conduct summer camps to promote this great sport. Nicoleta (Greece) and Fred (America) have performed in several circus and acrobatic shows around the world, but it was the ancient sport of Mallakhamb that brought them to India. Fred Norman (gymnast) also suggested that the Mallakhamb should be propelled into the Olympics movement.
International Mallakhamb Championships are being conducted for last 5 years in different countries viz. Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Spain and Italy and recently, the International Mallakhamb Federation has also been formed. In 1936, a troupe of 35 acrobats from a small town in Central India traveled to the Berlin Olympic Games to demonstrate the ancient sport of Mallakhamb.
Asian Mallakhamb Federation was constituted on 1 January 2011 and it's head quarter situated in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The federation was incorporated by Govt. of India under [Pursuant to sub-section (2) of section 7 of the Companies Act, 2013 and rule 8 of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014] in 3/11/2014 and it's head quarter situated in Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Mallakhamb Confederation of World, Asian Mallakhamb Federation, and South Asian Mallakhamb Federation, were founded by Dr. Jaydeepsinh Jadhav as president, Uday Deshpande as secretary general, Vinayak Rajmachikar as technical committee chairman, Dr. Ashish Mehta as treasurer and Geetanjali Shitole as member.
Deshpande has almost single-handedly been responsible for getting Mallakhamb international exposure in recent years, through demonstrations and training camps in over a dozen countries around the world since 1997. Despite this, it was only recently that the Indian government started to change its attitude towards Mallakhamb and recognized it as a legitimate national sport. Mallakhamb is now a growing sport in India. It will be included as a showcase sport in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and new associations are springing up all over India.
MALLAKHAMB FOR SPORTS
Training on Mallakhamb helps to develop speed, reflexes, concentration and coordination in the players of Wrestling, Judo, Gymnastics, Athletics, Horse Riding and Tennis etc. Most of the wrestlers use the shoulder vault on Mallakhamb as shadow practice in the game. Training on Mallakhamb will strengthen a gymnast’s shoulder girdle for Roman Ring and also help to develop the flexibility, grace, swiftness and rhythm of a successful gymnast. Mallakhamb increases the endurance, strength and stamina of the athlete needed for athletic events. Training on Mallakhamb will strengthen the muscle of the shoulder girdle as well as forearm and. increases the flexibility of the wrist joint of Tennis and badminton players. To save a goal in Cricket, Hockey and Football games, side dive catch on the Mallakhamb will halp the players of these games. The basic grip on Mallakhamb helps a horse rider very much, as the grip is similar in both the cases. The horse mount on the Mallakhamb is exactly similar to the literal horse mount. But with the phenomenal and ever-increasing popularity of Mallakhamb in the past few years, there is a surprising lack of research in this specific area.
Bal, Kaur, and Singh (2012) indicated the significant effect of 6-week rope Mallakhamb training on speed of movement, vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate. The results of this study showed that rope Mallakhamb training lasting 6 weeks significantly Our findings are supported by (Tellles. et al. 1993) reported that after only 10 days of practicing asanas significantly improved static motor performance (eye-hand coordination). Thus, such Mallakhamb training may be recommended to improve speed of movement, vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate may contribute to enhance concentration-based performance and voluntary control of breathing. Jayasinghe (2004) indicated that the yogic exercise on Mallakhamb improves muscle strength and endurance, flexibility and cardiopulmonary endurance .
Mallakhamb is the name given to a little-known style of physical culture practiced in India. Mallakhamb developed in the state of Maharashtra in India and the first reference to it is in the Manasollasa (1135 AD), a detailed instruction manual on the scholar ship and military training of young Chalukyan princes written by the Chalukyan King Somes vara III. Mallakhamb was originally practiced to develop the strength, agility and flexibility of wrestlers and has now developed into a national sport with championships held annually at district, state and national levels throughout India. Mallakhamb involves an unusual mix of wrestling strength training and yoga postures practiced on apparatus including a wooden pole and a cotton rope (Jon burtt, Skadada, and Quebec)
MALLAKMAMB FOR HEALTH
Mallakhamb proves to be of immense value of diseases or disorders like insomnia, anemia, chronic pains in the body, abdominal problems, kidney troubles, E.N.T. problems, headache, migraine, chronic bronchitis, chest pain, respiratory or lung troubles, rheumatism and other types of irregularities of hygienic disturbances, Mallakhamb proves to be of immense value (http://www.fitternity.com)
Mallakhamb is a systematic and scientific mode of physical exercise. The controlled and rhythmic breathing and smooth balanced movements help to develop the mental and physical faculties of our body. The arm-holds and the upper handgrips help to develop powerful wrists, strong forearms and muscular biceps and triceps. The clinging grips of the fingers, palms and toes render the nerves and muscles strong and powerful. The acrobatic nature of the feats improves the sense of judgment, and the hectic swings, jumps or somersaults promote toughness and fearlessness. By the hanging and swinging actions, neuromuscular co-ordination is enhanced. The light jerks and jumps gradually tone the lungs and improve the efficiency of the respiratory organs. The forward and backward bends during the display help to accomplish the healthy functioning of the kidney, spleen, liver pancreas and urinary systems. The balancing activities like lifting and resting the body at various angles tone the ligaments of the spine, vertebral column, knees, elbows, ankles, neck and shoulders. (www.mallkhambindia.com)
CODE OF MALLAKHAMB
The Mallakhamb pole is firmly fixed into the playground. Castor oil is applied to it, in order to reduce friction and prevent abrasive injuries to the body of the player. The player mounts over the tower, performing numerous poses and postures, which cover various awkward twists, turns, hooks, grips, catches and hanging positions. Besides these, a number of asana postures and aerobatic feats are also performed.
