What is "silambam"

Silambam or Silambattam is a weapon-based Indian martial art from Tamil Nadu, but also traditionally practised by the Tamil community of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It is closely related to Keralan kalaripayat and Sri Lankan angampora. It derives from the Tamil word silam meaning "hill" and the word perambu from which the English "bamboo" originates.Silambam referred to the sound derive from swinging of the perambu a particular type of bamboo from the Kurinji hills in southern Indian sub continent.Thus silambam was named after its primary weapon, the perambu. The related term silambattam often refers specifically to stick-fighting.

There are numerous styles of silambam but the nillaikalakki discipline (from nillai meaning posture and kalakki meaning to disturb or shuffle) is the most widespread style outside India, and is best known in Malaysia. The styles differ from one another in grip, posture, foot work, length of the stick, etc. Silambam may either be practiced for the purpose of combat (போர்ச் சிலம்பம் por silambam) or purely for demonstration (அலங்காரச் சிலம்பம் alangara silambam). Masters are called asaan (ஆசான்) while grandmasters are addressed as periyasaan (பெரியாசன்), iyan (ஐயன்), or annaavi (அண்ணாவி).