Gatka
 | |
| Focus | Weapons (sticks simulating swords) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin |  Punjab, India |
| Parenthood | Shastar vidiyā |
| Olympic sport | No |
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Gatka (Punjabi: ਗਤਕਾ gatkā) is the name of an Sikh martial art associated with the Punjab region. It is a style of stick fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate swords. The Punjabi name gatka properly refers to the wooden stick used. The term originates from the Persian 'khat' which changed into 'khatka' and then into 'Gatka'. It came from the fencing techniques used in present day Iran and Afghanistan.
By conception, gatka is defensive as well as offensive[1]
The original style (Chatka/Shastar Vidya), not to be confused with current (Gatka) originates during the time of sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, during frequent clashes and combats with the hostile and oppressive Mughal forces.
The present day 'Gatka' is a sports version, similar to the western 'fencing' and must not be confused with the traditional martial arts of the 'Sikhs'.
There has been a revival during the later 20th century, with an International Gatka Federation was founded in 1982 and formalized in 1987, and gatka is now popular as a sport or sword dance performance art and is often shown during Sikh festivals.[1] Since this revival, the term gatka has sometimes come to be extended to "Sikh martial arts" more generally, including the use of various weapons, more properly called Shastar Vidiya (Punjabi ਸ਼ਸਤਰ ਵਿਦਿਆ shastar vidiyā, from Punjabi śhastar-vidiā "martial arts"). The term in this sense, especially as used by Nihang Sikhs, denotes historical martial arts reconstruction of 16th to 18th century Sikh fighting styles.
History
British Raj
Following the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848 to 1849 and the establishment of the British Raj, the Sikh martial traditions and practitioners suffered greatly. Ever wary of the Sikhs, the British ordered effective disarmament of the entire Sikh community; even tools and farming equipment were banned.[citation needed] The Akali Nihang, considered the keepers of all Sikh traditions, were regarded as disloyal to the colonists. More than 1,500 nihang were killed by the British for plotting rebellion. According to folklore, some fled and spent the rest of their lives in the northern mountains.
During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Sikhs assisted the British in crushing the mutiny. As a consequence of this assistance, restrictions on fighting practices were relaxed, but the martial arts which re-emerged after 1857 had changed significantly.[2] The new style applied the sword-fighting techniques to the wooden training-stick. It was referred to as gatka, after its primary weapon. Gatka was used mainly by the khalsa Army in the 1860s as practice for hand-to-hand combat. As Sikh colleges opened during the 1880s, European rules of fencing were applied to create what is now called khel or sport gatka. The other techniques and weapons of traditional shaster vidiya were taught to experienced students as rasmi or ritual.
The system devised by Captain William Ewart Fairbairn and Captain Eric Anthony Sykes borrowed methodologies from gatka, jujutsu, Chinese martial arts and "gutter fighting". This method was used to train soldiers in close-combat techniques at the Commando Basic Training Centre in Achnacarry, Scotland.[3]
Revival
Gatka emerged formally from its original birthplace in the Punjab. It is defensive as well as offensive and focuses on infusing the physical with both the spiritual and mental. Though rarely used in combat today, Gatka, an ancient art, is still popular as a sport and is often shown during Sikh festivals as a visually spectacular. The Sikhs mastered in Gatkebaazi and other martial arts weaponry had perfectly used their expertise in the battles. They actively used Gatka in warfare for over 200 years, until they finally enjoyed peace under their own rule, free from the Mughal Empire. Since then, Gatka has been passed down as a tradition amongst the Sikh generations. With the emigration of Sikhs to western countries, Gatka has grown again in the hearts and minds of the new generation of Sikhs.
The Punjab Gatka Association (Regd.) and Gatka Federation of India (Regd.), both sports bodies, are managing, standardizing, promoting, popularizing and reviving traditional martial art Gatka as a sport in Punjab as well as in India similar to other games. It's a humble effort of Gatka sports associations to revive a forgotten and dying art having a great historical significance. The Punjab Olympic Association (POA) has affiliated the Punjab Gatka Association (PGA). The Education Department of Punjab has also introduced the Gatka game into the Punjab school and universities' sports calendars.
