Indian Gada

Kushti wrestlers in India have trained with the Gada for many generations. It holds a very special place with Indian Physical Culture common in the Akhara of North India. Gada of various weights are used depending on the skill level of the practitioner.

The Gada is taken, sometimes thrown, from the ground over the head to start the movement and is swung freely and smoothly behind the body.

The Gada is the weapon of the Hindu god Hanuman. Known for his strength, Hanuman is worshipped by wrestlers of South Asia. Traditionally the Gada consists of a heavy stone secured to a metre length of bamboo. However, a Gada can be a steel ball secured to the end of a shaft and omemade versions can be made from a cement ball, a clay pot or a bowling ball.

A whole body exercise that makes you feel alive and is truly mind and body working together. They are swung for hundreds of repetitions and will fortify the whole body, making it an idyllic fitness tool for martial artists or anybody wanting to elevate their fitness.

The two major Gada exercises are the 360 and the 10 to 2, performed in one or two hands. The Gada is a difficult skill to master. You have to learn to relax and let the Gada swing behind you naturally, rather than trying to ‘muscle it’.

I recommend learning the movement with something light such as broom prior to attempting anything heavier.