Originating from the state of Punjab, Gatka isa battle technique created by Sikh warriors during the period of the great Sikh Gurus.

A style of stick fighting between two or more practitioners, Gatka is a toned-down version of the far deadlier Shastar Vidya, the fighting style of the fearsome Akali Nihangs, the blue-turbaned sect of Sikh fighters banned by the British after the Anglo-Sikh wars. The sharp swords of Shastar Vidya have been replaced by wooden sticks (soti) and shields (farri) in Gatka.

Gatka was successfully employed by Sikh warriors in vastly outnumbered armies, most notably during prolonged periods of forced religious persecution of indigenous Indians, and the conquest of medieval and early-modern India.