sanatanhindusikh
shastarvidiya
theindependent
Banned by the Raj, the world's original martial art is being revived by British Asians. Jerome Taylor reports.
Ancient but Deadly: the Return of Shastar Vidiya
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
In a fluorescent-lit sports gymnasium at a sprawling sixth-form college in Hounslow, West London, three turbaned Sikh warriors are frantically battling each other with razor-sharp swords. Draped in flowing blue robes and sporting chest-length beards, the three men cavort, twist and counter-attack each other in a blur of clashing blades and skilled confusion.
Watched by scores of eagle-eyed students, the two younger combatants use elegant curved swords and small circular shields to attack a taller and older man who is armed with a long double-edged blade and a simple dagger. Each time his opponents bring their weapons down, the lone warrior nimbly dodges the blow by sidestepping away or deflecting it back on to one of his opponents.
