Shastar Vidya

Shastar Vidya (Punjabi: ਸ਼ਸਤਰ-ਵਿੱਦਿਆ, romanized: shastarvidiā, meaning "science of weapons" or "art of weapons"), also known as Sanatan Shastar Vidya (Punjabi: ਸਨਾਤਨ ਸ਼ਸਤਰ ਵਿੱਦਿਆ), is a Sikh martial art form dating back to the 17th century. Whilst its origins are obscure, the Sikhs became the chief custodians of the martial-art in the Mughal-period. Due to the changing nature of warfare brought-on by technological advances and also because of the oncoming of the British, the martial-art faced a decline in the 19th and 20th centuries. It has since been revived in the present-day and some teachers are practicing it and taking on students. The martial art incorporates various kinds of weapons and techniques. Sikh spirituality is infused into many concepts of the art.