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Touchline • Issue 17 • 7
with Hindu and Muslim states, the Sikhs were compelled to
become excellent fighters. A large part of their success over the
following years was their use of this martial art.
The Akali Nihangs became famous and feared for their fervour
in battle. They wore a distinctive blue turban during fights and
were armed to the teeth.
But as the 19th century and colonial expansion occurred, most
of the independent Indian kingdoms became part of the British
Empire. The Sikhs, and most particularly the Akali Nihangs, put
up a fierce resistance. In two wars during the 1840s the Sikhs
eventually lost out to the superior firepower of the British
forces. These were among the toughest fights the British
encountered, and on claiming possession of the Punjab they
immediately sought to pull the teeth of the Akali Nihang.
The blue turban was banned and the art declared illegal. Going
one better, the British encouraged Sikh men to adopt a form
of martial art called Gatka.
Here, the swords are replaced
by wooden sticks and the aim
of the art is ritual rather than
military.
Shaster Vidya then became
a footnote in Indian history,
as only a very few masters
retained their understanding
of the art.
In recent years the art has
bounced back into life. And
this resurgence is largely
down to the efforts of one
man. Nidar Singh is a British
national of Sikh background.
As a teenager, he travelled
to his family’s home in India,
and there met Baba Mohinder Singh, one of the few remaining
masters of the martial art. Mohinder was already in his 80s
when he met Nidar, but the two worked together for many
months until Nidar was accepted as his student.
Nidar has been training and teaching others ever since. It is
now on his shoulders to find students. “I’ve travelled all over
India and I have spoken to many elders, this is basically a last-
ditch attempt to flush someone out because if I die with it, it is
all gone,” he said in an interview with BBC news.
He now has a studio where he trains his students. Young
Sikh men are becoming interested in the art because of its
connection to their heritage. One of his students says that
he “used to head down to the British Library where there
are loads of manuscripts and books from the Sikh empire. I
kept dreaming about travelling back to the Punjab to find a
master”. Instead, he now learns the intricacies in the studio in
Wolverhampton.
Rehabilitating this art has become a life mission for Nidar, but
he is faced with some hurdles. While many students are keen
to learn and identify with their cultural heritage, the rigours of
Shaster Vidya are extreme.
“It is not just martial technique, there is a lot of oral tradition
and linguistic skills that has to be there as well,” Nidar explains.
On a typical day, Nidar trains for about 6 hours. Add to that the
meditation and ritual, and you have a lifestyle rather than a
hobby. Devotees to Shaster Vidya have to commit in a manner
that precludes most other activities. Once it is learned, though,
a master of the art is deadly in the
extreme.
The Shaster Vidya means “the science
of weapons” and it lives true to
the title. While students spar with
wooden sticks, more adept fighters
use a vast range of weapons. They
are also protected with a shield and
body armour. And while strength is a
necessity, the code actually depends
on grace and distraction. In training
videos, the master never stands toe-
to-toe with his enemy. Rather, he
feints one way and attacks the other,
sliding past and proffering the blade
to an exposed side.
There are more brutal sides to
Shaster Vidya as well. In training,
Nidar explains to his students just how nasty this technique
can get. “The next technique I’ll teach you is one that can break
both a man’s arms in just three moves. In real life of course,
once you’ve broken the first arm your opponent is not getting
back up. But when you’re practising it’s best to learn how to
break both.”
Shaster Vidya is an incredible relic from the past. It connects
its followers to an all but lost military pride and is culturally
significant. Moreover, as an art form it is beautiful to watch. Just
be careful not to cut yourself.
The next technique I’ll teach
you is one that can break both
a man’s arms in just three
moves. In real life of course, once
you’ve broken the first arm your
opponent is not getting back up.
But when you’re practising it’s
best to learn how to break both.”