You swing a wooden club around your shoulders, across your body, and overhead, in patterns that repeat in sets. Resistance comes from momentum and control, and the effect comes from how well you manage both.

It’s a traditional practice historically used to build shoulder strength, grip, and stamina that manual work and physical training demanded.

Every swing is counted. Sets are built in rhythmic sequences — a fixed number of reps per side, per direction — so your body learns the pattern before it learns the weight. Breath is matched to the swing: breathe out on the effort, breathe in on the return.

Your feet stay planted throughout. The lower body holds a stable base while the upper body does the work — which is where the strength demand actually sits: shoulders, back, forearms, core.

Karlakattai builds on the flexibility, control, and conditioning that Meipadam develops, so a certain level of proficiency in Meipadam is expected before picking up the clubs — not just a warm-up beforehand, but a foundation you need in place.