Page 38 - Martial Science Magazine Special Edition 2015

The age of King Ravana which was some 6000 years
ago, is considered to be the time when the art of Angam
was at its pinnacle. Ravana was said to be a specialist in
pressure point healing. This is evident in the medical
writings done by Ravana. The association between Ra-
vana and Angam it is strong, it is such that, even today,
Angam gurus begin their training only after lighting a
lamp in memory of this ancient Sri Lankan King. The
art of Angam which was developed for so many thou-
sands of years has done its best in protecting Sri Lanka
from its enemies.

Ravana is said to have also been a specialist in all forms
of Angam. History tells us that he has written several
books about it as well. This master in Angam is said to

have trained all his soldiers, cavalry and other types of are inconsistent records of instances in history where it
mounted troops in the art of Angam. has appeared but briefly, only disappear from the books
of history leaving gaps as well as a lot of unanswered
Ravana is also said to have ruled over many states in questions.
southern and central India. To maintain such a large
empire, it is obvious that the aid of something as for- Angam is believed to have been a part of the ancient
midable as Angampora was essential. Even now, after culture of Sri Lanka that dates back to over 10000 years.
all these ages, certain families still have deadly Angam It had evolved from generation to generation, standing
fighting styles names after Ravana, which specifically the formidable test of time, and once became an indis-
use pressure points to disable and eliminate ones oppo- pensable part of the Sri Lankan way of life.
nents. For centuries the country went through most turbulent
eras that required it’s rulers to muster defenses with the
The history of angam had never been recorded on an help of their fellow countrymen, to battle disturbances
official treatise. However it is a privilege that the tech- that came from foreign lands as well as dissention from
nical aspects of angam had been documented by angam within.
warrior clans of Sri Lankan history. All that we have

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