Martial Arts of India: Quick Answer
India has 16 widely listed traditional martial arts in this guide, with home states in 14 states and union territories. The oldest is Kalaripayattu of Kerala, traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE. The only martial art that is a state sport is Mallakhamb, the state sport of Madhya Pradesh (declared in 2013). The most-asked pairing is the state each art belongs to — where the traps sit: Lathi belongs to two states, Mallakhamb is claimed by two, and one art has three spellings. This page is as of 7 November 2026.
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: Total = 16 arts, 14 states/UTs. Oldest = Kalaripayattu (Kerala). State sport = Mallakhamb (Madhya Pradesh, 2013). Stick arts = Silambam (Tamil Nadu) and Lathi (Bengal + Punjab). Sword-and-spear art = Thang Ta (Manipur). Learn the table and the traps, and the match-the-following questions answer themselves.
Is anything new? No. Unlike cut-offs and results, this list does not change with the news — the same 16 arts appear in exam after exam. The demand here is steady revision demand, driven by match-the-following questions in SSC and banking GK sections, not by a 2026 announcement. Learn it once, revise it before every exam.
What Counts as a Martial Art Here?
A martial art is a structured fighting system — armed or unarmed — passed down inside a community, with its own training ground, weapons and rules. That definition is what keeps the table honest: wrestling and pole gymnastics qualify (Inbuan, Mallakhamb), and so do archery contests (Thoda), because each has fixed rules and a home community. Dance forms do not qualify on their own, even when they borrow fighting steps — which is why Chhau appears only beside Pari-Khanda, not as a row.
Three spellings need settling before the table, because exams print all of them. Kalaripayattu is also written Kalarippayattu and Kalari Payattu — one art, three spellings, never three arts. Mallakhamb is also written Malla Khamb (from malla, wrestler, and khamb, pole). Paika Akhada appears as Paikha Akhada in some sources. This note uses one spelling per art and notes the variant once, in the row.
Martial Arts of India: Complete State-wise List (All 16)
One table, every art counted once, each in its home state.
| Martial art | State / UT | Weapon / unarmed | One-line feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalaripayattu | Kerala | Sword, spear, stick, flexible sword (urumi); unarmed forms too | Oldest surviving art, traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE; practised in a kalari training hall; includes healing techniques |
| Silambam | Tamil Nadu | Bamboo staff | Stick fencing named in Sangam literature; swift footwork and animal movements |
| Kuttu Varisai | Tamil Nadu | Unarmed | Empty-hand combat; the unarmed component of Silambam; mentioned in Sangam literature |
| Gatka | Punjab | Wooden sticks (soti) and shield; swords in the older Shastar Vidya | Sikh martial art linked to Guru Hargobind; Gatka Federation of India formed in 2008 |
| Thang Ta | Manipur | Sword (thang) and spear (ta) | Armed half of Huyen Langlon; the unarmed half is Sarit-Sarak |
| Cheibi Gad-ga | Manipur | Stick and shield (sword and shield in the older form) | Modern practice uses a leather-covered stick and a leather shield |
| Mardani Khel | Maharashtra | Patta (sword) and vita (corded lance) | Maratha weapon art associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj |
| Mallakhamb | Madhya Pradesh (also practised in Maharashtra) | Pole — unarmed gymnastics | Pole gymnastics; declared the state sport of Madhya Pradesh in 2013 |
| Sqay | Jammu & Kashmir | Curved single-edged sword and shield; unarmed forms too | Kashmiri sword art, now played as a competitive sport |
| Thoda | Himachal Pradesh | Bow and blunt-tipped arrows | Archery contest held at Baisakhi; archers aim below the opponent's knee |
| Pari-Khanda | Bihar (also practised in Jharkhand) | Sword and shield | Rhythmic sword-and-shield steps that feed into Chhau dance |
| Lathi Khela | West Bengal and Punjab | Bamboo staff (lathi) | Stick fighting; a practitioner is called a lathial; used in both Bengal and Punjab |
| Musti Yuddha | Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi) | Unarmed | Ancient boxing — punches, kicks, knees and elbows, no weapons |
| Inbuan wrestling | Mizoram | Unarmed (wrestling) | The aim is to lift the opponent out of the circle without stepping out of it |
| Kathi Samu | Andhra Pradesh | Sword | Performed on a garidi ground; the vairi stick fight comes before the real sword fight |
| Paika Akhada | Odisha | Sword and shield, swung to drum beats | Training school of the Paika peasant militia |
Two states have two arts each: Tamil Nadu (Silambam, Kuttu Varisai) and Manipur (Thang Ta, Cheibi Gad-ga). Manipur's two are related but not the same — Thang Ta is the armed combat of Huyen Langlon, Cheibi Gad-ga is its stick-and-shield sparring form. Counting them as one art is the most common undercount in this topic.
