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{{Short description|Martial art from the Punjab region}}
{{Sikhi}}
{{Other uses}}
'''Gatka''' ({{lang-pa|ਗਤਕਾ}}, ''{{IAST|gatkā }}'') is a traditional ] ]. Gatka was handed down from the period of the 6th Guru of the ], ] (early ]). See also: ].
{{Not to be confused with|Shastar Vidya|text=], the traditional battle system of northern India}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2018}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox Martial art
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| imagecaption = Gatka demonstration in ], ] (2007)
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| name = Gatka
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| focus = Weaponry
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| olympic = No
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}}{{Sikhism sidebar}}


'''Gatka''' ({{Langx|pa|ਗੱਤਕਾ|label=]}}; {{Langx|pa|{{nq|گَتّکا}}|label=]}}; {{langx|hi|गतका}}; {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|گَتکا}}}}) is a form of ] associated primarily with the ] of the ] and other related ethnic groups, such as ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Yavari |first=Musa |title='گتکا ہماری ثقافت ہے اور ہم نے اسے قائم رکھنا ہے' |trans-title=Gatka is our culture and we have to preserve it |url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/sport-47317035 |work=] |location=] |date=26 February 2019 |language=ur |access-date=28 February 2019 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403043418/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/sport-47317035 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Sadaqat|first=Muhammad|date=March 17, 2019|title=Gatka a centuries old art of self-defence|work=DAWN|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1470080|access-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref> It is a style of ], with ] intended to simulate ]s.<ref name=Draeger>{{cite book |title=Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts |author=] and Robert W. Smith |year=1969 |publisher=Kodansha International Limited}}</ref> The ] name, {{lang|pa|gatka}}, refers to the wooden stick used and this term might have originated as a diminutive of a Sanskrit word, {{lang|sa|gada}}, meaning "mace".<ref>Ananda Lal, ''The Oxford companion to Indian theatre'', Oxford University Press (2004), {{ISBN|9780195644463}}, p. 129.</ref>
==Origin as an original system==
''Gatka'' emerged formally from its original birthplace in the ] region of northern ].


The stick used in Gatka is made of wood and is usually {{convert|91|–|107|cm|abbr=on}} long, with a thickness of around {{convert|12.7|mm|abbr=on}}. It comes with a fitted leather hilt, {{convert|15|–|18|cm|abbr=on}} and is often decorated with ].<ref name=":0" />
Gat means grace, liberation, and respect in one's own power. Ka means one who belongs or one who is part of a group. Gatka means one whose freedom belongs to grace. It was originally created along three principles:


The other weapon used in the sport is a shield, natively known as {{lang|pa|phari}}. It is round in shape, measuring {{convert|23|x|23|cm|in}}, and is made of dry leather. It is filled with either cotton or dry grass to protect the hand of player in case of full contact hit by an opponent.<ref name=":0" />
* it had to be easy to learn
* it had to make use of every possible weapon
* it had to allow for fighting multiple opponents at once


Gatka originated in the Punjab in the 15th century. 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 ] performance art and is often shown during ].<ref name="hindu.com">{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=27 July 2006 |title=Sikh martial art 'Gatka' takes the West by storm |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/27/stories/2006072712720300.htm |work=] |location=New Delhi |access-date=23 May 2024 |agency=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930235524/http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/27/stories/2006072712720300.htm |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref>
Unfortunately much of it has been lost and what is left primarily exists only through oral tradition.


==History==
The Sikhs mastered Gatka and perfected its use in battle. Many hundreds, if not thousands, of battles were decisively won by the Sikhs, despite often being outnumbered. The techniques within Gatka were combined with the spiritual practices of the Sikhs to create a complete fighting system. Opposing forces are documented to have cursed the Sikhs for their skills in fighting.
]
]
Gatka's theory and techniques were taught by the ]. It has been handed down in an unbroken lineage of ]s (masters), and taught in many ]s (arenas) around the world. Gatka was employed in the Sikh wars and has been thoroughly battle-tested. It originates from the need to defend {{lang|und|dharam}} (righteousness), but is also based on the unification of the spirit and body: ]). It is, therefore, generally considered to be both a spiritual and physical practice.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Pashaura|author2=Louis E. Fenech|title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA459|date=March 2014|publisher=OUP Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-969930-8|page=459}}</ref>


