What is Mallakhamb? Well, it’s the 5,000 year old Indian sport that is still being taught daily for the last 50 years in Mumbai by the one and only, Uday. Mallakhamb derives from the terms “malla” which denotes a wrestler and “khamba” which means pole.
Mallakhamb is where gymnasts perform feats and poses in concert with a vertical wooden pole and rope.
“You have to pull, exert yourself overtime when you climb on the rope, climb on the pole…and different yogic posture. Give exercise not only for dexterity muscles like biceps and triceps, but the internal systems like respiratory, circulatory, diet are best toned up on this apparatus.” It’s the mother of all disciplines.
The Rules are simple:
The game is played around a pole and oil is applied on the pole in order to avoid rug burns and friction. There are various skills which are required to judge the performer out of them the 5 most important categories are as follows:
Mounting- In this category, the performer is required to jump and run on the pole.
Acrobatics- In this category, the participants are required to do flips, turns and twists on the pole with smoothness and speed.
Catches- the skill of catching the pole after flying in the air is also required.
Balances- the performers are required to maintain balance on the pole.
Dismounts- this skill makes the performers jump off from the top of the pole.
The game has no fixed rules and regulation to play but the manner in which the performers lay this game makes the people watching the game spellbound.
And Linda is up for the challenge! Apparently so are other American’s as Uday’s son has taken Mallakhamb stateside to New Jersey where he is continuing the family business.
“It gives you satisfaction in the soul. It’s connected to the spiritual as well as mental and as physical. All under 3 kinds. So it develops for you a nice personality and you are very happy.”
For more on Uday click HERE
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