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