Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
Martial Arts Of The World - Webs Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
638 Thang-Ta the principal inhabitants of this valley. Their history is characterized not only by interclan and intertribal warfare and conflicts with Myanmar, Assam, and other neighboring kingdoms but also by long periods of stable government. Thang-ta, with its long and energetic practice sessions, allowed Meitei warriors to hone their combat skills in times of peace as well as war. The story of the origins of thang-ta is embedded in the religious mythology of the Meitei community. In the mythology of the Meitei, the limbs and bones of the community’s progenitor, Tin sidaba (also called Pakhangba), are said to have turned into various swords and tools, some of which are used in thang-ta; others are used in certain rites. Tin sidaba’s ribs turned into the thangjao (broad sword) for instance, while one of his fingers became the heijrang (kitchen knife). Even today, each of the seven clans of the Meitei owns a distinctively shaped traditional sword that must be laid out during any event of ancestor worship. Leishemlon, the story of creation in Meitei mythology, records Pakhangba as the originator of thang-ta. During the reign of King Khagemba between the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries A.D., thang-ta reached its zenith. Chainarol, a manuscript written in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries that contains glimpses of the prevailing war customs, suggests that warriors were expected to adhere to a strict code of conduct. For instance, when an unarmed man was challenged, he had the right to fetch weapons and to fix the date for the fight. During the fight, when blood oozed from a scratch or wound on any part of a combatant’s body, that combatant was declared the loser. Afterward, the combatants shared food and wine supplied by their wives. Then, the victor cut off the loser’s head and, if the loser had requested this service, cremated the loser’s body. Heads usually were preserved by victors as trophies of prowess. Manipur, after losing the Anglo-Manipuri War, was annexed to the British Empire in 1891. In recognition of the heroism and skill of the Manipuri army, which was ably led by Major General Paona Brjabasi, the British immediately made it illegal for a citizen of Manipur to possess a weapon and outlawed the martial arts of Manipur, including thang-ta. Thang-ta went underground and was kept alive by only a few expert practitioners. After India gained independence in 1947 (Manipur became a territory of the Indian Union in 1949 and a constituent state in 1972), thang-ta slowly reemerged. Considerable controversy surrounds modern differences in thang-ta techniques taught by the various gurus (teachers); these differences may be attributable to the long suppression of this martial art by the British colonial power. Today, thang-ta is popular in Manipur both as a martial art form and
Advanced acrobatic and sword skills are required in thang-ta, as is demonstrated by this photograph of two men in Manipur, ca. 1994. (Lindsay Hebberd/Corbis) as a technique used in theater and dance. Therefore, it receives support from the state and has gained widespread popularity. Across Manipur a number of martial arts academies train men and women in thang-ta, and many dance and theater schools include thang-ta among their course offerings. The performance of thang-ta techniques, as in the solo decorative sword dance or a choreographed thang-ta duel on the stage, has become common in Manipur. In fact, the professional Manipuri dancer is quite likely to have taken a few thang-ta workshops, and well-known Indian choreographers such as Astaad Deboo and others have collaborated extensively with thang-ta artists. The traditional repertoire of thang-ta is divided into four broad categories. These categories are Ta-khousarol (art of spear dance), Thanghairol (art of swordplay), Sarit-sarat (unarmed combat), and Thengkourol (art of touch and call). Ta-khousarol consists of nine extremely demanding and sophisticated movement sequences: Maram Nungshetpa, Maram Achouba, Maram Macha, Tangkhul, Athou Achouba, Thel, Maram Nungjrongba, Kabui, Athou Chumthang. Each involves a series of moves executed in a specific order— salutation, removing stakes, watching the foe, battle, and so forth. The martial artist holds the ta (spear) in the right hand and the chungoi (shield) Thang-Ta 639
- Page 617 and 618: classical fencing and sport fencing
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638 Thang-Ta<br />
the principal inhabitants of this valley. <strong>The</strong>ir history is characterized not<br />
only by interclan and intertribal warfare and conflicts with Myanmar, Assam,<br />
and other neighboring kingdoms but also by long periods of stable<br />
government. Thang-ta, with its long and energetic practice sessions, allowed<br />
Meitei warriors to hone their combat skills in times of peace as well<br />
as war.<br />
<strong>The</strong> story of the origins of thang-ta is embedded in the religious<br />
mythology of the Meitei community. In the mythology of the Meitei, the<br />
limbs and bones of the community’s progenitor, Tin sidaba (also called<br />
Pakhangba), are said to have turned into various swords and tools, some<br />
of which are used in thang-ta; others are used in certain rites. Tin sidaba’s<br />
ribs turned into the thangjao (broad sword) for instance, while one of his<br />
fingers became the heijrang (kitchen knife). Even today, each of the seven<br />
clans of the Meitei owns a distinctively shaped traditional sword that must<br />
be laid out during any event of ancestor worship. Leishemlon, the story of<br />
creation in Meitei mythology, records Pakhangba as the originator of<br />
thang-ta.<br />
During the reign of King Khagemba between the late fifteenth and<br />
early sixteenth centuries A.D., thang-ta reached its zenith. Chainarol, a<br />
manuscript written in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries that contains<br />
glimpses of the prevailing war customs, suggests that warriors were expected<br />
to adhere to a strict code of conduct. For instance, when an unarmed<br />
man was challenged, he had the right to fetch weapons and to fix<br />
the date for the fight. During the fight, when blood oozed from a scratch<br />
or wound on any part of a combatant’s body, that combatant was declared<br />
the loser. Afterward, the combatants shared food and wine supplied by<br />
their wives. <strong>The</strong>n, the victor cut off the loser’s head and, if the loser had requested<br />
this service, cremated the loser’s body. Heads usually were preserved<br />
by victors as trophies of prowess.<br />
Manipur, after losing the Anglo-Manipuri War, was annexed to the<br />
British Empire in 1891. In recognition of the heroism and skill of the Manipuri<br />
army, which was ably led by Major General Paona Brjabasi, the<br />
British immediately made it illegal for a citizen of Manipur to possess a<br />
weapon and outlawed the martial arts of Manipur, including thang-ta.<br />
Thang-ta went underground and was kept alive by only a few expert practitioners.<br />
After India gained independence in 1947 (Manipur became a territory<br />
of the Indian Union in 1949 and a constituent state in 1972), thang-ta<br />
slowly reemerged. Considerable controversy surrounds modern differences<br />
in thang-ta techniques taught by the various gurus (teachers); these differences<br />
may be attributable to the long suppression of this martial art by the<br />
British colonial power.<br />
Today, thang-ta is popular in Manipur both as a martial art form and