Huyen Langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur.[1] 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.
Contents