Martial Arts Practice, India

Photograph by Nicolas Chorier

Kalaripayatu fighters practicing on a beach in North Kerala. Kalaripayatu is one of the most ancient martial arts, supposedly more ancient than Kung Fu. This photo was taken with no special setup, just during a regular practicing session. I was using a kite to lift the camera, in order to remain steady above the subject for more than an hour, without disturbing.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

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