The Gatka Federation of India has, for the first time, formulated and standardized the in-depth Gatka Rules and Regulations (Rules Book) in September 2009 for playing of Gatka game in a scientific, systematic & organized manner with pictorial guidelines and providing training to the budding Gatkebaaz through workshops, seminars and camps under the new Gatka rules. To popularise and promote martial art Gatka globally, the Asian Gatka Federation, Commonwealth Gatka Federation and International Gatka Federation have also been constituted. The School Games Federation of India (SGFI) have also incorporated the Gatka in the 56th national school games calendar 2011-2012.
The ancient sikh martial art will no longer be only a traditional game; it would likely to become a national sport also with new appearance soon. The combative sport of Hindustan that originated four to five hundred years back soon has come up with new dress code T-shirt or track-suit or trousers with knickers, sneakers and a headgear for protection. Over the years the traditional sport has evolved from a game of brawn to an impressive game of skill and strategy. It has transformed from the old tradition to a cosmopolitan game.
With the inclusion of Gatka game in the State as well as National School Games being conducted by the School Games Federation of India, it has provided further fillip to the Sikh martial art which was in vogue for self-defence since times immemorial. Earlier the Gatka was only the domain of males, now even the females have been outperforming the males by displaying their rare acumen in the Gatka sport.
Weapons
The correct use of melee weapons is central to gatka with techniques depending on the nature of the weapon. The sword is gatka's main weapon, often paired with a shield or another sword. The shield itself can be used offensively. The following lists a few examples of the weapons used in gatka.
- Talwar: curved one-sided sword
- Kirpan: dagger worn by baptised Sikhs at all times
- Lathi: stick of bamboo from one to three meters in length, used for training
- Flexible weapons, such as whips and chains.
- Kukri: bent sword which broadens towards the point
- Bow and arrow, either traditional steel recurve bows or true composite bows made of wood, horn and sinew. Fletched reed arrows with tanged steel points are typically used.
- Barcha: spear
- Bothati: lance used from horseback
- Nagni barcha: javelin
- Khanda: double-edge sword
- Bagh nakh: "leopard claw", a spiked weapon worn on the hand
- Chakram: circular edged weapon that can be thrown or used in-close
- Kataar: dagger able to pierce armour, spelled katara in Sanskrit
- Gurj: a flanged or spiked mace made out of steel
Training
With its strong link to the Sikh faith, gatka groups may train in a religious or semi-religious situation, such as in a gurdwara (Sikh temple). Akharas, usually associated with pehlwani, have also been founded with the exclusive purpose of teaching gatka.[4] Gatka emphasizes having something in both hands, e.g. two sticks, a stick and a sword, a sword and a shield or any other combination.[4] Training with "both hands full" is believed to be an excellent exercise for coordinating the two halves of the body, a concept also found in Filipino kali. The individual's preference for weapons, combination of weapons, and movement patterns leads to the development of individual fighting methods.[4]
The foundation of the art is a movement methodology for the use of the feet, body, arms and weapons in unison. Gatka favors rhythmic movement, without hesitation, doubt or anxiety. The attacking and defense methods are based upon the positions of the hands, feet and weapon(s) during the dexterity regimen.[4]
Chanting holy verses may accompany these exercises. The three-beat-per-cycle played by a drummer adds to the coordination during practice.[4]
Notes
- ^ a b Sikh martial art `Gatka' takes the West by storm. (Press Trust of India). The Hindu
- ^ [v MILITARY SIKHS: The Education of a Sikh Warrior. Victoria and Albert Museum.] 'An introduction to Shastar Vidiya - the education of a Sikh warrior' was a lecture by Nidar Singh, given as part of the Sikh Arts and Heritage Lecture Series at the V&A, 10 October 2001.
- ^ O. Janson. Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting knife: The famous fightingknife used by British commandos and SOE during WW2. Gothia Arms Historical Society
- ^ a b c d e Singh, Arjun (2006). Gatka. Atlanta Martial Arts Directory.
- 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
See also
External links
- Punjab Gatka Association (PGA) (Regd.)
- International Gatka Organisation (IGO)
- Gatka Federation of India (GFI) (Regd.)
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