This Singing Warrior Is Reviving Rural Martial Arts In Hyd

Na quiet morning in Hyderabad, the rhythmic clack of bamboo sticks echoes across a training ground. Under the open sky, children, some barely in their teens, practise Karram Sammu and Kathi Sammu, ancient rural martial arts from Andhra Pradesh, once on the verge of extinction.

- Akhil Kumar @ Hyderabad

Leading this quiet revival is Swarna, a folk singer-turned-martial artist whose journey from melody to martial mastery is both unlikely and transformative.

Swarna doesn't fit the typical image of a martial arts instructor. Dressed in a simple kurta, staff in hand, she commands respect not through force, but presence. Her poise reflects years of discipline and quiet dedication to an art form few in Telangana had even heard of.

The spark was lit while she was pursuing a Master's in Performing Arts at Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University. "Martial arts were part of our curriculum," she tells TNIE. "I didn't expect to connect with them so deeply." But learning traditional rural forms was not easy.

With few trainers in Telangana, Swarna travelled across Tamil Nadu, where martial arts like Silambam receive active government support.