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