Indian Martial Art

India, and South Asia by extension, is home to a variety of martial arts. In Sanskrit they may be collectively referred to as śastravidyā or dhanurveda. The former is a compound of the words śastra (weapon) and vidyā (knowledge), meaning "knowledge of weapons". The latter term derives from the words for bow (dhanushya) and knowledge (veda), literally "science of the bow" in Puranic literature, later applied to martial arts in general. The Vishnu Purana text describes dhanurveda as one of the traditional eighteen branches of "applied knowledge" or upaveda.
In Tamil they are known by the umbrella terms kaḷarik kalai (Tamil: களரிக் கலை) meaning "art of the battleground", or taṟkāppuk kalai (தற்காப்புக் கலை) meaning "art of self-defence".
A wide array of weapons are used in South Asia, some of which are not found anywhere else. According to P.C. Chakravati in The Art of War in Ancient India, armies used standard weapons such as wooden or metal tipped spears, swords, thatched bamboo, wooden or metal shields, axes, short and long bows in warfare as early as the 4th century BC. Military accounts of the Gupta Empire (c. 240–480) and the later Agni Purana identify over 130 different weapons.
The Agni Purana divides weapons into thrown and unthrown classes. The thrown (mukta) class includes twelve weapons altogether which come under four categories, viz.

• yantra-mukta: projectile weapons such as the sling or the bow
• pāṇi-mukta: weapons thrown by hand such as the javelin
• mukta-sandharita: weapons that are thrown and drawn back, such as the rope-spear
• mantra-mukta: mythical weapons that are thrown by magic incantations (mantra), numbering 6 types

These were opposed to the much larger unthrown class of three categories.

• hasta-śastra or amukta: melee weapons that do not leave the hand, numbering twenty types
• muktāmukta: weapons that can be thrown or used in-close, numbering 98 varieties
• bāhu-yuddha: nine weapons of the body (hands, feet, knees, elbows and head), i.e. unarmed fighting

The duel with bow and arrows is considered the most noble, fighting with the spear ranks next, while fighting with the sword is considered unrefined, and wrestling is classed as the meanest or worst form of fighting. Only a kshatriya could be an acharya (teacher) of dhanurveda, Brahmins and vaishya should learn from the kshatriya, while a shudra could not take a teacher, left to "fight of his own in danger".

Over time, weaponry evolved and India became famed for its flexible wootz steel. Armed forces were largely standardised and it is unclear if regular infantry were trained in any recognisable martial system other than standard military drills. More sophisticated techniques and weapons were employed by fighters trained in the warrior jāti.
Aside from exceptions like wrestling and boxing, most of the commonly-known South Asian fighting systems prioritize or put strong emphasis on armed fighting. The most commonly taught weapons today are types of swords, daggers, spears, staffs, cudgels and maces.

Swordsmanship

Sword-fighting (khadga-vidya) is perhaps the most common system of armed combat in South Asia, found in every regional Indian fighting style. Varieties include the curved single-edge sword, the straight double-edge sword, the longsword, and the pata or gauntlet-sword. Techniques differ from one state to another but all make extensive use of circular movements, often circling the weapon around the user's head. The flexible nature and light weight of Indian swords allows for speed but provides little defensive ability, so that the swordsman must instead rely on body maneuvers to dodge attacks. Entire systems exist focusing on drawing the sword out of the opponent's body. Stances and forms traditionally made up the early training before students progressed to free sparring with wooden swords, often paired with shields (fari-gatka). Pairing two swords of equal length, though considered impractical in some parts of the world, is common in India. A common skill which South Asian swordsmen use to practice precision-cutting is to slice cloves or lemons, eventually doing so while blindfolded.

Staffplay

Stick-fighting (lathi khela) is an ancient art, practiced even by the adivasi. In the Kama Sutra the sage Vātsyāyana enjoins all women to practice fighting with single-stick, quarterstaff, sword and bow and arrow in addition to the art of love-making. Stick-fighting may be taught as part of a wider system like silambam or on its own, as is most common in the northern states. The stick (lathi in Hindi) ranges from the length of a cudgel to a five foot staff, and in some styles may be paired with a fari or shield. The stick used during matches is covered in leather to cushion the impact. Points are awarded based on which part of the body is hit. Lathi khela continues to be practiced throughout much of India and Bangladesh but is currently most popular in rural Rajasthan and the Bengal region.

Spearplay

The South Asian spear is typically made of wood, with red cloth attached near the blade to prevent the opponent's blood from dripping to the shaft. It can be used in hand-to-hand combat or thrown when the fighters are farther apart. One type of spear unique to India is the vita, which has a five foot length of cord attached to the butt end of the weapon and tied around the spearman's wrist. Using this cord, the spear can be pulled back after it has been thrown. The Marathas were revered for their skill of wielding a ten-foot spear called bothati (ਬੋਥਾਟੀ) from horseback. Bothati fighting is practiced with a ball-tipped lance, the end of which is covered in dye so that hits may easily be confirmed. In solo training, the spear is aimed at a pile of stones.

Archery

Archery (dhanurvidya) is currently not a popular sport in South Asia. This was not always the case, however, as duels with the bow and arrow were once considered the noblest form of fighting and the one most suited to the brahmin caste. Siddartha Gautama was a champion with the bow, while Rama and Arjuna of the epics were both said to be peerless archers. Archery was also among the prime arts of the Buddhist university Takshashila from the 7th to the 5th century BC. One sport which has persisted into the present day is thoda from Himachal Pradesh, in which a team of archers attempt to shoot blunt arrows at the legs of the opposing team.