Lathi – The secret Indian form of defense
Lathi is not an activity to use a bamboo stick or cane to hit others randomly. It is a form of martial arts. Lathi means bamboo stick in Hindi. This type of martial arts often uses a 6 to 8 foot long bamboo stick or staff with an optional blunt metal. Lathi has been used by the Indian police or authority for crowd control. In fact, Lathi has also been considered as one of the oldest weapons in the world.
History
For many years, Lathi has been popular among the villages and rural areas of India, usually in East and South India. It is not only used to fight against others, but also to control animals in certain regions.
Lathi was used for many different things, but the owners of the land used it to show their strength and help them rule over others. They raised large groups of people who were then trained in Lathi, which they used to demonstrate their power over others. Instead of being used for self-defense, they were used as an aggressive force trying to dominate others.
Lathi has also been used for sport around the same time that owners used it for security purposes. Lathi tournaments were often held between different Indian villages, where the owners could prove their power to each other through Lathi tournaments.
Before India was ruled by the British government, the Zamindari system was introduced. The Zamindar trained and hired armies of Lathial for many purposes. One of the purposes of using Lathial’s armies was to forcibly collect taxes from Indian citizens. It was also used by the Indian riot police as their primary weapon to disperse rioters, only using firearms when the Lathi could not be used efficiently. The system continued during the British rule over India, and the British government authorized and introduced Lathi as one of the weapons for the police and army in India. At the time, Lathi was often used to control riots, fights, and crowds against the British government.
After India became independent, the Zamindari system was abolished. This caused the decline of Lathial’s armies and Lathi was transformed into a form of martial art. On the other hand, urbanization was also a reason that caused the decline of this form of martial art.
Although it has been declining, many wealthy landowners and farmers still train and hire Lathial for security purposes in rural areas or villages in India. They see Lathi, still, as a form or a way to show their power. However, Lathi battles between villages are still held today, and it remains a famous sport in many villages and rural areas of India.
Today, the Lathi remains one of the Indian police’s main weapons for riot control. All Indian police officers and some security guards nowadays have training in Lathi position due to its efficiency.
heart centered
Lathi is a form of martial arts, but like other forms, it has many things that set it apart from the rest. There will be some similarities, but most people will be able to recognize the differences. The dan-tien is the center of energy, as it is in other martial arts. This center of energy in martial arts is what is behind the distinctive posture its users take.
Lathi shares many common aspects with other martial arts, but it is different from the others. First, it is different from other martial arts in terms of its energy center. In Lathi, the energy center is in the heart, while in others it is lower in the body. It might not seem like much of a difference, but it does affect Lathi users’ ability to perform their moves. It is similar to the difference as the center of gravity of a woman. The woman has a lower center of gravity and changes the way she balances her body as she moves. The higher center of gravity is also supposed to affect the body’s ability to heal itself.
One of the most important parts of any martial art is the breathing techniques that are used. Since Lathi’s energy center is higher; the place through which the breath is concentrated is also higher. This Lathi breathing technique is also a reason behind the movements of its practitioners and is said to help with the healing of the body as well.
spiritual practice
Lathi is not only a powerful therapeutic healing tool but also a good spiritual practice for people. It is a physical practice for the whole body and harmonizes the body and mind by moving energy. Its continuous and repetitive movements provide balance and subsequently organize the body. When you move energy through the body, you also connect our physical body to a deep state of inner meditation. On the one hand, it is a very active sport or practice that harmonizes our body and calms our mind and spirit at the same time.
Martial Arts
Lathi is of course a martial art, but it can be dangerous. It’s not a game for gentlemen and you can’t go wrong. It’s like fighting in the street. The goal of this martial art is to win. Historically, Lathi is for security purposes, so it is a smooth and graceful way of moving the body, and it is an effective system for busting a body based on stick fighting at the same time.
Training
People who practice Lathi must be able to fight with a stick, which can be of different lengths and thicknesses. Generally speaking, combat is one on one, but the martial art can also include routine combat to fight against different opponents. Since Lathi uses the heart chakras as its energy center, practitioners primarily fight in an upright position.
self defense
Interestingly, Lathi has recently been used by a group of Indian women in the Bundelkhand region who have demanded justice against abusive men, husbands and fathers. While domestic violence, child marriages and dowry demands are still all too common in rural India, a women’s group, the Gulabi Gang, They have been taught to use Lathi for their self-defense and when necessary they can use Lathi against bullies.