Bandesh (Indian Unarmed Locks & Disarms)
Ancient Indian unarmed discipline focused on disarming an armed attacker without injury.
Quick Facts
Founder
Country of OriginIndia
IndiaRegionAsia
Primary FocusHybrid
Contact LevelFull contact
Belt System5 levels →
Character & Origin
StatusLiving, informal
LineageFolk
Training
AttireTraditional dress
SparringLight contact
Role of WeaponsWeapons at the core
Role of FormsForms at the core
Who It Suits
Kids ProgrammesKids groups common
Senior FriendlySuitable with adaptation
Physical Demand3/5
Injury Risk2/5
Learning Curve4/5
Self-Defence Value2/5
Fitness Value4/5
Organisation & Competition
Grading SystemNo grades
Competition FormatNo competitions
Weight ClassesNo
Olympic StatusNot Olympic
Estimated Practitioners10k–100k
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
Hand strikesSignificant
KicksSignificant
Throws & takedownsSignificant
Ground fightingMarginal
Locks & holdsSignificant
WeaponsCore
Catalogs & Databases for Bandesh (Indian Unarmed Locks & Disarms)
About Bandesh (Indian Unarmed Locks & Disarms)
Bandesh is an ancient Indian martial art mentioned in the Dhanurveda treatise. It teaches techniques for unarmed self-defense, finger and wrist leverage, and the lightning-fast removal of a sword, dagger, or spear from an armed opponent without the need to kill them.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.