Return of the warriors

[AjiT SiNgH]

In today's Star Newspaper (http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F11%2F18%2Fnorth%2F7449331&sec=north),

Do catch their performance tomorrow at G.S Pulapol Langgar Hall Opening Ceremony at 3pm,  

For the info on their last few performance click here. 

Return of the warriors

By K. KASTURI DEWI 
kastu...@thestar.com.my 
Photos by WAN MOHIZAN WAN HUSSEIN

Invincible spirit: The traditional martial art of Gatka is seeing a revival among the new generation of Sikhs in the country.

IT was a nerve-wracking experience watching a blindfolded Gurpreet Singh expertly swing his kirpan (a curved dagger) a few times before swiftly bringing it down to slice the bananas placed on three volunteers’ neck, stomach and between the lips.

The young and the old watching the Gatka (a weapon-based Indian martial art created by the Sikhs of the Punjab) demonstration at the Wadda Gurdwara Sahib on Jalan Gurdwara in Penang held their breath as Gurpreet Singh succeeded in his efforts to halve the fruits, winning loud applause from the floor.

As he swayed back and forth to the martial beat of the dhol drums, his master Kuljit Singh and teammates Manvir Singh, Hardeep Singh, Karamjit Singh, Mandeep Kaur and Rashpal Kaur took turns to recitevaars (poems or songs sung or read to uplift the spirit especially in battle).

Next, the team members held their audience in awe as they showcased their expertise in handling the jaal, a web-like weapon used in battlefields to deflect an onslaught of arrows.

The seven of them, who are members of the Baba Deep Singh School of Sikh Martial Arts in Chandigarh, Punjab, were in Penang to demonstrate the martial art during a 16-day nationwide tour starting from Nov 9.

Great speed: The group members displaying their skill with the jaal, a web-like weapon used to deflect arrows.

An interesting member of the group is Rashpal Kaur, 31, who began learning Gatka at the age of 15 but tragedy struck six years ago when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour which later resulted in her losing her vision.

Rashpal Kaur, who is married with a four-year-old son, said despite losing her sight, her passion for the martial art kept her going and she refused to give up hope.

“I still train from 7pm to 9pm every day with my master and would practise on my own or engage in sparring with the other group members.”

The gutsy lady is also a trained ballet dancer and was invited by the reality show ‘Dance India Dance’ to demonstrate the Gatka in one of the episodes.

Kuljit Singh said the group would be taking part in the Gatka World Cup to be held in Vasakhi, Anandpursahib in India next April, adding that the competition had attracted 16 teams from all over the world.

Nail-biting moment: A blindfolded Gurpeet Singh slicing a bana held between the lips of a volunteer.

“The martial art school is named after Sikh warrior Baba Deep Singh who, during a battle, vowed that he would breathe his last at the Harmandir Sahib or Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.

“However, on the way there, he was attacked and his head was almost severed but he held it until he reached the temple and only then did he breathe his last there,” he said.

The group also showed off their skills with other Gatka weapons such asDang (a stick of bamboo from one to three metres in length used for training), Barcha (a spear), Bothati (a lance used on horseback), Nagni barcha (a javelin), Khanda (a double-edged sword), Bagh nakh (leopard claw — a spiked weapon worn on the hand), Chakram (a circular edged weapon that can be thrown or used in close encounters), and Kataar (an armour-piercing dagger).

The Punjabi word gatka refers to the wooden stick used in sparring matches.

The word gat means grace, liberation, and respect of one’s own power, while ka means someone who belongs or is part of a group.

The gurdwara’s deputy president Kuldip Singh said the demonstration was held to help revive interest in the traditional martial art amongst the Sikh community in the country.

He said Gatka had been passed down as tradition amongst the Sikh generations and today, it has grown again in the hearts and minds of the new generation of Sikhs.

Gatka can be practised either as a sport (khel) or ritual (rasmi).

The martial arts came into the Sikh way of life during the time of Guru Hargobind Singh, the 6th Guru of Sikhism who propagated the theory of warrior saint and emphasised the need for his followers to practise self-defence.

The Sikhs mastered Gatka and perfected its use in battles. The techniques used are combined with spiritual practices of the Sikhs to create a perfect fighting system.

Today, the Gatka is displayed at fairs, celebrations, festivals and during religious processions.