Gatka
Gatka and Shastar Vidya
The Sikh martial art, practised and taught at Sikh Sabha of New Jersey. Gatka is the training art of stick and shield; Shastar Vidya, the knowledge of weapons, is the tradition it belongs to.
What Gatka is
Gatka is the martial art of the Sikhs. It is practised with a wooden stick, the soti, and a small shield, the farri, and it teaches footwork, timing, balance and the use of both hands. Every movement is built on the circle: the practitioner keeps moving, and the stick keeps moving with them.
It is a discipline before it is a display. Practice begins with Ardas, the weapons are handled with respect, and the aim is a calm, alert and physically capable Sikh — the same aim the Gurus set for the Khalsa. What the Sangat sees at Nagar Kirtan and on Gurpurabs is the public face of years of quiet practice.
Children and adults train together at their own levels. Nobody needs prior experience, and nobody is asked to spar before they are ready.
Shastar Vidya
Shastar Vidya — the knowledge of arms — is the older and wider tradition of which Gatka is the entry. It covers the sword, the spear, the chakar and the other weapons carried by the Khalsa, and it is learned slowly: years with the stick come before the steel.
The tradition was kept alive through the eighteenth century by the Akali Nihangs and the Akharas, and it is taught today as a living heritage, not a sport. Safety, humility and the teacher's judgement decide when a student moves on.
Classes
The class timetable is to be confirmed by the Gatka Teacher.
Who teaches
The teacher's introduction is to come.
Joining
Come to a class. Wear loose clothing you can move in, cover your head, and bring water. Children are welcome with a parent at the first class.
There is no fee to begin. Sticks and shields are provided for beginners; a student who continues is guided on their own equipment in time.