Visually impaired Armaandeep keeps Gakta martial art form alive

Visually impaired Armaandeep keeps Gakta martial art form alive

The Rising Panjab Bureau

A form of self-defence martial arts of yore, Gatka is more than just a play with wooden sticks. Also known as Khutka, it is a spiritual practice too. It is a coming together of physical flamboyance with sacred devotion. It has often been called ‘Adi-Shakti Yoga’, or Yoga for empowering the self.

The Gatka martial art form is a unification of the body with the mind and the soul. A disciplined and dedicated form of training, along with a balanced mind is what this art form teaches you.

This is what seems to have helped Armaandeep Singh, a Class XII student, with just 30% vision, to master Gatka. A national gold medallist, he was part of a 22-member “gatka” team that performed in front of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during the inaugural ceremony of “Khedan Vatan Punjab Dean” last month.

To quote Jaskaran Singh, who trains Armaandeep, “It becomes a little difficult for him to play in the dark, as it happened during Khelo India Youth Games. Good performance is based on great judgement and Armaandeep has this talent. I have taught him some techniques, with which he is able to perform with ease.”

Gatka is a Punjabi word which literally translates to wooden sticks, which are used instead of swords. Having been passed down generations and preserved in Sikh history, Gatka uses the sword as the main weapon, amongst others. Sri Guru Har Gobind Singh Ji used to carry 2 swords- Miri and Piri, which stood for strength and spirituality, respectively. It is a form that can only be used to defend yourself and others only when all other means have failed.

The people who play it are called Nihangs, or armed Sikh warriors. During the 16th & 17th century, Gatka was extensively used by Sikh warriors to defend themselves from Mughals and their atrocities. Guru Gobind Singh Ji is known as the greatest Gatka warrior of all times.

The martial art, which was earlier exhibited in gurdwaras, nagar kirtans and akharas, now has been recognised as a sport category after the formation of Gatka Federation of India (GFI) in 2008 and is played by trained Gatka players at the national level. The National Gatka Association of India (NGAI) and Gatka Association Punjab, under the aegis of World Gatka Federation (WGF), Asian Gatka Federation (AGF) and International Sikh Martial Art Academy (ISMAA), have taken major initiatives for its revival and promotion by putting this rare martial art into practice as a sport in India and worldwide.  Given the zeal and enthusiasm of these organisations, it is hoped that the great martial art will keep flourishing in times to come attracting more and more youngsters to learn it.