Gatka/Pentra

[naam_jap]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

What are the steps for doing pentra? I tried to look at the gatka.de website, but the animation is too fast to follow.

Please give a step by step instruction.

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

[navjotsingh]

There are different types of pentras, you cant just limit it to one. If you go to Gatka demos you will see people usualy are doing different ones.

[Sarbloh Souljah]

Gatka, only has smaller sections of pentra's, the bigginer one is mool pentra, but in shaster vidiya, u learn the whoel thing, pentra is very important in the actual moves they use,

[Gupat Singhni]

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

Pentra is the foundation of gatka and there are various steps used at different times. Steps to advance on your opponent, steps to ensure your body is in a defensive position (i.i protecting your limbs), steps to impress you opponents when you salute your weapon, steps to salute you opponent and so on..

I would advise you learn this of someone to ensure you do the correct steps. If you begin by getting used to the wrong steps then this will be very hard to correct later. Ultimately this means you will have a MAJOR weakness..if you can't find someone to teach straight away then I hope you do not miind me making a suggestion..I would sugest you work on your legs by doing exercises such as squats and stuff because strengthening you legs now will help you later. Working on your stamina will also help..

Bhul Chuk Maaf!

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

[simmal tree]

I would have to agree with Gupat Singhni.

I'm really poor at gatka - I have not put in enough effort into it at all - but I think you should consider that each akhara has a specific teaching, but there is a tradition to the mool pantra, the "fatheh" pantra (to the shasters), and the different chaals that you do during the pantra. There is a whole philosophy behind it, and either you would have to read some guidebooks and histories, or learn from a very skilled ustaad. I would suggest both. You can't really learn the pantra without a teacher - If you are serious about gatka and shastervidya your journey through learning will be very emotionally, spiritually, physically, and psychologically challenging and rewarding - so it's best to start off on the right foot, figuratively speaking. There are many Akharas around the world such as the Baba Fatheh Singh Gatka Akhara in the UK, and the Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Gatka Akhara with branches in Mehta, Malton & Surrey.

Find out within your community where gatka is taught, make sure it's a legit panthic akhara with regular practices, and go for it :wub:

bhul chuk maaf karnaa jee

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

[WalkingTowardTheLight]

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Sorry for being so ignorant, but what is the difference between Gatka and Shastar Vidiya?

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

[simmal tree]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

All of this post is credit to Amar Khalsa Bhai Charnjit Singh (1981-2004), the first ustaad of Baba Deep Singh Gatka Akhara Mehta / Malton / Surrey. If there is anything WRONG below - it's credit to ME, I made a mistake in interpreting what he taught us.

Gatka is the technical name of a stick that is 39 inches long.

It is a fighting stick.

Shaster means weapon. It is pronounced "Shuss- thar"

Vidiya refers to a system of teaching, an artwork, a training method.

Shaster Vidya is the art of war, hand-to-hand combat, mental and psychological self awareness and proactive thinking, weapons training, the philosophy of the battle-field, all in one.

For many years there was no real training in shaster vidya available to Sikhs after the end of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign in Punjab.

Hindus and Christian missionaries, and others, tried to mix it up and confuse it. Sometimes the only thing people knew was stick-fighting (gatka fighting) and wrestling (kabaddi or kushti).

Therefore the two big games of Punjab became kabaddi and gatka, but people forgot that all of the Guru Sahibaan introduced types of physical activity and martial training that makes up the Sikh martial tradition - it is not just a stick, or a wrestling move, or a fancy pantra. There is a lot of psychology, and philosophy behind it - and there is a lot of emotion, spirituality and mental concentration necessary to be a serious warrior.

With the Guru's kirpa somebody who'

;s never touched a weapon can become a Sooraa. The guru made business owners, monks, farmers and common-people into warriors. The Guru made wrestlers, fighters, gangsters and athletes into saints. The Guru can do anything as long as we have faith.

Today there are many shaster vidya ustaads around the world. Some have pure love for the Guru, but they are misled and do more show and less real practical shaster vidya. Some are really nitty-gritty, but have no idea of the rules of war, the philosophy taught by Guru jee, and the respect for the Panth (case in point Nangs of UK).

Of course there are also some teachers that are disciplined, have love, know the philosophy and have the determination. They are skilled, they understand Gurbani and follow it, they have the jeevan, but they are humble too. People like them are rare and very special in the panth.

In any case we should start to recognize that Sikhi is shaster vidya and Shaster Vidya is Sikhi. We have some horrible battles to fight, like keeping maya under control, like killing our mind while keeping it alive, like having the courage to fight when it's needed and the grace to not fight when it's not needed.

Shaster Vidya is part of our reht and bringing it to the kids is important. It is equally as important as keertan - as the pantra, the vaars, the chaals, the games, they all go in the rhythm of saas graas simran. They all inspire bir russ and they all help us be courageous in not just our physical battles but our mental ones too.

It's all up to Guru jee... those who put faith in Guru jee can do anything.

bhul chuk maaf karnaa jee

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

[p Singh]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

for the initial question, there is a "guidebook" being created by sevadars of Guru Nanak Academy / Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Gatka Akhara Surrey, which includes step by step instructions from Bhai Charnjit Singh ji himself. I don't want to give out any false information, but I know that this guidebook will be available in the, hopefully near, future. This project was started afew months ago, and was unfortunatly delayed because of recent events. However, the sevadars are working to complete this seva.

As for the what the difference between Shastar Vidhya, it's been answered very well by khalsapreet. Charnjit Singh ji told us that the term "gatka" is used more often than "shastar vidhya" because it's just become more popular with people, and less people know what you mean by shastar vidhya. Gatka is essentially the fighting stick.

bhul chuk maaph karnee

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Whenever that guidebook comes out, please let he Sangat know. I was able to obtain a Gatka book from Nanak Dev Singh, and while done well, I could not figure out how to do the simplest Panthra which the entire art is based on... :wub: