How does a silambam fight start?
I · Intermediate · The stick fight · 2 of 4The referee salutes the ring chairman, then signals the fighters into the court. They take their staffs and salute the ring chairman, the judges, the referee and each other. At the referee's signal they cross staffs at forehead height; the referee parts them with a staff from below and the fight begins after the ring chairman's whistle.
How it works
- Referee: salutes first.
- Call in: hand signal.
- Salute: chairman, judges, referee, opponent.
- Stance: left foot forward.
- Cross staffs: at forehead height.
- Start: ring chairman's whistle.
- Parting: referee's staff from below.
- Signals: whistle only.
The glossary has the salutation (vanakkam), the left stance, the referee (silambam), the ring chairman, the Kambu Sandai and the silambam staff.
Tricky cases
How do fighters salute with the staff?
Touching it to the forehead, then the ground.
Who sits with each fighter before the bout?
The coach, in the corner's middle seat.
What does the referee use to start the fight?
A staff of their own, lifting the crossed staffs apart.
Is the WSA salute the same?
Close: a hand salute at the edge, then the staff to forehead and ground.
Why the rule exists
The salute carries the art's respect for teachers and opponents into the sport.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School games | Chairman's whistle | L S 4 |
| WSA | Hand salute first | L W 18 |
| WSA stance | Left stance | L W 20.2 |
From the rule book
SGFI Silambam Rules and WSA Silambam Sports Rules: SGFI chapter 4, general instructions and entering the court; WSA articles 18 to 20. Checked 15 October 2026. Official documents: SGFI Silambam Rules; WSA Silambam Sports Rules (web page).