Silambam
Ancient Tamil weapons art centred on a flexible 1.5 m bamboo staff.
👥1 per team🌤both
What is Silambam?
Silambam is one of the oldest weapons-based martial arts in the world, developed in ancient Tamil Nadu. Practitioners use a long flexible staff (about 1.5 m) with spinning, striking and defensive techniques; senior training extends to swords, sickles and long knives. Modern competition scores clean strikes on protective gear.
Quick facts
Category
Combat Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇮🇳 India
Estimated origin
Ancient Tamil Nadu, India (>2,000 years)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-20.verified