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Journalism of Courage
THEY are the school champs. And it shows, as two boys, a stick in the right hand and a leather shield in the left, begin their fight. The demonstration of gatka, the Sikh martial art, is playful, but the energy is real, the pace heart-stopping, the moves tantalising. And ouch, the stick doesn8217;t just dance, it bruises as well.
But for the boys, Dharam Singh Khalsa and Hargobind Singh Khalsa, it8217;s a sport, an art form that8217;s part of their curriculum at the Miri Piri Academy near Amritsar. Soon, it will be taught as a subject at 18 colleges and 60 schools powered by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC. Till now restricted largely to religious occasions, the martial art will finally become mainstream.
Principal Nirmaljit Kaur Sandhu is convinced her academy has inspired the SGPC. 8216;8216;You should see our 100 students do it together,8217;8217; she throws up a challenge. 8216;8216;It8217;s liquid inspiration.8217;8217; That8217;s a claim echoed by the numerous akharas or gatka centres dotting the state.
The biggest, of course, are the ones run by the traditional warriors in blue: the Nihangs. It8217;s said they learnt the art from tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The Budha Dal akhara headquartered at Bathinda is considered the mother of all akharas. And the one at Hariyaan Belaan in Hoshiarpur is said to be the most scenic of all.
It8217;s from a Hoshiarpur-trained guru that the 27-year-old head of the Miri Piri akhara, Jagat Guru Singh Khalsa, began learning the sport at age 12. Today this brawny youth is considered a pro. 8216;8216;There is so much to learn, but few know the true art,8217;8217; he says bashfully, describing how the real masters were hunted down by the British.
But for the handful of ardent gatka fans, it8217;s the heady feeling brought on by a cocktail of weapons, martial notes, adrenaline and the rat-a-tat of the dhol that beckons.
The art is not difficult. Or so they claim. Jathedar Kuldip Singh, who heads the only akhara in Chandigarh, says picking up the basics doesn8217;t require more than a month or two. The trick is to master the paintra, a combination of foot and arm movements.
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Gatka factoids
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| 8226; Gatka armoury: It includes sword, spear, disc, shield, mace, bow, arrow, dagger, double-edged sword and stick 8226; The uniform: GA flowing blue or white gown below the knees with a dastaar even for women |
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8226; What has been lost is called jhatka gatka in which you could kill your adversary with one blow
8226; The International Gatka Federation believes gatka dates back to Lord Krishna who used to practise it
At Miri Piri, Dharam makes it sound super simple. 8216;8216;It8217;s like stepping on the four corners of a square.8217;8217; Except that a novice keeps tangling up his legs. Later, you learn it8217;s a sign of a less-than-balanced brain. Paintra practice fixes that. 8216;8216;It balances both the hemispheres of the brain, and boosts the power of concentration,8217;8217; says Jagat Guru.
It8217;s dividends like these that make gatka so addictive. 8216;8216;Actually, the high you get spurs you on,8217;8217; twinkles Rachpal Kaur who, along with her elder sister, bridged the gender gap at the Chandigarh akhara five years ago. 8216;8216;It also sharpens your reflexes and lends a unique grace to your movements.8217;8217;
But above all, this art of self-defence imparts confidence. 8216;8216;It makes me very secure about my space,8217;8217; grins Dharam, a New Yorker with a blonde beard. And don8217;t underestimate the short and stocky Jathedar Kirpal Singh. He8217;s known to tackle a dozen people together.
Age, profession, religion are no bar to learning this art, all you need is the can-do spirit. But this sport is not for the chicken-hearted. Cuts and bruises are commonplace, and sometimes the playful jousting can turn hostile. Which is why it has a strict unwritten code. 8216;8216;You don8217;t nurse a grudge against your opponent, you don8217;t attack an unarmed person, or from behind,8217;8217; says Jathedar Kuldip.
The sport is kept alive by a slew of tournaments. There is a national-level, state-level and even a world championship in place. But most gatka lovers are content with its immediate returns. A high to beat all highs.
