HI Chakram?

sta94 said:
...It looks like Sikh Light Infantry to me...
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yup, that's why i labelled the photo 'sikh light infantry...' :p

the blue 'hat' is a ceremonial one, they are apparently made up on a wicker frame. would be a bit ungainly in an actual battle. the picture of the bearded gentleman alongside it shows a more practical turban.

the akhali nihangs are the warrior 'knights' of sikhdom, dedicated to protecting the weak and defenseless from evildoers, a bit like chivalrous christian knights were supposed to be but were most usually not. there are a few videos on youtube i've seen of them, i would like to have even 10% of their skill.
 
Very cool possible addition:thumbup:

And...Yay,,,I've never gouged,slashed or sliced myself with a chakram...yet!:D

Mark
 
the response to this thread has been both amazing and educational. Honestly I was not sure if the forumites would be receptive or excited about this type of knife. I'm sure glad to see that I was wrong in my assumptions. Please keep the comments going and indicate your interest in Chakrams as I'm certain others are enjoying the conversations as much as I am. Are there other traditional knives that the Sikh carry in addition to the chakram?
 
I believe the knife they carry is called a Kirpan. to me it appears to be similar to a Jambiya but I am sure there are differences.
Although after a quick search on the web they appear to come in many different shapes and sizes. I believe that a Katar is also a common side arm.
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There's khandas, tulwar, tegha, shields, kukris, chakram, katars, kirpans, jambiya, kara, bagh nakh, maces and clubs, bows and arrows, etc.etc.etc.etc.etc. ....and GUNS. Lots of Sikhs had guns even if the kirpan was carried by many, the Kara and Bagh Nakh principle street defense weapons, and the swords and katars prized battlefield weapons... by the time of Sikhism, guns were beginning to become extremely important on the battlefield. Even though in much of India cavalry and the sword were some of the most glorious soldiers and weapons... it was the organizations of the spear/gun armed troops that was the back-bone.

Speaking of Sikh weapons, they did use kukris all over northern India, and in the Shaster Vidiya (science of weapons), kukris are a weapon... it would be interesting to see what kind of kukri fighting styles the Sikhs used...

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ya'll might like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFHkVVLJpsI&feature=related
 
kronckew said:
there are a few videos on youtube i've seen of them, i would like to have even 10% of their skill.
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You got me curious and I looked one up where a teacher demonstrated numerous techniques, armed and unarmed. The former included katar, stick, khukuri, and battle-axe tactics. Some of the unarmed moves puzzled me, and I had to go back to do double and triple takes, cause I couldn't follow the action. No martial artist I, but some of the stuff reminded me of the sorts of entrapments and such you see in Pencak Silat. :thumbup:
 
C.S. Graves said:
You got me curious and I looked one up where a teacher demonstrated numerous techniques, armed and unarmed. The former included katar, stick, khukuri, and battle-axe tactics. Some of the unarmed moves puzzled me, and I had to go back to do double and triple takes, cause I couldn't follow the action. No martial artist I, but some of the stuff reminded me of the sorts of entrapments and such you see in Pencak Silat. :thumbup:
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There are many others who note the similarity in some of their unarmed combat with that of Silat and FMA. Interestingly, the term Kuntao is also extremely widespread in the archipelagos and widely practiced... two very strong examples of Indo and Sino influences :) ...very interesting
 
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