Gatka Gatka Gatka ( Urdu: "") is the name of an Indian martial art associated with the Sikhs of the Punjab region. It is a style of stick fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate swords. The Punjabi name "gatka" properly refers to the wooden stick used. The word originates as a diminutive of Sanskrit "gada" "mace". The style originated in later 19th century, out of sword practice in the British Indian Army, divided in two sub-style, called "rasmi" (ritualistic) and "khel" (sport) from the 1880s. There has been a revival during the later 20th century, with an International Gatka Federation
Gatka occasions such as weddings, or as part of a theatrical performance like the chhau dance. A practitioner of gatka is called a "gatkabaj." During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Sikhs assisted the British in crushing the mutiny. As a consequence of this assistance, restrictions on fighting practices were relaxed, but the Punjabi martial arts which re-emerged after 1857 had changed significantly. The new style applied the sword-fighting techniques to the wooden training-stick. It was referred to as "gatka", after its primary weapon. Gatka was used mainly by the British Indian Army in the 1860s as practice for hand-to-hand combat.