Gatka - The Martial Art of the Sikhs

Jhajaroo.Singh

Jhajaroo.Singh

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Hello,

My name is Karandeep Singh and i am located in Vancouver Canada. I am from the Sikh religion started in the 1600s. Our religion has its own martial art called gatka, since it isnt very known i decided to discuss it with other martial artists...so i came to this forum. Gatka was started by our Sixth guru..he intoduced the saint soldier aspect to the sikhs. A spiritual soldier.

Some more information about gatka:
http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php?title=Gatka

A Video of our team in Vancouver:
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4373747731125481787&q=gatka

I will also be posting more videos as i have been taking my camera to record our stick fights...there is a upcomming competition which we will be participating in.

any questions can be asked and ill be happy to answer them

thanks.
 
Glad to have you hear on Martialtalk. Gatka is a fantastic martial system and I for one will be looking forward to your videos as well as conversation on your particular brand of martial arts.
 
Jhajaroo.Singh said:
Hello,

My name is Karandeep Singh and i am located in Vancouver Canada. I am from the Sikh religion started in the 1600s. Our religion has its own martial art called gatka, since it isnt very known i decided to discuss it with other martial artists...so i came to this forum. Gatka was started by our Sixth guru..he intoduced the saint soldier aspect to the sikhs. A spiritual soldier.

Some more information about gatka:
http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php?title=Gatka

A Video of our team in Vancouver:
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4373747731125481787&q=gatka

I will also be posting more videos as i have been taking my camera to record our stick fights...there is a upcomming competition which we will be participating in.

any questions can be asked and ill be happy to answer them

thanks.
Click to expand...


Welcome! I know I'm interested in learning about other arts, and yours sounds very interesting! I'm looking forward to reading more!
 
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh.

Welcome, veer Karandeep Singh ji, to Martial Talk. It is good to have another Sikh here. :)
 
Carol Kaur said:
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh.

Welcome, veer Karandeep Singh ji, to Martial Talk. It is good to have another Sikh here. :)
Click to expand...

Uh... yeah... what she said! Welcome, and happy posting! :wavey:

Hey, Carol - for those of us who are not Sikhs, would you mind translating that?
 
If you want to learn even more about the history of gatka and how the Sikh religion is a warrior religion this is a very great and inspirational video of the Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and how the Sikhs took up arms and fought ruthless battles with the tyranical rulers of the time and succeeded. After watching this video you will understand why the warrior aspect is very important in a Sikh's life.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4521971303436289591&q=guru+gobind+singh
 
Nice to hear from an exponent of an Indian art. I've always been interested in the fighting arts of the sub-continent. Hope to hear more from you.
 
I've only seen Gatka a couple of times and was very impressed. Do you know of any teachers in Washington or Oregon?
 
I will for sure try to find out if i can find a teacher...im pretty sure there is..i may be wrong though...anywho ill try and find out
 
Kacey said:
Uh... yeah... what she said! Welcome, and happy posting! :wavey:

Hey, Carol - for those of us who are not Sikhs, would you mind translating that?
Click to expand...

It doesn't translate very well, but the Sikh religion is a martial faith. It's a battle cry from our 10th Guru that is used as a greeting.

It basically means The Khalsa (Sikh Fellowship) belongs to the Almighty, Victory, also is His.
 
Thanks Jahjaroo!

Carol, a good translation might be "The Valfather has the Sieg!" :)
 
tellner said:
Thanks Jahjaroo!

Carol, a good translation might be "The Valfather has the Sieg!" :)
Click to expand...

:roflmao:
:roflmao:

Unfortunately I have to spread it around before I can rep you for that!! But there's something for all the brave b*stards.
 
Jhajaroo.Singh said:
Hello,

My name is Karandeep Singh and i am located in Vancouver Canada. I am from the Sikh religion started in the 1600s. Our religion has its own martial art called gatka, since it isnt very known i decided to discuss it with other martial artists...so i came to this forum. Gatka was started by our Sixth guru..he intoduced the saint soldier aspect to the sikhs. A spiritual soldier.

Some more information about gatka:
http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php?title=Gatka

A Video of our team in Vancouver:
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4373747731125481787&q=gatka

I will also be posting more videos as i have been taking my camera to record our stick fights...there is a upcomming competition which we will be participating in.

any questions can be asked and ill be happy to answer them

thanks.
Click to expand...

Welcome to Martialtalk! I read an article on these spiritual soldiers a year or two ago, and have always wanted to know more. Look forward to your contributions. :)
 
Carol Kaur said:
But there's something for all the brave b*stards.
Click to expand...

That's one of the things that's always impressed me about the Odinist/Nordic tradition/Germanic Pagan traditions. It doesn't matter what you look like or what side you were on. If you're brave Odin welcomes you because he treasures courage no matter where it's found. That's always seemed a remarkably even-handed way of looking at the world.
 
Short video documentary and insight on gatka (BBC)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
While I'm thinking of it, my first Silat teacher, one of the afore-mentioned Odinists, was given something by his teacher when he became a guru in his own right. It was a kira. Not one of the little shiny bangly bracelets you see now. This one was Old School.

It's made out of wootz and is an equilateral triangle in cross section. The sides are about an inch long. It's slightly flattened on one side and hangs loose on the wrist. Move it up to just a few inches below the widest part of the forearm, give it a quarter turn, and it locks into place. From what he says it has no problem at all giving really nasty percussive cuts or stopping steel pipes powered by drunken rednecks who buck hay bales for a living.

His teacher also has or had one of the old-style "combs". It's basically a two-pronged spring steel swordbreaker that could reach all the way to the bottom of the peanut butter jar if you know what i mean.

Let's see. A sword breaker, something to guard the sword arm, a dagger, pants you can ride in and a hat that can stop at least one shot from a sword or mace. Those are some pretty hardcore accessories. You won't be underdressed for nearly any serious social occasion :)

In any case, I'm getting my casting skills back and am making copies of his kira in silicon or phosphor bronze.
 
I am very impressed by this Art. Above all in the second video, the tribute to the late Master. It is unbelieveble how they can be so precise in both attacking and defending at such a great speed. It all comes pretty clear when the Master defends and counter a couple of times with a man in a very slow way. You can tell there that those quick movements are made of many small movements carried out with great precision.
Amazing...

Forgive my ignorance in this Art, but is there also bare hand fighting or this is an Art based only on the use of weapon?
And what is that circular weapon that they keep spinning? By the effort they seem to put in rotating it I would say it is pretty heavy...
 
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