Martial Arts

1. ਕੀ ਮੈਂ ਇੱਕ ਦਿਨ ਲਈ ਕਲਾਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ/ਸਕਦੀ ਹਾਂ?

   Kī main ikk din laī klās vich shāmal ho sakdā/sakdī hān?

   Can I join the class for just one day?

   Usage

   The basic way to ask about a drop-in session. Many Gatka akharas and city gyms in Punjab accept single-day visitors

   Grammar Note

   Sentence-initial "kī" turns the sentence into a yes/no question. The verb agrees with the speaker's gender: "sakdā" for men, "sakdī" for women

2. ਕੀ ਮੈਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਅਭਿਆਸ ਦੇਖ ਸਕਦਾ/ਸਕਦੀ ਹਾਂ?

   Kī main pahilān abhiās dekh sakdā/sakdī hān?

   May I watch the practice first?

   Usage

   Use this to check the atmosphere before signing up. Gatka is often practised at akharas attached to a gurdwara; watching is welcomed, but observe the religious etiquette of covering your head and removing your shoes

   Grammar Note

   "Verb stem + sakdā/sakdī hān" expresses ability. The stem "dekh" comes from "dekhnā" (to see) with the infinitive ending dropped

3. ਗਤਕਾ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਾਂ?

   Gatkā kitthe sikkh sakde hān?

   Where can one learn Gatka?

   Usage

   Gatka is the Sikh martial art of stick, sword and shield, taught at gurdwaras and Gatka federation akharas across Punjab. The largest displays happen at the Hola Mohalla festival in Anandpur Sahib

   Grammar Note

   Dropping the subject and using the plural "sakde hān" makes the question impersonal — "where can one learn?". Note that "sikkh" (to learn) and "Sikh" (the religion) are spelled alike and told apart by context

4. ਮੈਂ ਬਿਲਕੁਲ ਨਵਾਂ/ਨਵੀਂ ਹਾਂ।

   Main bilkul navān/navīn hān.

   I am a complete beginner.

   Usage

   Say this up front and the coach will adjust the session. Punjabi akharas rarely post skill levels and rely on you speaking up; stay silent and you may be paired with experienced practitioners

   Grammar Note

   Adjectives also agree with gender: masculine ends in -ān, feminine in -īn. "Bilkul" is an intensifier borrowed from Persian

5. ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਹੌਲੀ ਹੌਲੀ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰੋ।

   Kirpā karke haulī haulī shurū karo.

   Please start slowly and go easy on me.

   Usage

   Use this to ask for lower intensity in drills or sparring. A Gatka stick hurts when it lands, so say this on day one. Akharas generally expect you to have your basics and defence down before any free sparring

   Grammar Note

   Reduplicating an adverb ("haulī haulī") adds the sense of "gradually, step by step" — a device shared across the Indian languages

6. ਮੇਰੇ ਗੋਡੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਰਦ ਹੈ।

   Mere gode vich darad hai.

   My knee is hurting.

   Usage

   Say this before training starts — there is no intake form, so speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap "godā" (knee) for "modhā" (shoulder), "kamar" (lower back) or "gittā" (ankle)

   Grammar Note

   A noun before the postposition "vich" takes the oblique form, so "godā" becomes "gode". Pain is expressed as existing "in" the body part rather than as a verb

7. ਮਹੀਨੇ ਦੀ ਫ਼ੀਸ ਕਿੰਨੀ ਹੈ?

   Mahīne dī fīs kinnī hai?

   How much is the monthly fee?

   Usage

   A monthly rate is usually cheaper if you are staying a while. Some traditional Gatka akharas and kushti akharas charge nothing at all and run on donations ("dān") — in that case offer a contribution rather than insisting on a fee

   Grammar Note

   The possessive "dā/dī/de" agrees with the following noun. "Fīs" is feminine, so it takes "dī" and the question word appears in its feminine form "kinnī"

8. ਇੱਕ ਦਿਨ ਦੀ ਫ਼ੀਸ ਕਿੰਨੀ ਹੈ?

   Ikk din dī fīs kinnī hai?

   How much is it for a single day?

   Usage

   As a traveller this is the practical question to lead with. City fitness gyms and karate or boxing classes typically charge around 200-500 rupees a session, while traditional akharas are usually free or donation-based

   Grammar Note

   "Ikk din dī fīs" is "the fee for one day". Change the unit for "hafte dī fīs" (weekly fee) or "sāl dī fīs" (annual fee)

9. ਕੀ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਵੱਖਰੀ ਕਲਾਸ ਹੈ?

   Kī kurīān laī vakkharī klās hai?

   Is there a separate class for women?

   Usage

   Women have long taken part in Gatka and women's demonstration teams are common, but some akharas run separate time slots. Asking in advance avoids an awkward arrival

   Grammar Note

   The postposition "laī" means "for", and the preceding noun takes the oblique plural "kurīān". The adjective "vakkharī" is feminine to agree with "klās"

10. ਕਲਾਸ ਦਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਕੀ ਹੈ?

    Klās dā samāṃ kī hai?

    What time is the class?

