Balanced View of Hindu-Sikh Shaster Vidiya

[taran0]

Does baba Giana Singh or baba pritam Singh still teach shastar vidiya?

yes they do - baba Pritam Singh has a very popular akhara - Jatha Nihang Singha Ranjit Akhara regd

another very interesting article by by Don Cunningham (assistant professor at Radford University, war veteran and experienced martial artist)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What exactly is a "self-proclaimed" martial arts master?

In my opinion, a self-proclaimed master is one who establishes their own independent criteria to declare their respective status within the martial arts community, usually at some sort of highly ranked level or teaching position. In some cases, they may have created a completely fictional background about themselves or even a fictitious martial art style. Often they claim some difficult if not impossible to authenticate training background.

More often, they simply obtain at least some credentials from others through various means. Often they will enter into mutual recognition arrangements with other like-minded persons. This usually works something like, "I will recognize and rank you at a high level in my style if you reciprocate and rank me in your style." It provides them with a sense of external recognition and results in lots of new high dan rankings for both participants. Others quite frankly purchase martial arts rank certificates from unscrupulous individuals or organizations.

Why do people self proclaim themselves as masters?

I am not an expert on mental health, but I think it has a lot to do with fear and insecurity. I've noticed that many of the self-proclaimed masters I've met haven't enjoyed much success in the other aspects of their lives. They often are employed at fairly simple occupations and frequently have a limited educational background. Their feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy are often the reason they were drawn to the martial arts in the beginning. For example, you hear them talking a lot about the dangers of today's streets in nearly paranoid terms, as if we are likely to be assaulted at any moment or face attackers lurking around every corner.

The martial arts master presents a very powerful image, one who is capable of defeating all enemies and has incredible wisdom. This master is not intimidated by such opponents or modern technology. Since it is unlikely they could actually earn rank within the more traditional styles, they are left to create their own martial arts teaching credentials. To appear even more powerful, they often adopt titles associated with martial arts masters, such as soke and shihan, often to the point of absurdity. For the same reason, you find self-proclaimed martial arts masters have purchased diploma mill degrees or simply awarded themselves with educational credentials. Like martial arts ranks, the academic doctorate title represents a powerful icon to someone who feels inadequate.

There is one very well-known martial arts organization run by a self-proclaimed martial arts master who takes full advantage of these fears. For a fee, he will "register" individual applicants as sokes or founders of their own martial arts style, thus providing a sense of legitimacy and group recognition they often are seeking. In addition, he also offers various academic sounding degrees in "oriental philosophy" to members willing to pay for such nonsensical credentials. By doing so, he has not only addressed his own inner fears, but has obviously found a way to exploit the insecurities of others such as himself

[Guest]

Thanks

[Deletedkp]

Kphull this would have been the ideal option, and i love it when Nidars Students go "he just teaches martial arts leave him alone, your all just jealous of his invincibility !"

so why did he not let others be ? why did he threaten Butta Singh, challenge everyone like a drunk outside the pub on a Friday?

Insult every other jathebandi and gatka akhara in the western hemisphere? he even posted pictures of certain chardi klaa gursikhs on his website with their eyes blacked out insulting them.

and the biggest one of all INSULT OUR SHAHEED SINGHS? they already died and gave their lives for Sikhi - why did he not let them be?

He started it ..... with his ego and akkar

and to tell you the truth I don't think a majority of people are bothered about Nidar , most people are just getting on with their lives and ignoring him, even when he goes to national newspapers and claims to be the last Sikh Warrior pumping his own ego, while people like Hawara and Rajoana and baba surjeet singh are alive and in Jail.

I have met many babas, sadhus, martial artists with spiritual as well as physical skill - but ultimately they win over people with their skill for money power or just narcissism, yet they are corrupt inside

PEKH DHIKHAYE JAGAT KO LOGAN KO BASS KEEN - ANT KAAL KATEE PHASEO BAS NARAKH MO LEEN

they show the world a fake persona and gain peoples trust - in the end they will be cut by death and sent to hell.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji (Bachittar Natak)

tell Nidar remove the insults to our shaheed singhs from his <banned site filter activated> website and then he can do whatever he wants. we have no hatred for him or his students,

its just respect for our ancestors who sacrficed so much for Sikhi that we all love.

Taran0

Sorry I don’t know who this Bhutta Singh is but any threats to any one is wrong.

From my understanding, the challenge is open to anyone who challenges the philosophy and authenticity of Shastar Vidya, may that be verbal or physical. From experience, majority of the time Niddar Singh will deal with situation in a professional manner, without involving any physical elements .

Has not Niddar Singh been threaten by Singhs, the threats were not only to him but his family. Is that not wrong? If such threats were made to my family I would do whatever is necessary to protect them.

Insult every other jathebandi and gatka akhara in the western hemisphere? he even posted pictures of certain chardi klaa gursikhs on his website with their eyes blacked out insulting them.

and the biggest one of all INSULT OUR SHAHEED SINGHS? they already died and gave their lives for Sikhi - why did he not let them be?

I completely understand your devotion regarding Shaeed Sings but you cannot ask a person or a group to change their opinions because you don’t like how they have portrayed certain things.

Taran0, we live in complete democracy, you have the right to challenge any opinion as do they. You and I may be offended by what Niddar Singh publishes on his websites but it’s his freedom of speech. You have done a great job by designing this website, which is allowing people to form a different opinion on Niddar Singh and everybody has the right to do so.

I have no affiliation with Niddar Singh, I think he doesn’t even know I exist but we are living in times of peace and the greatest weapon you have is the words you type and the words you speak.

