I feel a mix of excitement and nervousness as I walk into the municipal grounds in Uppal, Hyderabad, for my first karra samu session. ‘Karra’, meaning stick, and ‘samu’, translating to fight or combat in Telugu, together refer to a traditional martial art form, which dates back over 3,000 years, that is slowly gaining momentum in the city. At the helm are martial artists Swarna Yadav and Khawshiq, co-founders of Swarna Arts Academy, which operates nine branches with 10 trainers across Hyderabad.

“Karra samu, or stick fighting, is an ancient martial art that uses sticks for self-defence. It is equivalent to Silambam in Tamil Nadu, Gatka in Punjab and Kalaripayattu in Kerala, all of which focus on developing deep core strength. These martial arts share the same roots, though their styles and movements differ,” explains the 30-year-old.

All about Karra Samu, Telangana’s traditional stick-fighting martial art

All about Karra Samu, Telangana’s traditional stick-fighting martial art | Video Credit: The Hindu

This ancient martial art ingrained in the cultural indentity of two-Telugu speaking states- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has historical ties to the Mala community.

In its modern avatar, the combat sport promotes holistic mind-body discipline, facilitates functional movement, improves concentration and equips practitioners with self-defence skills. “The training also enhances both physical and mental agility in children,” she adds.

Around 50 participants, ranging from children to adults, stand in neat rows, maintaining a distance of six to eight feet from one another. The rattan sticks — made from the stems of the rattan palm and sourced from Tamil Nadu — vary in height, typically reaching somewhere between a practitioner’s chin and forehead. Swarna hands me a 4-foot-8-inch karra suited to my height.

The lightweight stick offers several advantages. It allows practitioners to move and manoeuvre with ease, maintain posture, execute movements at their own pace and gradually build technique without straining the body.

Focus on basics

As participants take their positions on the instructor’s cue, Swarna adjusts my grip, placing my left hand on top of the stick. This, she explains, allows for fluid movement and helps both in striking and blocking an opponent. With sticks in hand and a confident gaze, the group settles into the hour-long session.

The class focuses on the fundamentals — from how to hold the stick and perform different namaskarams (salutations) through movement, to understanding the importance of preserving the tradition for future generations. During the prayer ritual, participants take a vow to uphold the sport’s original purpose: self-defence, physical conditioning and mental discipline, while refraining from using the skill for violence or personal disputes.

The movements themselves draw from everyday actions. In the forward movement, the stick is guided much like a boat paddle slicing through water. The reverse movement, meanwhile, teaches participants to catch an opponent off guard by attacking from an unexpected angle, much like a deceptive stroke in cricket.

If folk singer Hanumanth Yadav from Komaram Bheem Asifabad district is fulfilling a childhood dream through karra samu, government employee Jyothi Narla is combining it with her passion for Kuchipudi. “I love the art form. It is a well-rounded routine that engages every muscle and keeps me flexible. I feel more energised after every class,” she says.

Swarna’s own journey into the martial art began through folk performance. She studied Karra samu as part of her master's degree in performing arts at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University. In 2015, with the help of a friend, she travelled to Chennai to learn Silambam, the Tamil stick-fighting martial art, before launching her own institute in Hyderabad in 2019.

Over the past seven years, the academy, which also offers gymnastics classes for children, has trained around 10,000 individuals. While anyone between the ages of five and 50 can take up Karra samu, the training comes with its challenges. “People often experience wrist and hand pain, and many develop blisters in the beginning,” says Swarna. “But once they become comfortable with the foundational movements, everything starts to feel much more natural.”

The classes held three times a week has a fee of ₹ 3000.