Gatka words · Beginner

The words you will hear in your first match, grouped the way you meet them.

B · Beginner · 17 words · Step 1 of 2

General terms

Gatka

The Sikh martial art, played as a sport with a stick (soti) in place of a sword and a leather shield (farri). Its sport form is combat between two competitors, which is separate from the traditional weapons displays (Virsa Sambhal).

Gatkabaaz

A gatka practitioner who competes voluntarily, at their own risk, for self-defence, sport and physical, mental and social gain.

Also called: Gatkai
See also: Gatka

Fatehnama

The salutation ceremony that begins and ends every fight, by which both players show mutual respect and promise to play in true spirit. It is done by striking each other's sticks in set steps and shaking hands. A player who skips it is disqualified on disciplinary grounds, and attacking during it, before the command, is also disqualification.

Events, groups and teams

Single Soti and Soti-Farri

The two combat events. Single Soti is fought with one stick (single handed), and Soti-Farri with a stick and a shield (double handed). Both are held for individuals, teams and mixed pairs, and further divided into Freestyle and Full Strike.

Freestyle and Full Strike

The two techniques that divide the combat events. In Freestyle a player strikes with a straight arm without first taking the stick back. In Full Strike the stick must be taken back around or over the head, at least to the back of the neck, and brought forward to strike with a straight arm.

Team (gatka)

Three players and one substitute (four in all) who stay the same throughout. A captain is named on the entry form, and a team manager or coach is compulsory. Each of the three fights one bout, and the points of the three are added.

Equipment and ground

Play area

The circular ground, 30 feet across, in which the two fighters compete. It cannot be made larger or smaller, and the boundary line is part of it. Two lines 4 feet either side of the centre mark the starting positions.

Soti

The combat stick, a substitute for a sword that keeps its techniques. It is round and straight, of fibre or bamboo, 39 inches long for seniors and 36 and 33 inches for the junior and sub-junior groups, at most 500 g if wooden and 350 g if fibre, about half an inch thick, with a fixed cushion at one end and a perj. No nails.

Farri

The leather shield, a substitute for a shield, used for defence and made of leather, Rexene or fibre. It is 8 inches across for sub-juniors and 10 for juniors and seniors, weighing 125 g and 175 g. In Soti-Farri a player must use stick and shield together and separately, and the referee may caution one who does not use the farri.

Strikes and technique

Full strike

A strike made by taking the stick back around or over the head, at least parallel to the back of the neck, then bringing it to the front from the same or the other side and hitting with a straight arm. In the Full Strike event only a full strike scores; a simulated strike and a palt also count as full strikes.

Scoring

Points for a strike

A clean touch above the belt scores 2 points, below the belt 1 point, and on the back or the back of the legs 3 points. The blow must be very mild so as not to injure the opponent. The Full Strike event follows the same rules, but only a full strike scores.

Bout, time and tie-breaks

Bout

A fight of three minutes in two equal rounds of 1 minute 30 seconds, with a 30-second break in which coaches may instruct players outside the play area. Players get one minute to warm up. The time is paused for a time-out, and the fatehnama is not part of the bout time.

See also: Fatehnama, Play area, Time-out

Tie-breaker

If the points are equal, a tie-breaker of one minute is fought (by one player from each team in a team bout). The player with more points wins, and if equal, the one with fewer fouls. If still equal the time is extended until someone scores a golden point or commits a foul.

Fouls, cards and disqualification

Fouls (gatka)

Hitting deliberately with the stick other than the foremost two feet, holding the opponent's stick or farri, deliberate simultaneous attacks, attacking without defending, hitting the face, eyes, nose, lips, cheeks or private parts, hool, cheer or gurj, hitting hard to harm, pushing, passive defence, hitting after Stop, and going out of the play area.

See also: Play area, Farri, Foremost two feet

Penalty cards (gatka)

A green card is a warning, with no point lost. A yellow card is a serious warning and costs 1 point. A red card is disqualification. After a yellow card a green card is not used again. The referee shows red in the middle of the ground. Moving out of the play area is a red-card foul.

Declaring the winner

The player or team with the most points. If equal, the one with warnings or fouls loses. If equal without a foul there is one minute of extra time and then sudden death. The ground referee raises the winner's stick or hand only after the result is announced.

Officials, objections and appeals

Ground referee

The referee who runs a bout in the play area: checks the dress and safety guards, gives the commands Come in, Stop here, Take Fatehnama, Get ready, Start or Fight and Stop or Hold, shows the cards, signs the sheets, and can stop a bout to confer with side referees if unsure of a point or foul.

See also: Fatehnama, Play area, Bout, Side referees

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