Mallakhamb player performs 90-second routines packed with intricate skill combinations as a panel of three judges assesses each competitor’s speed, grace, and difficulty on one of the sport’s three apparatuses: pole Mallakhamb, hanging Mallakhamb, or rope Mallakhamb. Mallakhamb Federation of India organizes the national competitions each year.
KINDS OF COMPETITIVE MALLAKHAMB
1. Pole Mallakhamb : A vertical wooden pole is fixed in the ground. The wood used is usually teakwood or sheeshum, preferred because of its twin characteristics of toughness and smoothness. The pole stands 225 cm above ground level. It has a circumference of 55 cm at its lower end, 45 cm in the middle, and 30 cm at the upper end. The height of the neck is 20 cm, and its circumference is 15 cm, and radius of the upper knobe is 13 cm.
The pole Mallakhamb form involves grappling movements executed on a smooth oiled teak pole which is fixed to the ground. The pole is tapered from roughly the size of a wrestler’s thigh at the bottom to the size of a forearm at the top, with a narrower high neck above that. At the very top of the neck is a rounded knob the size of a clenched first and the shape of the apparatus is in fact very phallic. The pole itself is very heavy and weighted with a heavy metal base with outriggers for stability. It is stable enough to support group pyramid formations. The oiling of the wood gives the pole a smooth surface which reduces changing in the body and allows the body to follow smoothly around the apparatus
2. Hanging Mallakhamb : A smaller version of the fixed Mallakhamb, it is suspended with the aid of hooks and chains. The swinging and revolving motion of this type of Mallakhamb renders the exercises quite difficult and exacting.
The hanging Mallakhamb is generally only practiced as an advanced variation as it is very difficult due to the effect of the pole continually swinging away from the bodyweight of the practitioner. This form, as a variation of the pole form, is again only practiced by men. As a sport, the choreography of Indian Mallakhamb routines has to conform to competition rules. Competition sequences follow a Western gymnastic model of set skills and time limits. This requires the athlete to complete as many separate postures or skills as possible in a two-minute period .
3. Rope Mallakhamb: A cotton rope which is 2.5 cm thick, replaces the wooden pole. The performers are expected to strike various yogic poses, without knotting the rope in any way.
Rope Mallakhamb is the form practiced by females, but which is also practiced by some men and boys. The Mallakhamb rope is symbolically viewed as the god Hanuman ’s tail. The rope sequences feature the extreme use of flexibility, daring falls and catches. A unique toe grip is employed which is used for climbing and holding the rope. This is because the sole of the foot is forbidden to touch the rope at any time as this would be considered disrespectful to Hanuman .At the end of the apparatus or “tail” the inner core of the rope is exposed and plaited to actually resemble a monkey’s tail and this is a symbolic visual reference to Hanuman.
KINDS OF RECREATIONAL MALLAKHAMB
1. Revolving Bottle Mallakhamb: This is a recent innovation and consists of 32 glass bottles placed on a wooden platform, with the Mallakhamb balanced on top. Presently, it is used for demonstration purposes.
2. Grease Mallakhamb: On the occasion of Janmashtami-A Hindu festival, it is used for the entertainment purpose in some states of India. A lubricant, called Grease, is applied on the Iron Pole and prepares a person for climbing on it. A pot made up of soil filled with some fruits, rupees, coins etc is hanged at the top of Iron pole. Person can climb in any fashion at the top of the pole and win prize from the organizer.
