Mardani khel Mardani khel Mardani khel is a weapon-based Indian martial art from Maharashtra. It is particularly known for its use of the uniquely Indian patta (sword) and "vita" (corded lance). The early history of mardani khel as a distinct system is difficult to trace prior to the 1600s, but it is said to owe its development to the particular geographic conditions of Maharashtra. A hilly region characterized by valleys and caves, the inhabitants became expert horsemen who favoured light armour and highly mobile cavalry units during war. Whether they began as kshatriya or shudra is unclear, but the Maratha's reputation was
Indian martial arts in Karnataka. Traditional malla-yuddha is virtually extinct in the north where it has been supplanted by kusti, but another form called malakhra still exists in parts of India and Sindh, Pakistan. Vajra-musti was another old grappling art in which the competitors wrestled while wearing a horned knuckleduster. In a later style called "naki ka kusti" (claw wrestling), the duellists fought with bagh nakha. Numerous styles of folk wrestling are also found in India's countryside, such as mukna from [[Manipur],[[Inbuan wrestling]] from [[Mizoram]] and Khomlainai among the Bodos. Boxing ([[musti-yuddha]]) is traditionally considered the roughest form of Indian unarmed combat. In