Malla-yuddha - Training

Training

Matches take place in a clay or dirt pit. The soil of the floor is mixed with various ingredients, including ghee. Wrestlers begin each session by flattening the soil, an act which is considered both a part of endurance training and an exercise in self-discipline. During practice, wrestlers rub the dirt onto their own bodies. Once the arena has been prepared a prayer is offered to the gym's patron deity, most commonly Hanuman. Many practitioners live at their training hall but this is not always required. All wrestlers are required to abstain from sex, smoking and drinking so the body remains pure and the wrestlers are able to focus on cultivating themselves physically, mentally and spiritually. A wrestler's only belongings are a blanket, a loincloth and some clothes. In this regard, they are often compared to Hindu-Buddhist holy men.

Physical training (vyayam) is meant to build strength and develop muscle bulk and flexibility. Exercises that employ the wrestler's own bodyweight include the sun salutation (Surya Namaskara), shirshasana, Hindu squat (bethak) and the Hindu press-up (danda), which are also found in hatha yoga.

Exercise regimens may also employ the following weight training devices:

• The nal is a hollow stone cylinder with a handle inside.
• The gar nal (neck weight) is a circular stone ring worn around the neck to add resistance to squats and press ups.
• The gada is a club or mace associated with Hanuman. An exercise gada is a heavy round stone attached to the end of a meter-long bamboo stick.

Training may also include rope climbing, log pulling, running and dhakuli which involves twisting rotations. Traditional massage is regarded as an integral part of an Indian wrestler's exercise regimen. Wrestlers are given massages and also taught how to massage.