Code of Conduct

 

In our martial arts school, we have based our definition of the warrior code on karma yoga from the Baghavat Gita, and the poetry of the 13th century Persian wrestling champion and poet Puriya-ye Wali. Here I sum up several aspects of our code.

 

Karma Yoga, the warrior's way to detachment
The warrior code of kalaripayattu is closely connected to the Bhaghavat Gita. One of the central themes of the concept of karma yoga. Karma yoga divides action in to two parts: the activity of the action and the goal of the action.

The goal of the action should the neutral, that is, not to benefit one selves. Even more, we should not attach ourselves to the outcome of the activity at all. That does not mean we should not care, but when we reach at the goal of an action, we should face its result in a neutral way. Several schools of thought have translated this into the idea that the outcome of an action should not be linked to one's own benefit.

The activity of the action should be performed without attachment, but with an awareness of its necessity. Activity is necessary to uphold the universe, this world: without activities the universe simply stops to exist.
Action can be motivated by either physical desires and external influences, or by internal reflection while contemplating on the self. The former induces attachment to all kinds of aspects of this life; by attaching one's self to something, one becomes enslaved by that thing: one can only be happy, when the object of desire is near, and can be consumed. If one cannot consume anymore, because of any reason, negative feelings step in. When motivated by internal reflection, however, the activity of the action can be performed without attachment to one's self, acting because of its necessity, without being enslaved by its goal.
The warrior is trained to fight while fully in control of his emotions. The fight should be done irrespective its outcome, irrespective the results for the fighter. Feelings of hatred and fear for the opponent are supposed to vanish once the fight has started. The fight is done merely because of its necessity. In this way, the warrior acts instinctively, relying on what he has trained for.

 

Humanity
Following Puriya-ye Wali, the champion of the zurkhaneh, humanity is perceived as the feeling for somebody else's needs. It is the idea to help those in need, and having compassion for others, especially those who are weaker.

 

No Pretends
Puriya-ye Wali advocates strongly against false pretensions, and actions determined by reasoning, instead of humanity, while we are hiding behind rules.

 

Mental and Physical Strength
Life cannot be lived without problems. Puriya-ye Wali thinks a warrior should stand up against these problems, face them, courageously. Actively and without fear, he deals with the problem. Physical strength and ability helps to give self confidence, and energy to mentally deal with any problem.