| Gatka is commonly referred to as an India Martial art. | | | | Singh would bring the Vidyaa to its fruition. By enjoining |
| Specifically Gatka refers to the martial art used by the | | | | the spiritual tradition passed on to him through the nine |
| Sikhs of northern India. Actually Gatka is the name of a | | | | successive Sikh Gurus and the knowledge contained |
| stick used to practice sword fighting. The word Gatka | | | | within Shastar Vidyaa he created the basics of Sikh |
| is a slang expression coined in the nineteen hundreds | | | | Dharma. Previous to Guru Gobind Singh the Sikhs had |
| to describe a number of stick, staff and sword styles | | | | a single Holy book known as the Adi Granth. To this |
| made for use in public demonstration. Much of the | | | | he added two other Granths, Sarab Lo Granth and |
| Gatka forms practiced today are Europeanized | | | | Dhasam Granth which contain the martial tradition of |
| versions of segments of what was the original martial | | | | the Vidyaa. The marriage of these spiritual and |
| art of India known as Shastar Vidyaa. | | | | temporal powers was embodied in the elite warriors |
| Shastar Vidyaa is a part of the vast Vedic tradition | | | | known as Nihangs. Through the strength of their |
| which dates back nearly ten thousand years. Yoga, | | | | Dharma the Nihangs eventually drove out the Muslims |
| Meditation, Aryuvedic medicine also share these same | | | | and Moghals from India and permanently close Indian's |
| roots. Shastra Vedia is the complete science of war | | | | northern border to invasion. |
| from hand to hand combat to battlefield strategy. It | | | | Ranjit Singh was a Sikh king who ruled over Punjab |
| was exported to the oriental along with Buddhism and | | | | for many years. Although he was a small and |
| became the foundation for the Chinese and Japanese | | | | awkward man he enlisted and trained some of the |
| martial art tradition. | | | | most dynamic Sikh warriors ever. So strong was his |
| There is no author or acknowledged teacher who | | | | fighting force that he and his brave Singhs stopped the |
| originally developed this martial art. Although through its | | | | land hungry British in their conquest of India. With all the |
| long history there have been many great masters. The | | | | resources the British had available to them they chose |
| earliest was Krishna Maharaja. It is believed that he | | | | not to attempt an invasion of Punjab while Ranjit was |
| had mastered of all sixteen principals of the Vidyaa. | | | | king. |
| The Mahabharat which is an epic story of a conflict | | | | Rather they allowed the empire to collapse from within. |
| during the Vedic period is full of accounts of Krishna's | | | | Sadly the wealth and prosperity of the Sikh kingdom |
| and his ability on the battlefield. In Mahabharat is the | | | | had corrupted it. Betrayal, murder and conspiracy with |
| first known reference of Shastar Vidyaa. There are | | | | the British after the Ranjits death reduced the once |
| other figures from classic Indian history as well. Ram | | | | great empire to ashes in a matter of days. The British |
| Chander was acknowledged as a master as were | | | | never had to fire a shot to seizes control of the riches |
| the Rajput kings. | | | | of the Punjab. |
| The Rajputs had developed an entire culture around | | | | Even with the Punjab effectively enslaved by the |
| their knowledge of Shastar Vidyaa that lasted for | | | | British the Sikhs were still a dangerous force to deal |
| centuries. But by the time the Muslims had invaded | | | | with. Again rather than confront the Sikhs directly and |
| India their once proud martial tradition had degenerated | | | | chance a holy war the British infiltrated them. Their plan |
| in nothing more than rituals and dogma. A very | | | | was to convert Sikh Dharma in a branch of Christianity |
| significant event took place during this time. Fifty two | | | | and thus pacify the Sikhs forever. British controlled Sikh |
| of the last remaining princes of Rajastan where taken | | | | religious and political parties were established as a |
| prisoner by the Muslims. In desperation to free them | | | | means to subvert the Dharma. The two Granths |
| the Sikh Guru Hargobind of the Punjab was | | | | written by Guru Gobind Singh which formed the triad |
| approached for help. He had had many skirmishes with | | | | of the Dharma were removed from the temples. They |
| the Muslims and had begun to form an army of his | | | | were replaced with table organs known as |
| own. Guru Hargobind was successful in freeing the | | | | harmoniums to add a Christian flavor to the Sikh |
| princes and in gratitude the Rajputs taught he and his | | | | worship. Weapons of any sort were banned in Punjab |
| fledging Sikh army Shastar Vidyaa. | | | | with the threat of life imprisonment and the |
| The tenth spiritual master of the Sikhs Guru Gobind | | | | confiscation of land. |