Persian Meels from Iran

I have to say that I am very impressed with Persian Meels following my visit to Iran, but first some background.

Large Clubs by Cobbett and Jenkin

When I first discovered Indian Clubs, it was via the book published by Cobbett and Jenkin in 1905.
The book has detailed plans for four clubs referred to as A, B, C, and D. I had these clubs made up by a local woodturner here in Perth, Western Australia.
Club A, at 26″ in length is a very long Indian Club.
Club B, C and D are big clubs, I always considered, mistakenly I might add, to be Persian Meels.

Not Persian Meels rather Short Jori

After visiting Indian and Iran I became aware that these clubs were different, the Cobbett and Jenkin Clubs were not Persian Meels.

I think that the Cobbetts were derived from the Jori club from the Akharas of Varanasi, as the handling and weight distribution are very similar, the major difference is that they are shorter and do not have iron collars at the base.

Please do not think that I am discounting the Cobbett and Jenkin Clubs, that could not be further from the truth, as they were instrumental in my learning how to swing big clubs.

Persian Meels from Iran

Over the past weeks I have been consumed with my new Persian Mils, since getting back from this years Indian Club World Tour, the lighter Mils 4.5kg, 6kg, 7kg and 8kg, are great and swing beautifully. The 10kg clubs are a massive challenge.

I follow the Zurkhaneh discipline of holding the clubs in front of the body with wrists below 90° aiming for 100° degrees and avoiding body contact.

First Impressions of Persian Meels

Persian Meels are made with one club heavier than the other, the heavier club is intended for the dominant arm, be it left or right.

1. The pear-shaped design of the clubs moves the weight towards the fat end and further away from the handle, this feature alone has major handling effects.
2. The club feels as if it falls faster during the backward cast.
3. It forces you to work harder in the upward pull, bringing the club back to the front.
4. The weight position makes it harder to balance at the front of the body, compared to a fuller-bodied club like the Cobbett and Jenkin.
5. The transfer of body weight during swings has to be efficient, you have to make sure you stay in the centre of the arc to maintain balance when the club comes to rest.
6. The narrow shoulder of the clubs really encourages a very tight cast over the shoulder and massive triceps extension.

The lightest meels I possess weigh 4.5kg each and are a fantastic size for learning and experimenting. I witnessed many Pahlevans performing some very interesting movements during their Zurkhaneh sessions, some of which I emulate in this video.

The heavier Mil 6kg, 7kg, 8kg and 10kg (individual weights) are more restricted movement-wise but challenging in their control due to the heavier weights.

This is very much about my first impressions of the Persian Meels, and there will be many more comments to follow.