One form is deliberately left out of the table: the Khukuri dance of the Gurkhas, a war dance performed with the khukuri knife. It is a performance tradition rather than a state-mapped martial art, so it appears here as a note, not a 17th row.
Records and Firsts
| Record | Answer |
|---|---|
| Oldest martial art (as claimed) | Kalaripayattu, Kerala — traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE, and often called the oldest surviving martial art in the world |
| Only martial art that is a state sport | Mallakhamb — state sport of Madhya Pradesh, declared in 2013 |
| Art with a national federation dated in sources | Gatka — Gatka Federation of India formed in 2008 |
| Only archery-based art in the table | Thoda, Himachal Pradesh |
| Only pole-gymnastics art in the table | Mallakhamb, Madhya Pradesh |
| State with two arts | Tamil Nadu (Silambam + Kuttu Varisai) and Manipur (Thang Ta + Cheibi Gad-ga) |
| Art named in Sangam literature | Silambam and Kuttu Varisai (Tamil Nadu) |
| Art tied to a named guru | Gatka — Guru Hargobind, the 6th Sikh Guru, adopted the kirpan for self-defence |
The "oldest" wording matters. Sources say Kalaripayattu is "considered" or "believed to be" one of the oldest fighting systems in existence, and date it "around" the 3rd century BCE. No inscription settles the date. In an exam, "oldest martial art of India" is answered Kalaripayattu; in this note, the claim stays attributed, because the evidence is tradition, not a dated record.
Match-the-Following Traps (Where the Marks Are Lost)
Exams rarely ask "what is Gatka?" They give two columns and ask you to match. These are the pairs that decide that question:
- Gatka ↔ Punjab, never Haryana. Gatka is the Sikh art; the neighbouring-state distractor is Haryana. If Haryana appears in the options, it is the wrong answer.
- Silambam ↔ Tamil Nadu, never Kerala. Kerala owns Kalaripayattu, so the two southern arts get swapped. Staff = Tamil Nadu; kalari = Kerala.
- Kathi Samu ↔ Andhra Pradesh, never Telangana. Telangana owns the Cheriyal scroll and the state's own art forms; Kathi Samu sits across the border in Andhra Pradesh.
- Mallakhamb ↔ Madhya Pradesh, never Maharashtra. Maharashtra is the trap because Mallakhamb is widely practised there too. The exam answer follows the state-sport declaration: Madhya Pradesh, 2013.
- Lathi ↔ two states. A question offering only West Bengal or only Punjab as the home of Lathi is incomplete — both are correct, and the full answer names both.
- Pari-Khanda ↔ Bihar, not Odisha. Odisha owns Paika Akhada, so the eastern pair gets swapped. Sword-and-shield Pari-Khanda is Bihar's; drum-synced Paika is Odisha's.
- Thang Ta and Cheibi Gad-ga are both Manipur — and both are asked. If a question lists only one Manipuri art, check whether the other is hiding in the options as the "extra" match.
Common Mistakes Students Make
- Treating Kalaripayattu's three spellings as three arts. Kalaripayattu, Kalarippayattu and Kalari Payattu are one Kerala art. Counting all three inflates the total past 16.
- Calling Mallakhamb a Maharashtrian art. It is practised in Maharashtra, but its home state for exams is Madhya Pradesh, where it is the state sport.
- Answering only Bengal for Lathi. Lathi Khela is a Bengal art and a Punjab art. Drishti IAS states the stick is used in the martial arts of both Punjab and Bengal.
- Merging Thang Ta into Cheibi Gad-ga. Both are Manipuri and both belong to the Huyen Langlon system, but Thang Ta is the sword-and-spear combat and Cheibi Gad-ga is the stick-and-shield form.
- Saying Gatka uses only swords. Modern Gatka uses wooden sticks (soti) and shields; the sharp swords belong to the older Shastar Vidya it came from.
- Calling Kalaripayattu "proved" the oldest. It is traditionally dated and widely described as the oldest — the claim is attributed in every careful source, never settled by a dated record.
How to Remember the Martial Arts
- Learn the K-alliteration: Kalaripayattu = Kerala, Kalari = the hall. One K opens both words.
- Staff = Sangam = Silambam. All three start with S, all three belong to Tamil Nadu.
- Gatka = Guru's art = Punjab. Guru Hargobind, Sikh Gurus, Punjab — one chain.
- Thang = sword, Ta = spear. Two T-words, two weapons, one Manipuri art.
- Malla-KHAMB = MP. The M of Mallakhamb and the M of Madhya Pradesh, sealed by the 2013 state-sport declaration.
- Thoda aims low. Archery at Baisakhi, arrows at the legs below the knee — "Thoda" and "toe" share the target.
- Paika = peasant army = Odisha. The Paika militia drilled in akhadas to drum beats; Pari-Khanda, the other sword-and-shield art, is Bihar's.
