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, , refers to the wooden stick used and this term might have originated as a diminutive of a Sanskrit word, , 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 . 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.

History

thumb|World Gatka Cup 2011

thumb|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.

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 , 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 , and , 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

(meaning "sport" or "game") is the modern competitive aspect of gatka, originally used as a method of sword-training () or stick-fighting () in medieval times. While 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

  • Kirpan (knife)
  • Talwar (sabre)
  • Lathi (stick)
  • Chakkar (throwing ring)
  • Khanda
  • Dhaal (shield)
  • Barcha (lance)
  • Teer-kamaan (now and arrow)
  • Saif (sword)
  • Katar (push dagger)
  • Sirohi (cavalry sword)

See also

  • Angampora
  • Banshay
  • Bataireacht
  • Bōjutsu
  • Commandos (United Kingdom)
  • Hola Mohalla
  • Indian martial arts
  • Jūkendō
  • Kalaripayattu
  • Kendo
  • Kenjutsu
  • Krabi–krabong
  • Kuttu Varisai
  • Mardani khel
  • Nihang
  • Paika akhada
  • Pehlwani
  • Pahlevani wrestling
  • Shastar Vidya
  • Silambam
  • Silambam Asia
  • Special Operations Executive (SOE)
  • Sqay
  • Tahtib
  • Thang-ta
  • Varma kalai
  • World Silambam Association

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.
  • Olaf Janson (2015) Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife: The famous fighting knife used by British commandos and SOE during WW2. Gothia Arms Historical Society