The more I read about Sikh history and their martial evolution, the more geeked out I get. I mean, these guys (and gals) are seriously like the Jedi Knights of the religious world!
Obi-wan had a beard and a cool sword? Maybe he was Khalsa!
Khalsa!
I was always a fan of the Jedi because they were selfless warriors who fought for the weak and the oppressed. Plus they could move things…with their minds! Similarly, the Jedi claim a special relationship with “The Force,” a presence that–according to the Star Wars mythology–penetrates all of reality and binds the galaxy together.
Wait a minute! That sounds familiar…
“By hearing The Name, they become aware of God’s presence everywhere. And thus they conquer the fear of spiritual death.” –Guru Nanak, from the Japji Sahib
So both the Jedi and the Khalsa have a “force” through which and by which they fight. Only in the Sikh’s case, it is God. Another similarity is that both of these groups have unique fighting styles. For the Sikh Khalsa, this technique is called Gatka.
While the Sikhs are prohibited from attacking and are called upon to only defend themselves and others, the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh once said,
“When all other means have failed, it is proper to take the sword in one’s hand.”
Gatka is a fighting style that has existed in India for thousands of years, although it is now almost exclusively kept alive by the Khalsa fighting tradition. It’s linage among the Sikhs is traced to Guru Harbogind, when he was given two swords at his ordination: the Miri (temporal powers) and the Piri (spiritual powers). With this dual nature of the Sikh established, the martial art of Gatka became a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline and uses a sword as the primary weapon. Practitioners are also taught to use concerted movements with Gurbani verse, and in a way, conforming the body and mind to the words of the Gurus.
Young Sikhs learning Gatka use a variety of weapons called shastars, however most begin with simple wooden (or bamboo) sticks. This provides the student with a foundation to learn basic movements and discipline. The more the student develops, the more shastars they learn to use.
My oldest and me in brutal hand-to-hand combat in honor of the Khalsa tradition! I actually came away with some bruised knuckles...
The foundation of Gatka is called the Panthra, a four-step movement that teaches coordination between defensive blocks, foot movement, and weapon movement. The idea is to become so fluid between one’s mental acuity, spiritual sensitivity, and physical prowess, that perfect balance is achieved on the battlefield. To achieve this fluidity and rhythm, Panthra is taught to the verse and beat of the Jaap Sahib Bani. Every shastra becomes a natural extension of the body and conforms to will and even the quiet Gurbani recitations of the mind.
Just another day at the office of being awesome...
More than just a martial art, Gatka is an art form, passed down for generations and taught as a complete mind-body-spiritual discipline. Many Gatka schools (Akhara’s) around the world keep the flame of this art form hot, teaching modern day Khalsa the martial legacy that kept the religion and the way of life of their Sikhi forefathers alive.
Here is a short video about Gatka:
You can learn more about Gatka here, or if you’re lucky enough to have an Akhara near you, I recommend a visit. If any of you practice Gatka I’d love to hear about it! What is your experience like? How does it compare to other forms of martial art? Is your practice a family tradition or are you a first generation Gatka Sikh?
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