Fluidité des savoirs L’apprentissage d’un art martial indien à l’épreuve du transnational Fluidity of Knowledge The Apprenticeship of an Indian Martial Art in a Transnational Context La fluidez de los saberes El aprendizaje de un arte marcial indio ante el reto de lo trasnacional

Résumé

L’art martial kaḷarippayaṟṟụ du Kerala constitue un cas emblématique montrant à la fois comment des relations à l’échelle transnationale peuvent influencer le développement des savoirs et comment des liens multiples peuvent mettre en relations plusieurs savoirs d’origines différentes. Dans ce cas, il s’agit des liens entre le kaḷarippayaṟṟụ et d’autres savoirs indiens sur le corps : yoga, médecine ayurvédique, médecine siddha, arts du spectacle, danses rituelles. Nous proposons d’appréhender la multiplicité et le dynamisme de ces relations à travers le concept de fluidité. Nous y accédons à travers l’étude d’une école de kaḷarippayaṟṟụ, où nous avons séjourné durant huit mois, qui s’est récemment muée en entreprise culturelle visant des disciples étrangers. Nous analysons la manière dont le maître, qui a reçu une instruction en anglais, d’une part, réélabore les relations entre ces différents savoirs dans la gestion de son entreprise transnationale ; d’autre part, contribue localement à animer le débat sur les contenus et les modalités de transmission de la discipline.

Mots-clés :

• Silvestri,
• arts martiaux,
• corps,
• pratiques corporelles,
• savoirs,
• yoga,
• médecine indienne,
• kaḷarippayaṟṟụ

Abstract

Kerala’s martial art kaḷarippayaṟṟụ is emblematic of both the importance of the transnational scale in the development of knowledge and techniques, and of the multiple and varying connections between different forms of knowledge about the body and the person: yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, Siddha medicine, performing arts, ritual dances. We propose to describe the multiplicity and the dynamics of these relations through the concept of fluidity. We exemplify this concept through the study of a school of kaḷarippayaṟṟụ, where we stayed for eight months, which has recently turned into a cultural enterprise aimed at foreign disciples. We analyze how the master, who received an education in English, while running his transnational enterprise, on one side, reworks the relations between different domains of knowledge, and, on the other side, contributes locally to the debate on the contents and the modalities of transmission of kaḷarippayaṟṟụ.

Keywords:

• Silvestri,
• martial arts,
• body,
• body practices,
• transmission,
• yoga,
• Indian medicine,
• kaḷarippayaṟṟụ

Resumen

Kerala’s martial art kaḷarippayaṟṟụ is emblematic of both the importance of the transnational scale in the development of knowledge and techniques, and of the multiple and varying connections between different forms of knowledge about the body and the person: yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, Siddha medicine, performing arts, ritual dances. We propose to describe the multiplicity and the dynamics of these relations through the concept of fluidity. We exemplify this concept through the study of a school of kaḷarippayaṟṟụ, where we stayed for eight months, which has recently turned into a cultural enterprise aimed at foreign disciples. We analyze how the master, who received an education in English, while running his transnational enterprise, on one side, reworks the relations between different domains of knowledge, and, on the other side, contributes locally to the debate on the contents and the modalities of transmission of kaḷarippayaṟṟụ.

Palabras clave:

• Silvestri,
• artes marciales,
• cuerpo,
• practicas corporales,
• saberes,
• yoga,
• medicina india,
• kaḷarippayaṟṟụ