Chief Instructor Krishna Prathap

Krishna Prathap began his training in kalaripayattu at a tender age of six under the guidance of his father, Sri Karthikeyan Gurukkal. He later moved to Vallabhatta Kalari and underwent training under Gurukkal Sri Shankara Narayana Menon and the Sri. Krishnadas Gurukkal. Krishna Prathap belongs to the second generation of Kalaripayattu practitioners and has more than 32 years of experience. He was lauded for his skills that was displayed in the 1995 Asian federation games held in Madras and at the National integration Martial Festival held in Calicut.

He has to his credit several medals and awards. The Kerala State Championship and many gold medals in various championships to name a few. He is also the national coach for Pankration Athlima, Greek Martial Art. As the Hon. Gen. Sec of the Karnataka State Kalaripayattu Association he is committed to popularize the art form and revive its diminished glory in the time to come. He is also the Hon. Treasurer, Martial Arts Games Federation of India (Unifying Martial Arts games across the Indian sub-continent).

He has contributed to popularizing the art form internationally by performing and scripting kalaripayattu in France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy, London, USA, Singapore, Middle East and Sri Lanka which has won him great appreciation from various organizations and the media. Krishna Prathap is now bringing out a new grammar in the field of dance by choreographing Kalaripayattu to the melody of music by associating himself with experts in Kathakali, Mohiniyattom, Bharatha Nattyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak.

Krishna Prathap is deeply motivated to popularize Kalaripayattu as an Indian art form and takes great interest in training students. He is associated with his trained Kalari team of more than 200 school children to perform at the Republic day parade in New Delhi. His team has performed on the opening ceremony of the ICC Champions League Cricket, 2009 in Bangalore, in collaboration with a team of 16 of students and masters from Shaolin Temple for Kung-fu,China. He has graced the stage on many occasions globally alongside great artistes from various other fields and has been a torch bearer of Kalaripayattu, world-wide.

A few such events were

1. 1) 1996 – Indo-French Cultural Exchange,france
2. 2) Celestial Dance Ballet, presented International Association of Human Values and the Art Of Living Foundation, USA.
3. 3) 2001 - Into Sacred Waters presented by the Asia-Pacific Performing Arts Network & UNESCO. Alongside great artists like Sri.Ammanur Chakyar and G.Venu,Ustaad Fahimuddin Dagar, Kathak Dancer Uma Sharma and many more.
4. 4) 2009 - IPL Champions League Cricket, opening ceremony, in collaboration with the Shaolin
5. 5) 1996 Mysore Dasara Festival
6. 6) Hampi festival
7. 7) Malabar pepper fest in 1999(Mamankam)
   And many more………………

His contribution to popularizing kalaripyattu has been immense through the medium of movies like

1. 1) Aaram Thampuran ( Malayalam )
2. 2) Narasimham ( Malayalam )
3. 3) Parie ( kannada )
4. 4) Kempegowda ( kannada )
5. 5) Pallavoor Devanarayanan ( Malayalam )
6. 6) My autograph (kannada and Tamil)...etc.

As a stunt master for many Theatrical series like Robinson and Crusoe presented by the Rangasankara, he has ventured out to newer areas and is inspiring a much needed change to the art form.

Click here to see Krishnaprathap's Credentials
Click here to see Press Releases about Krishna Prathap & PVK Academy.