[1][2] A key component of angampora is the namesake angam, which incorporates hand-to-hand fighting, and illangam, involving the use of indigenous weapons such as the ethunu kaduwa, staves, knives and swords.

[11] Practice thrived during Sri Lanka's medieval period when Bhuvanekabahu VI of Kotte's successful campaign to conquer the Jaffna Kingdom included fighters who excelled in this art.

[7] The huts used by angampora fighters for training were known as angam madu, and were built according to the concepts of Gebim Shasthraya, the traditional philosophical system of architecture.

[17] With the advent of colonial rule over the entirety of the island in 1815, Angampora fell into disuse and has been claimed to have nearly been lost as a part of the country's heritage.

"[19] The alleged measures against practitioners included burning down any Angam Madu (practice huts devoted to the martial art) and shooting the knees of offenders, crippling them.

However, a British report on the pre-colonial government of the Kandi Kingdom mentions two court-recognized combat schools rivaling each other, called the Maaruwaliya and Sudaaliya, each of them led by a champion.

[21] For this reason, the British administration abolished the court positions of the Sudaluya and Maruwaleya martial art champions as "unnecessary" in 1818, as part of their restructuring of the local government.

One such film, Angam, directed by Anjula Rasanga Weerasinghe, explored the origins of the art through traditional folk stories and scientific examination.

[3] The angam component is divided into three main disciplines, gataputtu (locks and grips), pora haramba (strikes and blocks) and maru kala (nerve point attacks).

Maru kala is the component that incorporates nerve-point attacks capable of inflicting pain on the opponent, causing serious injury or timed death.

[31] Some deadly, higher-level Angam attacks involve the nervous system; others if executed properly, can halt the bloodflow to vital organs, leading to paralysis or even death.

[1] Alongside such techniques students learn an ayurvedic practice known as beheth pārawal, or medical shots, for reversing the effects of such strikes.