gatka
themodern
sikhmartialart?

Modern Sikhs consider 'Gatka' to be the martial arts of the Sikhs.

If one types the word 'Gatka' on an Internet search engine, a number of sites dedicated to Gatka extolling it as 'the traditional martial art of the Sikhs' will be listed. Many sites such as www.youtube.com , www.flickr.com, www.sikhnet.com , etc portray photographs an videos of 'Gatka'. An excellent example of 'Jahir Gatka' has been given on www.shastarividiya.org - shot in Punjab. By chance, the display put up by the 'Gatkabaj' shows a wide repetoire of "techniques" (video clip).

One of the prime Gatka 'experts', Ustad Uptej Singh (aka 'Teji'), regularly carries out demonstrations and 'Gatka' camps/workshops around the world. More recently, he appeared on the BBC's 'Desi DNA' program where he speaks of Gatka:

'Gatka is a form of fighting developed by the 6th Sikh guru Har Gobind in the 17th century. Gatka’s ability to defend has been put to affect as recently as 1984 when four Gatka warriors were posted at the four doors of the Golden Temple in Amritsar to protect against attack by the Indian army.'
Gatka Ustad Uptej Singh, Desi DNA, BBC Asian Network

Do not be surprised at the declaration above with regards to Gatka. The emergence of Gatka as a "Sikh martial art" is but one of the MANY symptoms of wholesale decline of Sanatan Sikhi ('Sikhi' refers to the concept that this is a spiritual path, not a 'religion') that occurred since the arrival of British Raj within Punjab in 1849.

1. 'Divide and Conquer'
2. Spiritual Institutions
3. 'Gurmat Sangeet' (classical musical arts)
4. 'Santhia' (scriptural interpretation)
5. Dasam Guru Durbar
6. Sanatan 'Sehajdhari' (non-Khalsa) Sikhs
7. Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa (traditional warriors)