Gatka

Gatka is a martial art which finds it’s roots in India. This martial art has been around for northern India thousands of years and has been extensively battle-tested. Swords are the primary weapon of use in Gatka, but the master can use many different forms of weaponry.

Today, the Sikhs have revived the art of Gatka, as they’ve passed down many of the flashy techniques over the centuries. Despite the mass invasions and persecutions of the native peoples for many hundreds of years, Gatka was well-preserved and passed down through generations.

The Gatka techniques consist of mental, physical, and spiritual properties which teach students self-defense skills. An integral part of combat training includes mastering the use of shastars (weapons) for offense and defense. These shastars include Marati (bamboo sticks), nun chucks, axes, lathis, and kirpan.

Masters teach their students how to properly use the marati by instructing movements and promoting the mental mindset required to use them. As more experience is gained, other weapons are introduced to a student’s Gatka training.

As the various techniques are mastered by students, they are slowly introduced to shields, which may come in many forms. Some shields are light, while others are heavy. Some are very plain and basic, while others have spikes and studs. There are different types of shields for both offense and defense.

The entire martial art is solely based on combat, employing a vast array of melee (hand to hand weapons). Balance and coordination are undoubtedly one of the most important factors to becoming a successful student of this martial art.