Mardani Khel (Maratha Martial Art)
The armed art of Maharashtra; its hallmarks are the patta, a sword with a gauntlet for a hilt, and the corded lance vita.
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About Mardani Khel (Maratha Martial Art)
Mardani khel is the armed martial art of Maharashtra in western India, bound up with the Maratha military tradition. It grew up in broken, hilly country, and that terrain shaped the way it fights: Maratha horsemen relied on light armour, speed and mobility rather than heavy armoured cavalry, and the same logic runs through the weapon work, where movement and timing count for more than a forceful charge. The most characteristic weapon is the patta, a long flexible sword whose hilt is a rigid gauntlet into which the arm is inserted as far as the elbow; it is driven by the whole arm and is often fenced with in both hands at once. The second peculiarity is the vita, a short lance tied to the hand by a cord, which is thrown and pulled back again. The curved sword talwar, the lathi staff, spears and axes complete the repertoire. The art is associated with the rise of Maratha power in the seventeenth century and with Shivaji, whose sword is known as Bhavani; Maratha units used it to offset their limited access to firearms in the conflict with the Mughals. The sources name neither a founder nor a year of origin, and this page therefore gives neither. Today mardani khel is practised in traditional training halls called talim, above all in Maharashtra, and girls join them more and more often.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.