Narsingha Posted August 9, 2004 Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 Feature: The Indian Way Krishna Godhania takes a look at the highly secretive Indian Martial Art of Shastarvidiya. Source: http://www.martialartsltd.co.uk/mai/latest.htm Buy your copy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palm_w1 Posted August 9, 2004 Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 for clarification purposes is shastar vidiya an indian or a sikh martial art? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narsingha Posted August 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 www.shastarvidiya.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maha Singh Posted August 9, 2004 Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 Ive been looking forward to this issue for ages now, i went to the newsagent to find it but it isnt anywhere. Narsingha is this issue released yet or is it later on in the month? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maha Singh Posted August 14, 2004 Report Share Posted August 14, 2004 This issue is out in the shops now, i got my copy today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narsingha Posted August 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 Sanatan Sikh Shastar Vidiya has finally gained recognition as a serious combat art amongst serious martial artists. We invite individuals such as the pro-gatka posse, MKhalsa and Co, etc. who have in the past accused Nihang Niddar Singh of "making up" Shastar Vidiya to come forward and present their evidence rather than resorting to name calling and slander. For example: http://forums.waheguroo.com/index.php?act=ST&f=8&t=6399&st=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 The so-called “Shastar Vidya†is nothing but a hoax. It's not even puraatan the way it is being portrayed in its website. Just a matter of time before it gets exposed for what it really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hari Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Dhan Satguru Nanak Nirankar Shastar Vidiya as taught by Nihang Niddar Singh Ji is a legitamate martial art.The Sva Raksha (platha) taught by him is easy to learn and highly practical.I was amazed by the self defence taught by him. Shastar Vidiya is not a hoax.Whoever says so is an imbecile. As for Nihang Niddar Singh himself.Much cr*p has been said about him by cowards on the internet.Nihang Niddar Singh is ok by me.Let me tell you something he is not.He is not a pakhandi.I have met many pakhandi in my life, usually the type who wear white bana.He talks about himself openly.No BS. All those who oppose him and Shastar Vidiya, why the hell don't you just go up to him and say what you have to say?Why are you so chicken?And you are chicken, don't deny it. I don't care how Nihang Niddar Singh lives his life.He's a happily married man.All those who call him "n-ang" on the internet without ever having met him face to face, will one day be nange (naked and ashamed) themselves.Mark my words. I wish Nihang Niddar Singh and the Baba Darbara singh Akhara all the best.May the Akhara go from strength to strength. Jai Jai Mahakaal!! Jai Jai Chandika!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Yaaaaaaaaawwwn, does anyone have anything useful to write instead of the same old same old? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narsingha Posted August 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Hari According to the legitimate martial arts experts (as opposed to self-proclaimed experts), Shastar Vidiya is seen as an historically viable combat art. Those who think otherwise should consider the following: a) If 'Gatka' is the real art, then does this mean that Guru Gobind Singh ji spent his time on the battlefield cutting bananas and carrots blindfolded and dancing to strobe lights and dhols? Did great warriors such as Akali Nihang Baba Phoola Singh go around bashing his sword on shields? If this is the case than his sword at Sach Khand Sri Hazoor Sahib which was used in battle should not have the sharp edge and condition that it does. c) How does one explain the vast array of weapons spoken of within scriptures and ancient texts yet 'Gatka' doesnt even cater for 10% of them? If Shastar Vidiya isnt the real purataan art, then what is? Perhaps its Wing Chun or Kick Boxing or maybe the Sikhs of old just used harsh language? d) If mainstream Sikhs are not willing to learn the art for fear of the ideology that accompanies the Shastar Vidiya, then by nature, the art will go beyond Sikhs. As Guru Ji said, rehit (ie, maryada and traditions) are more beloved to him than a Sikh. e) Those individuals such as Singh47 who claim that Shastar Vidiya is a hoax and is not "purataan" should present evidence to support their claims rather than crying about Nihangs and meat/cannabis/1984 etc. f) This art is open to ALL...I guess thats why some individuals are unhappy due to the fact that it is not restricted to "amritdhari" sikhs, as such no one has a monopoly on it. g) If Sikhs had kept up their Shastar Vidiya, then perhaps the tragedies of 1984 would have been avoided because Sikhs would be better tacticians, better diplomats, more intellectually astitute and would not have been played like puppets. Much disaster could have been avoided. h) A woman and/or child can be taught how to defend themselves from rape, attack, burglery, robbery, molestation, etc within 2 hrs in a Shastar Vidiya Saviya Rakshah class...perhaps they should make use of the resource and think of the long term benefits. There will always be time to bad-mouth Nihangs later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 “If 'Gatka' is the real art, then does this mean that Guru Gobind Singh ji spent his time on the battlefield cutting bananas and carrots blindfolded and dancing to strobe lights and dhols?†What’s wrong with DHols? Chandi Di Vaar mentions that the armies of the Rakshasas and Devtas used thousands of Dhols before and during the battle (Dhol, Shank, Nagaray bajay). I suggest you read some dasam bani before ridiculing Sikh tradition. “c) How does one explain the vast array of weapons spoken of within scriptures and ancient texts yet 'Gatka' doesnt even cater for 10% of them? If Shastar Vidiya isnt the real purataan art, then what is? Perhaps its Wing Chun or Kick Boxing or maybe†The Nihangs in India refer to Sikh martial arts as “Gatkaâ€. Strangely the Balaiti “Nihangs†are living in this strange Lalaa Land thinking that some fairy tale Shastar Vidya is the real Sikh martial arts. It’s easy to fool these NRI’s isn’t it Narsingha? To all those NRI’s I suggest you go to India and see the real Sikh martial arts as it is practiced by the real Nihangs in India rather than this abomination that these Balaity Nihangs call “Shastar Vidyaâ€. “Those individuals such as Singh47 who claim that Shastar Vidiya is a hoax and is not "purataan" should present evidence to support their claims rather than crying about Nihangs and meat/cannabis/1984 etc.†I don’t need to give evidence for anything. All I ask these NRIs is that the next time they go to India, they should see for themselves what martial arts the Nihangs practice i.e. Gatka or this abomination “Shastar Vidya†aka Chatka Gatka. Once they see for themselves of how the UK “nihangs†are the only ones in the world practicing this “art†Dood ka Dood, aur Pani ka Pani ho jai ga. “g) If Sikhs had kept up their Shastar Vidiya, then perhaps the tragedies of 1984 would have been avoided because Sikhs would be better tacticians, better diplomats, more intellectually astitute and would not have been played like puppets. Much disaster could have been avoided.†Then why were the Nihangs used as puppets by the GOI in 84 against the wishes of the Panth? Not that I even consider you Balaiti "nihangs" to be real Nihangs… “h) A woman and/or child can be taught how to defend themselves from rape, attack, burglery, robbery, molestation, etc within 2 hrs in a Shastar Vidiya Saviya Rakshah class...perhaps they should make use of the resource and think of the long term benefits. There will always be time to bad-mouth Nihangs later†OH you mean those low blow moves you are teaching women and children. Further, I’m not bad mouthing the real Nihangs from India, but the ones who pretend to be Nihangs in these western countries fooling gullible NRIs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narsingha Posted August 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 At the end of the day dear boy, its your loss... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Whatever gets you through the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hari Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Thanks for the info Narsingha. Your counter-arguments against Shastar Vidiya Jhatka Gatka, Singh47 are rubbish. You think us "NRI's" have never been to India to see the "real" Nihang Singhs.Well I can tell you for a fact, I remember 24 years ago jhatka and shaheedi deg were practiced openly in Harian Vela (Tarna Dal).I have seen for my self.Why has it been stopped there now?Or at least I have heard jhatka and sukha are not openly practiced at Harian Vela anymore.Why??? This is the same Nihang Dal that is presented as the "real" Nihang's by Singh Sabhia types.And Budha Dal as the "bad" Dal. Jhatka and sukha was practiced at Harian Vela, until quite recently.Were they "bad" Nihangs when they practiced Jhatka Gatka?Now they are good? :roll: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Hari, why are you bringing in Haria Vela walay Nihangs into this, or even Sukha and Shaheedi deg for that matter? Do you feel it is necessary to divert this topic away from the real issue i.e. Shastar Vidya being a Hoax by bad mouthing Haria Vela Walay in order to feel intelligent? What Nihangs do amongst themselves is their business. But the truth shall remain the truth no matter what. The truth of the matter is that “Shastar Vidya†that the pant wearing Balaity Nihangs practice is not what the real Nihangs in India practice whether it is the Sukha drinking ones or normal ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Javanmard Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Strange how historians of war and martial arts have, on numerous occasions, thoroughly inspected and examinated shastarvidya as taught by Nihang Niddar Singh and tested his knowledge and concluded that shastarvidya is authentic. And how these same people consider "gatka" as a stick game for entertainment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hari Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Hari, why are you bringing in Haria Vela walay Nihangs into this, or even Sukha and Shaheedi deg for that matter? Do you feel it is necessary to divert this topic away from the real issue i.e. Shastar Vidya being a Hoax by bad mouthing Haria Vela Walay in order to feel intelligent? What Nihangs do amongst themselves is their business. But the truth shall remain the truth no matter what. The truth of the matter is that “Shastar Vidya†that the pant wearing Balaity Nihangs practice is not what the real Nihangs in India practice whether it is the Sukha drinking ones or normal ones. I did not bad mouth Harian Vela Nihangs.Get your facts straight "matey". Regarding Shastar Vidiya, give us conclusive proof that the Shastar Vidiya of Baba Darbara Singh Akhara (as tuaght by Nihang Niddar Singh) is a hoax.Do it now. :twisted: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Conclusive proof? Just take a look at their video for a minute and then compare that abomination with how the real Nihangs in India do martial arts, and you will have your proof. It really surprises me how gullible most of you NRIs are. Is it any wonder Sikhs in Punjab refer to you western born and bred Sikhs as “Sidhahâ€. Niddar teaching this so-called “shastar vidya†and packaging it up as the “real†martial arts of the Sikhs is a perfect example of a Punjabi saying “Anayaa’ch Kanaa Rajaa†(One eyed man is king amongst the blind). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maha Singh Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Singh47, please provide a link where we can see the "real nihangs" from india performing martial arts. If your whole analysis of Shastar Vidiya as taught by Nihang Niddar Singh is strictly based upon the multimedia section on the Shastar Vidiya website, then your assesment will be highly limited because what you dont understand will not stand out, there is allot of strategy, footwork, use of eyes, baiting the opponent etc which you will not be able to appreciate. Its funny how no one ever stood up against "Gatka" for its useless practicality in an attack, but anyone who teaches true self defence/ battlefield arts is put in the firing range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Maha Singh, sorry to burst your bubble about the this mythical martial arts Niddar may have told you about, but it is anything but Nihang martial arts. It seems hardly anyone here has had any real experience with Nihangs in India. They see the Nihang world through the eyes of these Pant wearing, non-chatka meat eating nakli Nihangs of England. “In a desert where nothing grows, a castor plant looks like an oak.†This applies perfectly to the Niddar and his “shastar vidhyaâ€. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungee Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Mr Singh 47 and anybody else who thinks along your lines I have three questions for you. 1. Do you have any martial arts or combat experience (be it in a classroom, street, or other environment)? If you don’t, your general opinions on Shastervidiya or any other art are irrelevant and carry no credence. 2. Have you yourself ever lived and studied with the Nihangs in India, to develop such a strong opinion to compare them to the Nihangs in the UK. 3. Have you any strong evidence to proof that Gatka is the true art of Sikhism and Shastervidya is false. Also before you ask… • I have 11 years of martial arts experience, and have summed up some combat experience in various environments around the world with various martial individuals. • I have also lived and studied with the Nihangs ( since 1999) • And I also have a small amount of evidence to proof that Gatka is a British empire influenced art which was actually a warm up style like sanjam kriya to loosen the body before training, and some other material proofing Shastervidya can be traced far back as the 9th century. Here’s some free advice mate, if you believe this art to be false, challenge Niddar Singh yourself ( like I did ) and try beating him. Or just write a letter to the MAI Editor expressing your opinion on the style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Brother Jungee (should be spelt as Jangee!) 1. Yes 2. Yes 3. I never said Gatka is the “true†martial arts of the Sikhs, but whatever Shastarvidhya is, it is anything but the one being practiced and taught by Nihangs in India. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 3. I never said Gatka is the “true†martial arts of the Sikhs, but whatever Shastarvidhya is, it is anything but the one being practiced and taught by Nihangs in India. until proven my freind..........................! Prove it that shastar vidiya nihang niddar singh teaches and what nihangs of india teaches their shish(students) is any different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narsingha Posted August 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Lets make a comparison with the current evidence... 1. Gatka Gatka is an ancient battle-tested martial art, which uses the sword as its primary weapon. Today, it exists exclusively amongst the Sikhs who have passed down the flamboyant techniques through generations, ensuring their survival despite mass persecution over 200 years. Gatka is a complete martial system which helps the individual with all aspects of their life: mind, body and soul. The techniques involved are extremely effective as well as visually spectacular. WarriorSaints.com is the website of "Bhai Fauja Singh Gatka Akhara" which is a Gatka school that has been teaching Gatka in northern England (UK) since 1991. It specialises in all four aspects of Gatka, with primary focus on real-life techniques of knife, stick and sword combat. As well as Gatka tuition, the school also performs Gatka displays for organisations such as the Yorkshire Playhouse and the Royal Armouries, as well as for various other events around the UK. Fight choreography for film or stage productions is a recent addition to our services. Videos: http://www.warriorsaints.com/media/ (above taken from www.warriorsaints.com) 2. Sanatan Sikh Shastar Vidiya: Sanatan Sikh Shastar Vidiya, is the secret Indian battlefield combat art of the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa Sikhs of the Punjab. The Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa are the warriors of the Sanatan (traditional) Sikh world... Videos: http://www.shastarvidiya.org/video/video.html Singh47 and co...now, please examine the evidence, and please let us know why you think Shastar Vidiya is not puratan and how (and why) it has been "made up". (Try not to bring up 1984, cannabis and meat if possible) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hari Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 Singh47, You have to give us a technical analysis of why you think Shastar Vidiya is a "hoax".You fobbed me off before by saying "just look at the Shastar vidiya videos" on the website.Not good enough. Simply saying that Shastar Vidiya is a "hoax" is silly.Present your points to us properly as to why you think it is a hoax.You may also want contact the magazine concerned, and give them a thorough analysis, to prove that Shastar Vidiya is a hoax.Just like Jungee suggested above. Come on hop to it!!Enough moaning (and groaning :shock: ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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