After the ], the art was banned by the new British administrators of India in the mid-19th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/81513/ancient-martial-arts-training-india/|title=Ancient but Deadly: 8 Indian Martial Art Forms and Where You Can Learn Them|date=2017-01-10|website=The Better India|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-11|archive-date=9 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609155915/https://www.thebetterindia.com/81513/ancient-martial-arts-training-india/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=October 2021}} During the ], the ]s assisted the British in crushing the mutiny. As a consequence of this assistance, restrictions on fighting practices were relaxed, but the Punjabi martial arts which re-emerged after 1857 had changed significantly.{{cn|date=May 2024}} The new style applied the sword-fighting techniques to the wooden training-stick. It was referred to as {{lang|pa|gatka}}, after its primary weapon. Gatka was used mainly by the ] in the 1860s as practice for hand-to-hand combat. The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs of the Government of India has included Gatka, with three other ] games, namely {{lang|pa|]}}, {{lang|pa|]}} and {{lang|pa|]}}, as part of the planned ] 2021, expected to be held in ].<ref>{{Cite news|agency=PTI|date=2020-12-20|title=Sports Ministry approves inclusion of four indigenous games in Khelo India Youth Games|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/sports-ministry-approves-inclusion-of-four-indigenous-games-in-khelo-india-youth-games/article33378223.ece|access-date=21 January 2022|archive-date=21 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121130953/https://www.thehindu.com/sport/sports-ministry-approves-inclusion-of-four-indigenous-games-in-khelo-india-youth-games/article33378223.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> This is a national sports event in India.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 September 2018 |first1=Sabi |last1=Hussain |title=Khelo India: Khelo India to become Khelo India Youth Games with IOA on board |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/khelo-india-to-become-khelo-india-youth-games-with-ioa-on-board/articleshow/65793174.cms |work=The Times of India |language=en |access-date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=21 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121180845/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/khelo-india-to-become-khelo-india-youth-games-with-ioa-on-board/articleshow/65793174.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>
The Sikhs actively used Gatka in warfare for over 200 years, until they finally enjoyed peace under their own rule, free from the ]. Since then, Gatka has been passed down as a tradition amongst the Sikh generations. With the emigration of Sikhs to western countries such as the ], Gatka has grown again in the hearts and minds of the new generation of Sikhs. Now, in the 21st century, martial artists in the West are slowly beginning to recognize Gatka and inquire about it.


The ] plans to include Gatka in the 37th ] in 2023 held in ].
==Origin from a prior system==
A different theory of origin is that Gatka is a remnant of ] system. According to mostly oral tradition and some writings, Shastar Vidiya was a system learned from the ]s (another kingdom in NW India) in reward for aid in liberating some fifty-two Rajput princes from the Mogul empire in India. It was perfected by the time of the tenth and last Sikh Guru.


===Competition===
It blended the skill practice with deep spiritualism. It taught the learners that they learn from their Gurus and also from the weapons themselves. In a manner of speaking, the users also worshipped the weapons as teachers.
{{lang|pa|Khel}} (meaning "sport" or "game") is the modern competitive aspect of gatka, originally used as a method of sword-training ({{lang|pa|fari{{nbhyph}}gatka}}) or stick-fighting ({{lang|pa|]}}) in medieval times. While {{lang|pa|khel}} gatka is today most commonly associated with Sikhs, it has always been used in the martial arts of other ethno-cultural groups. It is still practiced in India and Pakistan by the ] and ] communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/sport-47317035|title=Gatka is our culture and we have to maintain it|date=2019-02-26|website=BBC|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-08|archive-date=3 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403043418/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/sport-47317035|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
The practitioners would not submit to British rule of the Punjab.
Shastar Vidiya was found intolerable by the British occupying forces and the exponents were proscribed and hunted down. Supposedly, it nearly died out except for a few surviving members.
However, it was kept alive even though the British authorities and some Sikh accommodating the new government started Gatka as a replacement for it. The British favoured Gatka as it kept Sikh militarism as a useful (as part of the British-officered Indian Army), and controllable (no latent hostility against the British interests), asset.


