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Huyen Langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur.〔(Thang Ta - the martial art dance ), ''India-north-east.com''〕 In the Manipuri language, ''huyen'' means war while ''langlon'' or ''langlong'' can mean net, knowledge or art. Huyen langlon consists of two main components, namely thang-ta or armed combat and sarit sarak or unarmed fighting. The primary weapons of huyen langlon are the ''thang'' (sword) and ''ta'' (spear). The spear can be used in its non-missile form while in close or thrown from afar. Other weapons include the shield and the axe. Unarmed combat incorporates hand strikes, kicks, and grappling (''mukna''). Because of Manipur's cultural similarity and geographical proximity with Myanmar, huyen langlon is closely related to Burmese bando and banshay. The thang-ta aspect of huyen langlon can be practiced in three different ways: ritual, demonstration and combat. The first way is related to the tantric practices and is entirely ritualistic in nature. The second way consists of a spectacular performance involving sword and spear dances. These routines can be converted into actual fighting practices. The third way is the true combat application. Thang-ta shares a connection with certain war-dances, often blurring the line between dance and combat forms, such as ''thangkairol'' (sword dance) and ''khosarol'' (spear dance). Many ritualistic dances in Manipur were traditionally performed by martial artists such as the spear dance for funerals or the sacred ''thengou'' dance. ==History== All that can be gleaned of huyen langlon's ancient history comes from hymns and legends. Folklore links the creation of huyen langlon and its related dances with the native animist gods. Manipur was a valley protected from neighbouring Hindu, Burmese and Chinese kingdoms by hills. The tribal people of the hills were divided into seven related clans, known as ''yek'', ''salai'', or ''pana''. These were the Moirang, Luwang, Mangang, Khuman, Angom, Khaba-Nganba and Sarang Leishangthem. Before their integration into a single unified Meitei community, these clans each ruled separate principalities over which they fought amongst each other. The earliest written record of huyen langlon is the ''Chainarol-Puya'' which details the ethics of duelling. The fights took place under strict rules of conduct, and to violate them was both shameful and sinful. When a fighter is challenged, the day for the bout would be fixed to allow for time to prepare the weapons. Allowing the opponent the first chance to fire an arrow or hurl a spear was considered particularly courageous. The duel itself was not necessarily to the death, and usually ended once first blood has been drawn. However, the victor was still expected to behead the loser. Either before the duel or before the beheading, the fighters would share the meals and wine prepared by their wives. If it had been so requested beforehand, the loser's body may be cremated. Heads were taken as trophies, as was custom among the headhunters of northeast India. Various taboos existed such as not killing an opponent who runs, begs or cries out of fear, or anyone who pleads for protection. Until this point, most of the fighters were commoners who also served as warriors. King Loyumba (1074-1122 AD) introduced an armed force or ''lallup'', while King Punshiba (1404-1432 AD) created a permanent military department known as ''Shingchep Meira Haijouroi''. King Pamheiba (1709-1748 AD) upgraded the ''lallup'' system, making it the duty of every male above 16 to serve the state for 10 in 40 days. Therefore each individual person served the state some 90 days in a year, with martial arts as part of their training. Thus Manipur had no true standing army and relied on its individual warriors for protection. From 1891-1947 British colonists prohibited martial arts, duels to the death and other violent customs among India's indigenous populations. The ban was somewhat difficult to enforce due to the region's isolation. The Naga people in particular have practiced headhunting within living memory of the present day. Nevertheless, modernization and adoption of Christianity killed off much of the native culture. The meditative practices of huyen langlon were nearly lost before India achieved independence. Today it is the most popular of Meitei martial arts,〔() Manipur Page〕 practiced by both men and women. It is most often seen through demonstrations in cultural programs.〔 In recent years huyen langlon has been promoted as a sport all over India and also as a self-defence tactical subject. Competitions are held yearly at school, district, state and national level. The promotion of huyen langlon as a sport helped in the cause of its promotion and spread from Manipur to the whole of India, particularly Jammu and Kashmir. Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir are currently the strongest contenders at the national level. In 2009 Gurumayum Gourakishor Sharma, a leading exponent and teacher of huyen langlon, received the high Padma Shri honor award from the Indian Government for his contributions to the preservation and advancement of the art. Currently the biggest training school is the Huyen Langlon Thang-Ta Academy which holds demonstrations at cultural shows. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Huyen langlon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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