    Usage

    Punjabi akharas typically run early morning (around 05:00-07:00) and evening (around 17:00-19:00) sessions to dodge the midday heat. Kushti akharas lean heavily on the morning slot, starting before dawn with preparing the earthen pit

    Grammar Note

    "Kī" acts as a yes/no question particle at the start of a sentence but as the pronoun "what" mid-sentence — the position determines its role

11. ਕੀ ਸੋਟੀ ਅਤੇ ਢਾਲ ਕਿਰਾਏ 'ਤੇ ਮਿਲਦੇ ਹਨ?

    Kī sotī ate dhāl kirāe te milde han?

    Can I rent a stick and a shield?

    Usage

    Gatka uses a wooden stick ("sotī") and a small shield ("dhāl"), and akharas usually lend them to newcomers. At a boxing or karate gym, replace "sotī ate dhāl" with "dastāne" (gloves)

    Grammar Note

    "Milnā" means "to be obtainable" and takes the object, not the borrower, as its subject. "Kirāe te milnā" therefore means "to be available for rent"

12. ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਦਾਅ ਸਿਖਾ ਸਕਦੇ ਹੋ?

    Kī tusīn mainūn ih dāa sikhā sakde ho?

    Could you teach me this move?

    Usage

    "Dāa" is the kushti word for a wrestling hold or throw, extended in Punjabi to techniques in general. Address the coach with the respectful plural "tusīn", and thank him afterwards with "dhannvād jī"

    Grammar Note

    Inserting the causative -ā- into "sikkhnā" (to learn) gives "sikhāunā" (to teach, i.e. to make someone learn). Always use the plural "tusīn" for elders and strangers

13. ਕੀ ਇੱਥੇ ਨਹਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ ਹੈ?

    Kī itthe nahāun dī thān hai?

    Is there somewhere to wash up here?

    Usage

    Traditional akharas train on earth, so you finish covered in dirt. Facilities are often a well, a hand pump or a bucket wash rather than a Western-style shower. Bring your own towel and a change of clothes

    Grammar Note

    An infinitive plus "dī" modifies a noun to mean "a place for doing X": "nahāun dī thān" is "a place for bathing"

14. ਕੁਸ਼ਤੀ ਦਾ ਮੁਕਾਬਲਾ ਕਦੋਂ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ?

    Kushtī dā mukāblā kadon hundā hai?

    When do the wrestling bouts take place?

    Usage

    Punjab holds village wrestling meets known as "chhinj" through the off-season, with barefoot pahilvans grappling in an earthen pit. Dates travel by word of mouth, so asking a local is the surest way to find one

    Grammar Note

    "Hundā hai" is the habitual present, meaning "does / usually takes place". For a single scheduled event use the future "hovegā" instead

15. ਹੱਥ ਉੱਪਰ ਰੱਖੋ, ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਵਾਲੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੇਖੋ।

    Hatth uppar rakkho, sāhmane vāle dīān akkhān vich dekho.

    Keep your hands up, look into your opponent's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. One of the most frequent cues during sparring. Gatka teaches you to watch the opponent's eyes and torso rather than the weapon — drop your gaze and you misread the next strike

    Grammar Note

    The ending -o is the plural/respectful imperative, the standard form a coach uses with students. It is not brusque and works equally as a command to the whole group

16. ਪੂਰੀ ਤਾਕਤ ਨਾਲ ਮਾਰੋ, ਝਿਜਕੋ ਨਾ।

    Pūrī tākat nāl māro, jhijko nā.

    Strike with full power, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The standard call when the person holding the pad or shield wants your full commitment. A half-hearted, hesitant strike is more likely to hurt your wrist, so you are urged to hit properly

    Grammar Note

    A prohibition is formed by placing "nā" after the imperative ("jhijko nā" = do not hesitate). The postposition "nāl" marks the instrument, "with / by means of"

17. ਪੰਜ ਮਿੰਟ ਆਰਾਮ ਕਰੋ ਤੇ ਪਾਣੀ ਪੀਓ।

    Panj mint ārām karo te pānī pīo.

    Take a five-minute break and drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Punjab summers pass 40 degrees and akharas are rarely air-conditioned, so frequent water breaks are built into the session. Some akharas hand out homemade lassi or "sharbat" during the pause

    Grammar Note

    "Panj" (five) is the same element as in the province name Punjab, "land of five waters". "Te" is the colloquial short form of "ate" (and)

18. ਅੱਜ ਲਈ ਬੱਸ ਏਨਾ ਹੀ। ਸ਼ਾਬਾਸ਼!

    Ajj laī bass enā hī. Shābāsh!

    That is enough for today. Well done!

    Usage

    The coach's closing line. At some akharas students still touch the teacher's feet as a mark of respect afterwards. Sessions at gurdwara-attached akharas end with the Sikh salutation "Vahiguru jī kā Khālsā, Vahiguru jī kī Fateh"

    Grammar Note

    "Shābāsh" comes from Persian "shād bāsh" (be joyful) and is a word of praise used across South Asia. The particle "hī" restricts the preceding word to mean "only that much"

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