Gatka is an ancient martial art associated with Sikh history and is an integral part of the Sikh body. This self-defensive shakti art began with more vigor in the 16th century under the patronage of the sixth Guru, Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib.
Gatka is a style of fighting between two or more practitioners with wooden sticks (called soti) intended to imitate swords. It was a basic self-defense technique for Sikh warriors during the war era of the great Sikh Gurus.
It is mainly used as self defense and is practiced by gatkabaaz before using sword/kirpan. In Gatka sport, 'stick' and 'fari' are used to replace the sword and shield respectively for practice and protection purposes. When a lethal attack, the opponent blocks it and then counterattacks the player. It involves a sequence of drills incorporating footwork patterns along with offensive and defensive skills.
The current form was perfected in the later 19th century into a game that has been played since the 1920s in two sub-genres called Virasati khed (traditional art) respectively.
Renowned historian Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha in his encyclopedia 'Mahan Kosh' has described Gatka as an art of self-defense between two Gatkabaazs with two sticks. He explains, 'Gatka - a three-handed span stick, which was used to teach the first part of club fighting. It has a leather cover. Holding gatka in right hand and 'fari' in left hand, two men play with each other. Bhai Nabha believes that the word 'Khatka' and 'Gatka' are used for the same meaning.
This great art form almost reached the point of extinction due to some major changes. Gatka Federation of India (GFI) has taken major initiatives to revive, standardize and recognize this ancient martial art and create a niche for promoting the sport of Gatka. This process is going on...
