Gatka

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Martial art from the Punjab region

title: "Gatka" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["indian-martial-arts", "pakistani-martial-arts", "punjabi-culture", "punjabi-words-and-phrases", "nihang"] description: "Martial art from the Punjab region" topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatka" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Martial art from the Punjab region ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Martial art"]

FieldValue
imageGatkaSikhProcessionBedford.JPG
imagecaptionGatka demonstration in Bedford, England (2007)
nameGatka
focusWeaponry
countryPunjab region in India and Pakistan
olympicNo
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| logo = | logocaption = | logosize = | image =GatkaSikhProcessionBedford.JPG | imagecaption = Gatka demonstration in Bedford, England (2007) | imagesize = | name = Gatka | aka = | focus = Weaponry | hardness = | country = Punjab region in India and Pakistan | creator = | parenthood = | famous_pract = | olympic = No | website =

Gatka (; ) is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab. 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 – long, with a thickness of around 12.7 mm. It comes with a fitted leather hilt, 15 – 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 x, 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

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Singh.jpg" caption="World Gatka Cup 2011"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Two_Sikh_men_dueling_with_wooden_swords._Watercolour_by_an_Indian_artist.jpg" caption="Two Sikh men dueling with wooden swords. 19th century watercolour by an Indian artist."] ::

Originally, Gatka existed as a style under one branch (known as an aṅg) of the wider Shastar Vidya martial art system. Gatka originated as a stick-fighting style known as Gatkabazi under the Gadā yudh (stick/club fighting) branch of Shastar Vidya. 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. 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.

Competition

Khel (meaning "sport" or "game") is the modern competitive aspect of gatka, originally used as a method of sword-training (fari{{nbhyph}}gatka) or stick-fighting (lathi khela) in medieval times. While khel gatka is today most commonly associated with Sikhs in Punjab, India, it is also practiced to a smaller extent in Punjab and the Hazara region of Pakistan.

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.

International Gatka Federation

International Gatka Federation was founded in 1982. 11th Indian Gatka Championship was played in 2023. 1st World Gatka Championship was held in 1987 and 1st European Gatka Championship was held in 2005.

Weapons in Gatka

  1. Kirpan

  2. Talwar

  3. Lathi

  4. Chakkar

  5. Khandi

  6. Dhaal

  7. Barcha

  8. Teer-Kamaan

  9. Kora Sword

References

References

  1. [[Donn F. Draeger]] and Robert W. Smith. (1969). "Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts". Kodansha International Limited.
  2. Ananda Lal, ''The Oxford companion to Indian theatre'', Oxford University Press (2004), {{ISBN. 9780195644463, p. 129.
  3. Sadaqat, Muhammad. (March 17, 2019). "Gatka a centuries old art of self-defence". DAWN.
  4. . (27 July 2006). ["Sikh martial art 'Gatka' takes the West by storm"](http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/27/stories/2006072712720300.htm). *[[The Hindu]]*.
  5. Singh, Kamalroop. (2014). "The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies". Oxford University Press.
  6. (March 2014). "The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies". OUP Oxford.
  7. (2017-01-10). "Ancient but Deadly: 8 Indian Martial Art Forms and Where You Can Learn Them".
  8. Selvam, Kayalvizhi Saravana. (2021). "Arts Of Hindustan". Monomousumi Services.
  9. (2020-12-20). "Sports Ministry approves inclusion of four indigenous games in Khelo India Youth Games". The Hindu.
  10. (13 September 2018). "Khelo India: Khelo India to become Khelo India Youth Games with IOA on board". The Times of India.
  11. (2019-02-26). "Gatka is our culture and we have to maintain it".
  12. Yavari, Musa. (26 February 2019). "'گتکا ہماری ثقافت ہے اور ہم نے اسے قائم رکھنا ہے'". [[BBC Urdu]].
  13. (2011). "The Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife: Collecting Britain's most iconic dagger". Schiffer Military History.
  14. https://www.chaseyoursport.com/indian-sports/gatka-a-complete-guide-to-the-sikh-martial-art-history-weapons-and-players/10249

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