CLASSIFICATION OF ELEMENTS
A, B, C class elements are performed on Pole Mallakhamb ( Boys &Men), Hanging Mallakhamb ( Boys & Men) and Rope Mallakhamb ( Boys and Men, Girls and Women). These three class elements are chosen from the five groups of exercise, i.e. mounts, hold parts, acrobatic elements, catches and dismounts by all Mallakhamb players.
Mallakhamb – Know the rules, history and origin of this ancient Indian sport
Started as a form of martial arts training, Mallakhamb has evolved into a spectacularly engaging performance sport over the years.
The ancient Indian sport of Mallakhamb or Mallakhamb (a type of Indian gymnastics on a vertical pole) first gained widespread international attention on the sidelines of the Berlin 1936 Olympics.
Mallakhamb was among the several indigenous Indian sports, including kabaddi, which were demonstrated at Berlin before the Olympics began and drew applause from the locals as well as the international community attending the Games.
Since then, the sport has spread all over the globe and the first-ever Mallakhamb world championships were held in 2019, with more than 150 athletes from over 15 countries travelling to Mumbai to participate.
The ancient Indian sport of Mallakhamb or Mallakhamb (a type of Indian gymnastics on a vertical pole) first gained widespread international attention on the sidelines of the Berlin 1936 Olympics.
Mallakhamb was among the several indigenous Indian sports, including kabaddi, which were demonstrated at Berlin before the Olympics began and drew applause from the locals as well as the international community attending the Games.
Mallakhamb Rules
The rules of Mallakhamb are fairly simple and close to gymnastics.
Participants need to perform acrobatic feats with a vertical pole or rope as the prop and judges score them according to their mastery over the skills.
Competitors are mainly judged on five different categories – mounting (where performers jump on and run on the pole), acrobatics (where performers execute acrobatic flips, turns and twists on the pole), catches (where performers catch the pole after being airborne), balances (where performers showcase their balance on the pole) and dismounts (where performers jump off gracefully from the top of the pole).Judges score each competitor during a performance and the one with the highest score is declared the winner.
Benefits of Practicing Mallakhamb
What is the real benefit? Mallakhamb offers an impressive array of physical and mental benefits, making it a powerful tool for a person seeking functional fitness and mobility.
1. Overall, Body Strength: From fingertip to toe, the entire kinetic chain is active in pulling, climbing, and holding postures.
2. Increased Flexibility: Regular involvement in yoga-like postures helps maintain the mobility of one's spine and hips, thereby preventing injuries.
3. Enhanced Coordination and Balance: Maintaining balance while moving with gestures posed is the opportunity to gently disturb the body's stability and unity through the demands for control.
4. Core Conditioning: All the movements involve an intense engagement of the core activation, promoting stability and posture.
5. Mental Discipline: The base is made to enhance mind awareness and concentration due to being able to carry and hold the mind in poses.
6. Minimal Equipment: Mostly, you'll need a pole or rope and a place to do it. Mallakhamb offers a highly effective, budget-friendly workout that you can easily practice at home.
Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Guide
For someone newly practicing Mallakhamb, with the right steps, even beginners can safely explore its benefits.
Step 1: Warm-Up and Mobility Preparation
Start with joint and muscle warm-ups, including:
• Joint rotations (neck, wrists, shoulders, hips)
• Dynamic stretches (leg swings, spinal twists)
• Light cardio for 5-10 minutes (jump rope or jogging)
Step 2: Basic Holds (Beginner Level)
There are a few easy movements:
• Pole Hug: Grip the pole with hands and legs and hold for 10-15 seconds.
• Straight Climb: Climb straight up, using hands and feet.
• Leg Lock: Master the technique of wrapping and locking and stable grip during poses.
Step 3: Basic Transitions
As soon as those are well comfortable, try the basic transitions below:
• Half Lotus Hold (on pole or rope)
• Leg Over Leg Position
• Back Arch Stretch
Step 4: Cool Down and Flexibility
Stretch well in order to reduce soreness:
• Cobra Pose
• Forward Bends
• Shoulder Stretches
Safety Precautions
Mallakhamb is accessible to everyone, but there is respect in terms of form and safety.
Padding Should Be Used: The training should be done over mats or some soft ground to prevent any injury.
Warm-Up: Do not forget your warm-up, and don't skip mobility and warm-up drills.
Grip Training: Gradually increase your grip to avoid straining it.
Avoid Overtraining: Rest the muscle between training days because muscles need recovery time.
Seek Guidance: In the initial stages and when possible, Mallakhamb should be provided under the guidance of an expert instructor-personally or at least through a structured online class.
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