[taran0]

Kphull I appreciate that - in no way would I condone anyone's family being punished for their fathers misdeeds, and to date i have heard of no instances where his family been in any danger.

there is evidence of Nidar overplaying the threats - to make those who oppose him look like terrorists and fanatics, yet the main reason why we started this parchaar was due to the fanaticism displayed by his students in our various kids camps, their inability to accept other peoples views and their arrogant claims to authenticity and supremacy, their beshurm mocking of other martial arts groups and blatant misuse of alcohol and marijuana.

once Nidar came to an akj program and this was during the time he had openly put photos of their elders on his website blocked out their eyes and called them pakhandis (these are the actions of a wise respectable master?), one of the young organisers approached him and said "look you know there's tension kindly please move on, we don't want any trouble"

he smiled and hung around, then he went straight around the corner and made a complaint to the police that he had been manhandled.

in my case, what have I done other then write articles and disseminate key points about his parchaar - yet he called the Counter Terrorism unit on me. Now we are lucky that in the UK the police check before they take someone in. I showed them all my research and even told them to check the letter and the signatures as they are well known people it only takes a phone call to verify. They checked everything and let me go.

now, had we been in India I would not have faired so well..... he threatened the committee of Somerset Rd Gurdwara hence the backlash where many people turned up. He also threatened the Guru Tegh bahadur gurdwara saying "I have students in America, Europe and Canada, and they want to tear the place up" to which the police officer present at the meeting had to warn him to calm down.

one of Nidar's students called one of our sevadaars place of work and made a complaint about him being a violent gang member, and he is a teacher at a school, this could have seriously damaged his career and family. We don't play dirty tactics like this.

as for his challenge we have asked him for parameters of his challenge to which we constantly receive no reply ? please if you can relay the message and find out what his parameters of the challenge are and if any disclaimers or waivers need to be signed.

recently a panjab police officer confessed to killing 84 young Sikhs in fake encounters, that was just one officer, he was given promotions and he confessed that these orders where coming from high up... this had been going on for years before 1984

now you tell me - if people like Sant Jarnail Singh, Bhai Fauja Singh Stuck up for us and told us to stand up and fight for (not for khalistan) our human rights then who is Nidar, to come along and criticise people who were in extraordinary situations with their families lives at risk, and they did the best they could, and fought for justice as our Sikhs have done throughout our history.

his version of events are totally biased and he leaves out so much information,

"portrayed" is the word.....

and he has portrayed our Singhs as terrorists and extremists - so he has clearly stated where he stands, and not in a neutral way either

he has lied about his lineage and a lot more that we do not know of..... which means he is an untrustworthy source of information and he will use any tactic to gain his fame.

and one of his students was yesterday swearing at me on facebook and saying the newspapers made up the last sikh warrior stuff well watch this video where he says it from his own mouth

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/news/3922134/Last-surviving-Sikh-warrior.html#ooid=JiZnB5MjqiFbkVM81wSo2Dtz0Kj2GRDg

[Guest]

In India which real shastar vidiya akharas can I go to besides ranjit akhara?

[savinderpalsingh]

pritam singh ji,

or hazur sahib nihangs - well they still have puratan non diluted shastar vidya .

but you will have to gain thier trust by staying with them for lot of years.

[Guest]

pritam singh ji,

or hazur sahib nihangs - well they still have puratan non diluted shastar vidya .

but you will have to gain thier trust by staying with them for lot of years.

Isn't pritam Singh jathedar of ranjit akhara?Or is there another pritam Singh?

I also heard baba gaina singh is at boparai taksal.Is this true?

How would I know which hazoor sahib Nihangs know the true vidiya?

[chatanga]

once Nidar came to an akj program and this was during the time he had openly put photos of their elders on his website blocked out their eyes and called them pakhandis (these are the actions of a wise respectable master?), one of the young organisers approached him and said "look you know there's tension kindly please move on, we don't want any trouble"

he smiled and hung around, then he went straight around the corner and made a complaint to the police that he had been manhandled.

in my case, what have I done other then write articles and disseminate key points about his parchaar - yet he called the Counter Terrorism unit on me. Now we are lucky that in the UK the police check before they take someone in. I showed them all my research and even told them to check the letter and the signatures as they are well known people it only takes a phone call to verify. They checked everything and let me go.

now, had we been in India I would not have faired so well..... he threatened the committee of Somerset Rd Gurdwara hence the backlash where many people turned up. He also threatened the Guru Tegh bahadur gurdwara saying "I have students in America, Europe and Canada, and they want to tear the place up" to which the police officer present at the meeting had to warn him to calm down.

one of Nidar's students called one of our sevadaars place of work and made a complaint about him being a violent gang member, and he is a teacher at a school, this could have seriously damaged his career and family. We don't play dirty tactics like this.

the above incidents are shocking, especially the CTU fiasco. Did they not warn him for wasting police time?

[proactive]

The 'last Sikh warrior' calls the CTU because he felt threatened! Looks like he became the last Sikh worrier on that occasion.

Can you imagine what the great Sikh warriors like Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Banda Singh Bahadur, Mehtab Singh, Sukha Singh, Baba Deep Singh and others would think of Niddar?

[Jonny101]

The 'last Sikh warrior' calls the CTU because he felt threatened! Looks like he became the last Sikh worrier on that occasion.

Can you imagine what the great Sikh warriors like Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Banda Singh Bahadur, Mehtab Singh, Sukha Singh, Baba Deep Singh and others would think of Niddar?

I can only imagine the embarrassment they would feel if they knew about the last so called Sikh warrior.