Ankam

Ankam is a Malayalam word meaning combat or battle, typically fought with swords called 'Churika' in Malabar of Kerala.

[4] From a historical perspective, Ankam represents an early form of regulated conflict resolution, aligning with principles later seen in modern international humanitarian law.

By selecting designated warriors and adhering to agreed-upon combat rules, this practice helped contain disputes, preventing them from spreading to surrounding regions while maintaining social order.

[5] In medieval Kerala, Ankam was practiced either as a fight between two warriors to prove who was better at Kalari, to settle ego clashes, to avenge the killing of an ancestor by engaging in a sword fight with the current generation of the tharavad—a practice known as settling Kudipaka (vengeance passed through generations)—or as a means of resolving disputes between districts and nobles.

The duelists, known as Chekavar or Ankachekavar, were trained in Kalari to serve as militiamen under a lord, helping to prevent large-scale wars that could result in thousands of deaths.