==Influence on Defendu==
==Technique==
One of the most important things learned in gatka is Paenthra. Paenthra is the ritualized footwork involved in fighting moves, and every fighting move has a different paenthra. A very important paenthra is also performed before picking up the weapon of choice. The paenthras used for picking up a weapon is unique to each gatka club, or school. One with experience in gatka would therefore be able to see which club a practitioner is from, merely by looking at their paenthra.


The ] system devised by Captain ] and Captain Eric Anthony Sykes borrowed methodologies from Gatka, ], ] and "gutter fighting". This method was used to train soldiers in close-combat techniques at the ] at ] in ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Peter-Michel |first1=Wolfgang |title=The Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife: Collecting Britain's most iconic dagger |date=2011 |publisher=Schiffer Military History |location=Atglen, Pennsylvania |isbn=978-0764337635}}</ref>
The arm movements are circular representing the Sikhs belief of one God who was never born and will never die, similar to one of the ], the kara(or bracelet). Some Gatka members state that the above sentences further support the theory that Gatka was in fact an authentic system passed down from Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji and not the remnants of "shaster vidya".<!-- Unsourced image removed: ] -->


==Weapons== ==See also==
{{Portal|India|Martial arts}}
It is largely weapon-based. The three primary types of weapons used are:
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] (SOE)
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}


==References==
*]s - ]
{{reflist}}
* Sticks of ] (from one to three meters in length) - ]
* Flexible weapons, such as ] and chains.


==External links==
Gatka had none of ]'s almost unarmed fighting system (e.g. ] or ], the sharpened war wrist bracelet used in hand to hand combat and also as a ] (deadly flying disc)).
* 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}}

* {{cite web |title=The Fairbairn Sykes Fighting Knives |url=https://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/x-daggers.html |website=X-Daggers |access-date=21 January 2022 |language=en}}
It has few of the original fifteen weapons (''e.g.'' ] (spear), ] (large Khyber or Afghan knife), ] (dagger-like knife) etc.) except for the ] (single-edged Persian sabre), ] (staff), ] (Double-edged sword) and some other weapons.
* Olaf Janson (2015) ]: Gothia Arms Historical Society

This theory is also controversial as there are somewhat strong feelings for and against it. As mentioned above, Gatka is primarily a weapons based art.

==Modern Controversy==
According to the Shastar Vidiyia exponents, Gatka eventually devolved into a sport and exhibition form that is shown at Sikh festivals and is shorn of the ancient and actual combat skills. There was at least one reported instance where a Shastar Vidiya exponent challenged a leading Gatka organization head to a no-holds barred match for the purpose of re-establishing the ancient methods of perfecting methods by combat. This interesting ritual has rules that reportedly gave assurances that all injuries, deaths would be forgiven in the quest for perfection and that the loser (if alive and not permanently maimed) would receive more teachings from the winner to perfect himself and then ask for a rematch with the winner. Below is a report stating that the contest had taken place and is recorded on film. Although the final result remains somewhat inconclusive, the strong feelings and controversy involved is readily apparent.

Currently there is a huge feud and rivalry between The International Gatka Organisation (Mainly the umbrella group, Baba Fateh Singh Gatka Akhara) headed by Ustad Bhai Uptej Singh "Teji" and the Shastar Vidiya Organization headed by Nihang Niddar Singh. It started from when the Shastar Vidya organisation started to put down Gatka by stating superiority of Shastar Vidya and calling Gatka a mere sport. One recorded battle took place between Teji and Niddar with the fight being broken up before a winner could be found. There is no audio for the tape so what happens after the grappling begins (i.e. when Teji allegedly debunks or rebukes Niddar) is subject to conjecture. The summary following was provided by an assumed spectator present at the contest. Teji can be seen knocking Niddar's stick out of his hand thus turning the fight into a grappling match. After Niddar jumps on Teji, he is rebuked.
The video can be watched here:
http://tv.waheguroo.com/?view=21

== External links ==
*
*
*
*
*
*

== 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

==See also==
{{Indian Martial Arts 2}}


{{Commons category|Gatka}}
]
{{Indian martial arts}}
]
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Latest revision as of 10:20, 26 October 2024

