Gatka


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 long, with a thickness of around. It comes with a fitted leather hilt, 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, 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

Originally, Gatka existed as a style under one branch of the wider Shastar Vidya martial art system. Gatka originated as a stick-fighting style known as Gatkabazi under the Gadā yudh 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, and taught in many akharas around the world. Gatka was employed in the Sikh wars and has been thoroughly battle-tested. It originates from the need to defend dharam. 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, Huyen langlon 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 is the modern competitive aspect of gatka, originally used as a method of sword-training or stick-fighting 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