No scientific evidence is available till date about the origin of Kalaripayattu. As such there are no extant books, stone inscriptions or palm leaves authentically confirming when Kalaripayattu began. The origin of Kalaripayattu is mainly told by some supernatural legends that have been handed down from generation to generation through word of mouth.
Kerala is the land that Parasuraman, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, lifted up in the sea with an ax, and there is a legend that Parasuraman himself established 1008 kalaris. The continuation of the legend is that 36,000 Brahmins were directly ruled by Parashurama and 108 forty feet Kalaris were made and ordered to worship and lamp there. But later historians have discovered that this legend, which has no historical support, is a fabricated story created by the Brahmins themselves to establish that they were the creators of Kalari during the Brahminical period.
Another belief is that Kalari is based on the dance moves of the Shaiva Thandavam during the Daksha Yaga, and there is also a legend that Sage Agastya is the originator of Southern Kalari, which exists in the districts of Kanyakumari, Thiruvananthapuram.
Another legend about Kalari Payat is that Kalari is associated with Dhanurveda. It is believed that the word Kalari is derived from the Sanskrit word Khalurika. But if it came from Dhanurveda, Kalari would have been relevant in other parts of India as well. Historian has found that this is just a fabricated story for established interest like the above Kerala origin story. Moreover, the word kalam, kalari is a word widely used in Tamil and Malayalam to mean battlefields and training grounds.
In this way, most of the information known about the history of Kalari is based on myths related to Puranas.
An important observation with historical support is that the Kalari was a martial art that arose out of necessity during the wars between the Chola and Chera empires in the 12th century. This observation was brought to the fore by the famous historian, Professor Alem Kulam Kunjan Pillai, through his research. The period of the Chera Empire which started from Kulasekhara Alwar and lasted till Rama Varma Kulasekaran alias Cheramal Perumal was full of wars. It is said that during that period, compulsory Kalari training was given to everyone from the age of seven. On the strength of that training, the Chera army was able to resist the Chola army. From the 15th century onwards, there are references to the Kalari warriors and the Kalaris in many texts. In the same way, the study of Kalari remained in the tribal sections of Kerala. The connection with Kalari can be seen in tribal dances and arts. Similarly, the fact that most of the Kalari treatment methods, including Uzhichil are practiced by tribal groups also lends strength to this argument.
