gatka
themodern
sikhmartialart?

The difficulty in maintaining Sanatan Hindu Sikh Shastar Vidiya has meant that less and less people are likely to train in it even though a 'Gurdev'.

Nihang Niddar Singh's own experience also echoed the sentiments of past 'Gurdevs' of the Hindu Sikh 'Shiv Akhara', as does that of the elderly Nihang Baba Ram Singh:

'These [Gatkabaj] now are to be seen because they are unfit. They show shenanigans but have no knowledge. They are weak in 'Pentra' [they] do not now the proper techniques just show shenanigans. They have not served their Ustad. This 'Vidiya' cannot be learned in a short time. You have to spend a lot of time. You have to do those traditional exercises [Sanjam Kiriya Variyam] to make the body fit strong. Then after that this 'Vidiya' is fully learned. This [Gatka amongst Nihangs], what we see is a bit of tradition carried on, but the battlefield 'Vidiya' of the Guru Sahib [Hargobind], that Vidiya at this time is hidden.'
(Nihang Baba Ram Singh, transcript of interview, 6th April 1998)

Sadly, the number of 'Gatkabaj' in the Sikh Diaspora upon seeing their 'Jahir Gatka' as inadequate in context of combat, have over the past few years, began to mix in with it foreign martial arts such as Jujitsu, Wing Chun, Kung fu, Mixed Martial Arts/cage fighting (eg, UFC), mainstream wrestling (eg, WWE) etc.

The above said is particularly true in case of 'Gatka' practitioners in the U.K. for, though they hypocritically garnish their 'Gatka' with Nihang trappings, they are anti-'Chatka'. They are also fanatical in their vegetarianism, and object to many Akali Nihang practices.

In the eyes of us skilled in Sanatan Hindu Sikh Shastar Vidiya, ANY adulteration of historical Khalsa martial traditions is a gross violation of Khalsa 'Maryada'.