Martial Arts of India MCQs with Answers
Q1. How many traditional martial arts are listed in the complete table on this page? (a) 10 (b) 14 (c) 16 (d) 18 Answer: (c) 16 — across 14 states and union territories.
Q2. Which martial art is traditionally regarded as the oldest in India? (a) Gatka (b) Silambam (c) Kalaripayattu (d) Thang Ta Answer: (c) Kalaripayattu — Kerala, traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE.
Q3. Silambam, the bamboo-staff martial art, belongs to which state? (a) Kerala (b) Tamil Nadu (c) Karnataka (d) Andhra Pradesh Answer: (b) Tamil Nadu — named in Sangam literature.
Q4. Gatka is the martial art of which community and state? (a) Marathas, Maharashtra (b) Sikhs, Punjab (c) Rajputs, Rajasthan (d) Gurkhas, Uttarakhand Answer: (b) Sikhs, Punjab — linked to Guru Hargobind.
Q5. In Thang Ta, what do "Thang" and "Ta" mean? (a) Shield and sword (b) Sword and spear (c) Bow and arrow (d) Stick and shield Answer: (b) Sword and spear — the armed half of Manipur's Huyen Langlon.
Q6. Mallakhamb is the state sport of which state? (a) Maharashtra (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Chhattisgarh (d) Gujarat Answer: (b) Madhya Pradesh — declared in 2013. Maharashtra is where it is also widely practised, not the exam answer.
Q7. Thoda, the archery-based martial art performed at Baisakhi, belongs to which state? (a) Punjab (b) Uttarakhand (c) Himachal Pradesh (d) Jammu & Kashmir Answer: (c) Himachal Pradesh — archers aim below the opponent's knee.
Q8. Kathi Samu is the martial art of which state? (a) Telangana (b) Karnataka (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Odisha Answer: (c) Andhra Pradesh — performed on a garidi ground.
Q9. Lathi Khela is practised in which states? (a) West Bengal only (b) Punjab only (c) West Bengal and Punjab (d) Bihar and Jharkhand Answer: (c) West Bengal and Punjab — the lathi is used in the martial arts of both states.
Q10. Sqay, the sword-and-shield martial art, belongs to which region? (a) Punjab (b) Kashmir (c) Ladakh (d) Manipur Answer: (b) Kashmir — in Jammu & Kashmir; it uses a curved single-edged sword and a shield.
Martial Arts of India FAQs
How many martial arts are there in India?
There is no official total. This page lists the 16 forms that exam sources converge on, across 14 states and UTs. Shorter lists (top-10 pages) omit Paika Akhada, Sqay, Kathi Samu and Cheibi Gad-ga.
Which is the oldest martial art in India?
Kalaripayattu of Kerala, traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE and often called the oldest surviving martial art in the world. The date rests on tradition, not on a dated record, so careful sources word it as a claim.
Which martial art is the state sport of Madhya Pradesh?
Mallakhamb (Malla Khamb), declared Madhya Pradesh's state sport in 2013. It is pole gymnastics: a gymnast performs postures on a vertical wooden pole.
What is the difference between Thang Ta and Cheibi Gad-ga?
Both are Manipuri and both belong to the Huyen Langlon system. Thang Ta is the armed combat using sword and spear; Cheibi Gad-ga is the stick-and-shield sparring form, today fought with a leather-covered stick.
Is Mallakhamb a martial art or a sport?
Both, in practice. It began as a wrestlers' training discipline (malla = wrestler, khamb = pole) and is now counted as a sport — which is why it could be declared a state sport. Exams list it with the martial arts.
Which Indian martial arts use sticks?
Silambam (Tamil Nadu, bamboo staff), Lathi Khela (West Bengal and Punjab, bamboo lathi), Gatka (Punjab, wooden sticks in modern practice) and Cheibi Gad-ga (Manipur, stick and shield).
Where does Musti Yuddha come from?
Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh. It is unarmed boxing — punches, kicks, knees and elbows, with no weapons.
Related topics: revise folk dances of India state-wise, classical dances of India and their states, states and capitals of India 2026 and first in India list next.
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Sources: Vedantu, "Top 10 Most Famous Martial Arts in India" (updated 27 October 2026); Drishti IAS, "Martial Art Forms in India" (PIB-sourced; Thang Ta, Lathi in Punjab and Bengal, Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Mallakhamb, Silambam, Musti Yuddha, Kathi Samu, Sqay, Paika Akhada); PMF IAS, "Martial Art Forms of India" (16 February 2024; Silambam Sangam refs, Gatka, Mardani Khel, Malla Khamb state sport 2013, Sqay); IAStopper table for Lathi (Punjab, Bengal), Mardani Khel weapons (patta, vita) and Kuttu Varisai; Prepp notes for Thoda (Baisakhi, blunt arrows, below the knee) and Kuttu Varisai (Sangam mention, unarmed component of Silambam); Wikipedia "Cheibi" for the modern leather-covered stick and shield. As of 7 November 2026.