The Master - Ritigala Sumedha

An ancient form of fighting taught to warriors, angampora is filled with acrobatic moves that are as graceful as they are deadly, says the famous Master Ritigala Sumedha. It is mainly hand-to-hand combat, though it sometimes incorporates special hand-held weapons.An ancient form of fighting taught to warriors, angampora is filled with acrobatic moves that are as graceful as they are deadly, says the famous Master Ritigala Sumedha. It is mainly hand-to-hand combat, though it sometimes incorporates special hand-held weapons.Angampora is said to date back hundreds of years, to a time when kings reigned in the country, Traditionally, the art is passed from father to son, or to a close, trusted male relative.

 A descendant of one of the traditional angampora families, Sumedha has dedicated his life to preserving the martial art by teaching it, he says. he began his training at age 6, and qualified for the title of “gurunnanse,” or revered master, 10 years ago. He is also innovating by accepting students outside traditional angampora families. His family strongly opposed this at first, believing that the secrets of angampora should remain within the families that had been entrusted with them for generations. but he took a contrary stance.“This art form does not belong only to our family,” he says. “The knowledge should belong to the whole country. Hence, I decided to teach this art outside of the family.”He is famous for his Vishuddhi Harabaya - a new form of display to showcase the might of this ancient art.