In the small village of Kovalam, between rice paddies and dirt tracks, emergency doctor Bernard Fontanille meets a master of this unique form of combat. The particularity of the practice involves an in-depth knowledge of the vulnerable parts of the body, from the joints to the vital organs. Young disciples learn to detect and manipulate these body parts, for both fighting and healing purposes. In India, the varma kalai siddhars have the reputation of being able to prolong life or end it, as they please.