What Are Persian Meels?
‘한국어 번역‘
Persian Meels are part of the Zurkhaneh
Zurkhaneh means ‘HOUSE of POWER’. The Zurkhaneh combines martial arts, callisthenics, strength training and drumming. Recognized by UNESCO as the world’s longest-running form of such training, it fuses elements of pre-Islamic Persian culture (particularly Zoroastrianism, Mithraism and Gnosticism) with the spirituality of Shia Islam and Sufism.
The Zurkhaneh Building
Training is practised in a domed structure called the Zurkhaneh, training sessions consist mainly of ritual gymnastic movements and climax with the core of combat practice, a form of submission-grappling called koshti pahlavāni.
Secret Meeting Place
When the Arabs invaded Persia around 637 CE, the Zurkhaneh served as secret meeting places where men would train and keep alive a spirit of solidarity and patriotism. Invaders repeatedly targeted the Zurkhaneh to discourage rebellion, but new ones would always be organized in a different location.
Persian Meel
The Persian Meel is a wooden club made in the form of a mace, with a handle at one end and heavier at the other, varying in weight and height. Persian Meels are made in pairs, the athlete holds the pair, one in each hand, with the heavier end resting on his shoulders during rest periods.
Swinging Meels
Swing the clubs up together from the floor and hold them in front of the chest not touching the body, keep your wrists just below waist level, at roughly 100 degrees. To start lift one hand up and over the shoulder, the elbow should be pointing up, then bring the club back to the front and repeat on the other side.
Turning the Body
When you are comfortable with this movement, push (cast) the club across your back and turn your body as the club swings to the outside, then pull it back up to the front.
Persian Meels are Swung Alternately
Traditionally Persian Meels are swung alternately around the shoulders keeping time with a drum beat. In-swinging terms each arm performs a closed arm inward back circle, each club is pushed (cast) up over the shoulder, dropped and swung to the back, with a quarter body twist the club travels outward completing the circle with a sharp pull to the front of the body.
There are 3 casts, LOW cast, MIDDLE cast and HIGH cast
- The low cast is made by the hand holding the club kept close to the neck and passing to the back below the ear. Starting position is from the waist.
- The middle cast is made by the hand holding the club kept close to the ear and passing to the back at ear level. This cast is quicker than the low cast because the club is lifted higher and has further to drop which means a quicker swing and recovery. This cast is very popular, both Meels are worked together. Note that the hands should come to the front in passing the face roughly at nose level before the Meel is brought to rest in the upright position.
- The high cast is made by the hand holding the club pushed over the top of the head raising the club even higher, the club has even further to drop and the swing is fast, this cast is a one-handed version of a mace swing and is great preparation for advancing to gada or mace swinging, promoting great shoulder flexibility and incredible grip strength.
- All three casts should be performed with a turn of the shoulders and body as the Meel drops at the back, the turn harnesses the energy of the drop helping to pull the Meel up and back to the front position. It is quite natural to assume a body sway, like an upside-down pendulum.
Footwork
As the Persian Mil Clubs are cast rhythmically transfer your body weight from one foot to the other creating a small sliding step that is done in time with the turn of the shoulders and body.
Meel Turning
Meel Turning as an exercise was originally intended to make men fit for carrying and using maces in warfare. The drill improves the strength of the shoulder girdle, triceps, biceps, pectorals major & minor, trapezius and forearm flexor muscles.
Weight
Persian Meel Weights range from 3kgs. to 30kgs. each. A pair of Mil are referred to by their combined weight, so if one club weighs 10kgs. The pair would be described as weighing 20kgs.
Video 1. This video is a demonstration of how the middle cast is done using 4.5kg Mils or 9kg in total.
Video 2. The beginning of this video demonstrates the LOW, MIDDLE & HIGH casts followed by Zurkhaneh style Mil turning.
Video 3. Meel Turning
Video 4. Ali Farzaneh turning huge clubs, complete control even though he has a bit of a hiccup halfway through. Inspiring performance. This video will play, it is worth a look.
