▁have ▁existed . ▁Ang amp ora ' s ▁distinct ▁feature ▁lies ▁in ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁pressure ▁point ▁attacks ▁to ▁inf lict ▁pain ▁or ▁perman ently ▁par aly ze ▁the ▁oppon ent . ▁F igh ters ▁usually ▁make ▁use ▁of ▁both ▁striking ▁and ▁gra pp ling ▁techniques , ▁and ▁fight ▁until ▁the ▁oppon ent ▁is ▁caught ▁in ▁a ▁submission ▁lock ▁that ▁they ▁cannot ▁escape . ▁Us age ▁of ▁weapons ▁is ▁dis cret ion ary . ▁Per im eters ▁of ▁fighting ▁are ▁defined ▁in ▁advance , ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁cases ▁is ▁a ▁pit . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁colonial ism ▁over ▁the ▁entire ty ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 , ▁Ang amp ora ▁fell ▁into ▁dis use ▁and ▁was ▁very ▁nearly ▁lost ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁her itage . ▁The ▁British ▁administration ▁prohib ited ▁its ▁practice ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁d angers ▁pos ed ▁by ▁a ▁civil ian ▁popul ace ▁vers ed ▁in ▁a ▁mart ial ▁art , ▁burning ▁down ▁any ▁ang an ▁mad u ▁( p ract ice ▁h uts ▁devoted ▁to ▁the ▁mart ial ▁art ) ▁found : ▁fl out ing ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁was ▁pun ished ▁by ▁a ▁gun shot ▁to ▁the ▁kne e , ▁effectively ▁cri pp ling ▁pract ition ers ; ▁Ang amp ora ▁never theless ▁surv ived ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁families , ▁allowing ▁it ▁to ▁emer ge ▁into ▁main stream ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁culture ▁post - in dep end ence . ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁paint ings ▁related