The martial arts and self defense tactics of the country of Indiana have been for many, many years - as far back as the pre-Gupta era. The Sanskrit word for martial arts is "dhanurveda," and this term can be literally translates as the "science of archery." In Indian culture, the people tend to think of the martial arts as a separate knowledge that is distinct from common or ordinary fighting techniques.

Fighting styles of the Indiana martial arts vary by region and the point in history that they originated. Self defense tactics and martial arts moves exist in the arts like Kalaripayat, Varma Kali, Kuttu, and Gatka, as well as in a few older and lesser known forms. The systems developed are comprised of fighting for the armed and unarmed practitioner. However, they also include meditation practice and other forms of mental conditioning and training. Not surprisingly, the Indian martial arts are closely link to the Hinduism religion.

Yoga's Link to Martial Arts Moves

For anyone familiar with the poses in yoga practice, you will notice that many of the positions and techniques of the Indian martial arts share some similarities. You might see many of the techniques at Hindu temples, reflected in the statues of the religion's warriors and deities. The Indian martial arts also incorporate other familiar concempts like tanta, prana, nadi, marman, and chakra.

Weaponry in the Indian Martial Arts

From the very beginning of the discipline, weapons have been used as a key element of the martial arts in India. Weapons incorporated into training include, axes, swords, spears, and long and short bows. Many of the weapons were simply crafted out of wood, and may or may not have been fashioned with a metal tip at the end.

The use of weapons has been an integral part of the art of fighting in India ever since the beginnings. Indians used the basic types of weapons including spears, swords, axes, short bows, and long bows that were either made of wood or tipped with metal. Of course the weaponry used in training became more technologically advanced as new weapons were developed.

India's martial arts have influenced Asian martial arts and vice versa. However, particularly after the British had made Indiana a colony, the systems of Indiana fell out of popularity and use and more European systems of warfare were adopted for training the nation's military.

Gatka

Despite their lack of use during colonization, the Indian martial arts have not completely fallen away. Gatka is one of several self defense tactics that focuses on fighting with weapons. It has ties to the religious practices of Sikhism. The techniques employed by Gatka mainly involve the use of swords. Gatka was developed in the 1500s and was passed down by Hinud warriors.

Although Indian martial arts are not as popular in the United States as forms like Karate, Jujitsu, and Tae Kwon Do, they are still routinely practiced by martial arts students in Indiana and other countries.