2 Kalaripayattu students crossing long sticks in the kalari

Teacher training

A course for people
who want to teach Kalari

A residential course of 4 or 5 months in the Northern Vadakkan style. You need to complete Kalari Parijaya, our 1-month program, here first.

Start with the 1-month program Ask about teacher training

4 – 5 months

Course length

Regular, then Advanced

Vadakkan

The style taught

The Northern form of the art

2 a day

Sessions

At 5:30 AM and 5:30 PM sharp

Parijaya

Prerequisite

The 1-month residential program comes first

How to join

From Parijaya to Advanced TTC

Teacher training cannot be booked directly.

01
1 month

Kalari Parijaya

The 1-month residential program, booked like any other stay.
02
4 months

Kalari TTC

We talk about it with you while you train here.
03
5 months

Advanced TTC

Open once you have finished Kalari TTC.

Book the 1-month program

Fees and syllabus

The 2 TTC courses

Both fees include training, a stay in our basic dormitory and 3 meals a day. A different room changes the total.

Prices in

Regular

4 months

Kalari TTC

First complete Kalari Parijaya, our 1-month residential program, here.

Kalari warm-up, Vandanam × 2 and Vadivu
Kaalukal × 12
Chuvadu × 3 and Chumattadi × 3
Meypayattu × 4 and Kaikuthipayattu
Angachuvadu × 1
Vettum Thancham × 2
Neduvadi × 4 and Cheruvadi × 2
Sword swinging, then sword and shield

₹1,80,000

₹45,000 a month, dorm and meals included

By invitation, after Parijaya

Advanced

5 months

Advanced TTC

First complete the Regular TTC here.

Everything in the Regular TTC
Dagger and knife
Introduction to the Urumi, the flexible sword
Kizhi, in theory and practice
Medicinal bandaging, in theory and practice
Chavitti Uzhichil, in theory and practice

₹2,50,000

₹50,000 a month, dorm and meals included

For students who have finished Kalari TTC

You pay a ₹3,000 booking fee when you register, and it is not refundable. When you start the course, you pay at least 1 month’s fee, then the rest month by month. Room options are on the accommodation page; terms like Kaalukal and Vettum Thancham are explained in the journal.

Included

Training · Twice a day. Sunday is a day off.
A stay in the dormitory · This is our basic option. A different room changes the total.
3 meals a day · South Indian vegetarian food.
A certificate · When you complete the course.

Not included

Airport and station pickups · Our regular drivers charge fixed fares.
Treatments and massages · Prescribed and charged separately if you need them.
Kalari clothing · You can buy it at the gurukulam.

If your plans change: we do not give refunds. Any money you have paid and not used stays as credit for a future visit.

What the course covers

Training, treatment, work and meditation

Kalaripayattu

Kaalukal build strength and stamina, and Chuvadugal, Meypayattu and Vadivukal teach control. After that come Kolthari and Angathari: training with sticks, then with metal weapons.
Kalari Chikitsa

Kalari leg massage, Kizhi herbal compresses for inflammation, and medicinal bandaging. Advanced students also learn Chavitti Uzhichil, massage given with the feet.
Karma Yoga

Work around the gurukulam alongside training, and the chance to teach local classes.
Meditation

Pranayama breathing, and Kumbaka, the practice of holding the breath.

Ashan Vipin Das with a raised stick on the kalari floor

2 Kalaripayattu students holding a stance together

A Kalaripayattu practitioner in mid-air with a sword

Why train here

How the course is taught

Living with your teacher: Students live with their guru for the whole course, as in a traditional gurukulam.
Experienced teachers: The people teaching you have practised Kalari all their lives.
The Thari commands: You learn the commands and sequences a teacher has to know by heart.
Teaching practice: You start teaching early in the course. By the end you will have led classes and corrected other students’ stances.

Before you commit

Common questions

If something is not clear, message us. We usually reply the same day.

It will help you progress faster. You still need to complete the 1-month program here first. We need to teach you ourselves before you can train as a teacher.

No. Mastering Kalari takes decades. The TTC gives you the knowledge and skills you need to teach it well.

There are 2 sessions a day, starting at 5:30 AM and 5:30 PM sharp. Each runs 2 to 2½ hours, depending on your level. Karma Yoga and theory fill part of the time in between.

Different kinds of sticks, the Otta (a curved stick shaped like a tusk), the dagger, knife, sword and shield, and the Urumi (the flexible sword).

The 4-month Kalari TTC covers teaching technique. The 5-month Advanced TTC adds practical sessions on basic and common treatments.

Yes. Everyone who completes the course is certified, and the certificate lets you start and run your own Kalari centre.

We recommend it. If you take a break, you still need to complete the full 4 months to be certified. If you are away for 1 or 2 weeks, we hold your room and the room fee still applies.

Places are limited. During your 1-month program, tell us the months you have in mind and we will tell you what is open.

We do not give refunds. Anything you have paid and not used stays with us as credit, and you can use it on a future visit.