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Gatka

Gatka ਗਤਕਾ, (Meaning: one whose freedom belongs to grace), is a defensive and offensive Sikh martial art associated with the Sikhs (but open to anyone) that focuses on infusing the physical martial art with both the spiritual and mental. Gatka is also the name of a stick used for practicing sword fighting. Gatka originated in the Punjab region and was used by Sikh armies & forces against the Mughals, primarily in reaction to oppressive or aggressive policies. Gatka is rarely used in combat today, and has evolved into a sport and exhibition form shown at Sikh festivals. Gat: means grace, liberation, and respect in one's own power. Ka: means one who belongs or one who is part of a group.

Early development

The system for the present day Gatka is derived from an older version of Shaster Vidiya (literally knowledge of the arms). This system was used for military training by the Sikhs. According to tradition, the roots of this art can be traced to the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, who received it through a divine summon. Guru Nanak passed this art to Baba Buddha, and stated that he would claim it back in his sixth form. The sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, received training in the Shaster Vidiya system from Baba Buddha. Baba Budha also trained an army of Sikh warriors, soldiers of the Akal Bunga (the Immortal Fort, built in 1606), known as the Akalis (Immortals).

Guru Hargobind propagated the theory of the warrior-saint, and emphasized the need for his followers to engage in self-defense martial practices. Arrangements for training in martial arts and combat were made and the guru himself learnt the use of weapons.

Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th guru of the Sikh faith, trained in the Sikh martial arts in Punjab. One of his achievements was the founding of Khalsa, the collective society that galvanized the martial energies of the Sikh community. In regards to training the Khalsa, he pledged that he would "teach the sparrow to fight the hawk". Both men and women were known to have practiced the art. There were and are no gender restrictions iterated by Sikh teachings or the Gurus.

Tradition holds that the Guru carried two swords, symbolizing the temporal, as well as heavenly power. Later, this came to be known as Miri-Piri, Miri (Emir, a temporal leader); this solidified the belief that the Guru could engage in righteous armed struggle, and Pir (the Sufi word for a mystic) designating a spiritual leader, acknowledging the Guru's religious standing.

Guru Gobind Singh's Khalsa was a body of warriors dedicated to the Guru, outwardly defined by the uncut hair and other Sikh symbols. The Khalsa served as an armed wing to defend the Sikhs and others in the region in face of increasingly aggressive and intolerant policies. The Khalsa was involved in armed struggle against the armies of emperor Aurangzeb and his local allies.

The men and women of the Khalsa were skilled fighters, and in many conflicts, came out ahead despite being severely outnumbered. Khalsa Sikhs were accustomed to view military service in terms of individual and collective honor. According to the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh, extreme courage and even death in the heat of battle was said to bring honor to the Sikh community. Gatka is largely weapon-based. The primary types of weapons used are:

Swords - Tulwar
Sticks of bamboo (from one to three meters in length) - Lathi
Flexible weapons, such as whips and chains.
Bow and Arrows - Kaman - Crab Bow Bows are either true composite bows made of wood, horn and sinew or traditional Indian steel recurve bows - arrows used are usually fletched reed arrows with tanged steel points.
Chakra - a circular edged weapon that can be trown and that can cut a green bamboo

Other widely used weapons are Barcha (spear), Choori (knife), Peshkarj (dagger-like knife), Tulwar, Lathi (staff), and Khanda.

The correct use of melee weapons is central to Gatka. The techniques vary with the nature of the weapon, such as the khanda (two-edged sword), the Tabar (axe) and the Barcha (spear). A common combination of Gatka is the sword and the shield; the lathi staff is also used commonly.

Training

Gatka groups may train in a religious or semi-religious situation, such as in a Gurdwara or in a Sikh institution. "Akharas", usually associated with Pehlwani, have also been founded, with the exclusive purpose of teaching gatka.

Gatka students train with "both hands full", this is believed to be an excellent exercise for matching the two halves of the body. Gatka emphasizes having something in both hands, two sticks, a stick and a sword, a sword and a shield or any other combination.

The individual's preference for weapons, combination of weapons, and movement patterns leads to the development of individual fighting methods within Gatka.

Outside India

The system devised by Captain William Ewart Fairbairn and Captain Eric Anthony Sykes borrowed methodologies from Jiu Jitsu, Gatka, Kung Fu and Gutter Fighting. This method was used to train soldiers in close-combat techniques at the Commando Basic Training Centre, Achnacarry, Scotland.

Gatka is a stickfighting dance practiced by the Indians in Trinidad.

Sikh immigrants took the art to England. A famous display of Gatka was during the celebrations of Hola Mohalla in Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Hounslow, west London; Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall was visibly shaken after the display of Gatka.

The art was also performed on the 2005, July 4, Independence Day parade on Constitution Avenue, Washington DC, United States.

Notes

References

Nanak Dev Singh Khalsa & Sat Katar Kaur Ocasio-Khalsa (1991) Gatka as taught by Nanak Dev Singh, Book One - Dance of the Sword (2nd Edition). GT International, Phoenix, Arizona. ISBN 0-89509-087-2