Martial art from the Punjab region For other uses, see Gatka (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Shastar Vidya, the traditional battle system of northern India.
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Gatka
Gatka demonstration in Bedford, England (2007)
FocusWeaponry
Country of originPunjab region in India and Pakistan
Olympic sportNo
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Gatka (Gurmukhi: ਗੱਤਕਾ; Shahmukhi: گَتّکا; Hindi: गतका; Urdu: گَتکا) is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab and other related ethnic groups, such as Hindkowans. It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate swords. The Punjabi name, gatka, refers to the wooden stick used and this term might have originated as a diminutive of a Sanskrit word, gada, meaning "mace".

The stick used in Gatka is made of wood and is usually 91–107 cm (36–42 in) long, with a thickness of around 12.7 mm (0.50 in). It comes with a fitted leather hilt, 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) and is often decorated with Punjabi-style multi-coloured threads.

The other weapon used in the sport is a shield, natively known as phari. It is round in shape, measuring 23 by 23 centimetres (9.1 in × 9.1 in), and is made of dry leather. It is filled with either cotton or dry grass to protect the hand of player in case of full contact hit by an opponent.

Gatka originated in the Punjab in the 15th century. 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.

History

World Gatka Cup
Two Sikh men dueling with wooden swords. 19th century watercolour by an Indian artist.

Gatka's theory and techniques were taught by the Sikh gurus. It has been handed down in an unbroken lineage of ustāds (masters), and taught in many akharas (arenas) around the world. Gatka was employed in the Sikh wars and has been thoroughly battle-tested. It originates from the need to defend dharam (righteousness), but is also based on the unification of the spirit and body: miri piri). It is, therefore, generally considered to be both a spiritual and physical practice.

After the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the art was banned by the new British administrators of India in the mid-19th century. 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 Punjabi martial arts which re-emerged after 1857 had changed significantly. 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 British Indian Army in the 1860s as practice for hand-to-hand combat. The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs of the Government of India has included Gatka, with three other indigenous games, namely Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba, as part of the planned Khelo India Youth Games 2021, expected to be held in Haryana. This is a national sports event in India.

The IOA plans to include Gatka in the 37th National Games of India in 2023 held in Goa.

Competition

Khel (meaning "sport" or "game") is the modern competitive aspect of gatka, originally used as a method of sword-training (fari‑gatka) or stick-fighting (lathi khela) in medieval times. While khel gatka is today most commonly associated with Sikhs, it has always been used in the martial arts of other ethno-cultural groups. It is still practiced in India and Pakistan by the Tanoli and Gujjar communities.

Influence on Defendu

The Defendu system devised by Captain William E. 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 at Achnacarry in Scotland.

See also

References

  1. Yavari, Musa (26 February 2019). "'گتکا ہماری ثقافت ہے اور ہم نے اسے قائم رکھنا ہے'" [Gatka is our culture and we have to preserve it]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). Shergarh, Punjab. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  2. ^ Sadaqat, Muhammad (17 March 2019). "Gatka a centuries old art of self-defence". DAWN. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  3. Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith (1969). Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts. Kodansha International Limited.
  4. Ananda Lal, The Oxford companion to Indian theatre, Oxford University Press (2004), ISBN 9780195644463, p. 129.
  5. "Sikh martial art 'Gatka' takes the West by storm". The Hindu. New Delhi. Press Trust of India. 27 July 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  6. Singh, Pashaura; Louis E. Fenech (March 2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. OUP Oxford. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
  7. "Ancient but Deadly: 8 Indian Martial Art Forms and Where You Can Learn Them". The Better India. 10 January 2017. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  8. "Sports Ministry approves inclusion of four indigenous games in Khelo India Youth Games". The Hindu. PTI. 20 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  9. Hussain, Sabi (13 September 2018). "Khelo India: Khelo India to become Khelo India Youth Games with IOA on board". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  10. "Gatka is our culture and we have to maintain it". BBC. 26 February 2019. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  11. Peter-Michel, Wolfgang (2011). The Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife: Collecting Britain's most iconic dagger. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0764337635.

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