Shastra Vidya: The Ancient Indian Martial Art of the Hindu Kshatriyas

The subject of historical martial arts is one close to my hart and this book in no way disappoints. It is illustrated and clearly laid out, it covers the Northern Indian martial arts not the southern Kalaripayattu that is more well known and practised, the book is entirely based on the ancient and medieval Sanskrit texts. It covers weaponry, grappling and boxing with illustrations of methods from the texts being applied. Archery stances (taken from the Dhanurveda) are also covered. This is a unique book on the subject and clearly is the product of much research and dedication. Even if you don't practice historical and traditional martial arts you should find this interesting from a historical and cultural stand point.

Intriguing! The author has done a good job reconstructing this ancient Hindu fighting art.

I've seen a few books on South Indian martial arts before, but this is first one I've come across on North India’s ‘Shastra Vidya.’ I liked how primary sources were used and it's clearly set-out. I literally never knew that the ancient Indians used a pasha (lasso) in war. Several other weapons in there I've never heard of (i.e bhindipala, hala, shakti, etc). Like the author says, a lot of the arms and armour many of us today think are Indian are actually Persian (eg shamshir, char-aina, etc), bought to India by invaders, and many of the indigenous Indian weapons and armour as well as their uses were lost. So, this work's a great insight into something I've not read about before. I am pleased to add it to my book collection. If you're into any martial arts, this is a great resource for new understandings of Indian MA.

Great book. The author is on a quest to understand the ancient ways of the east and he is doing a great job.

I was expecting some technical instruction as per sanatan shaster vidya. But this is a very basic introduction and contains no such teaching.

I brought this book on a whim for my husband (a martial arts aficionado) and he really loved it. So many facts on Indian martial arts and culture packed in one book. The images make it even more interesting!

Absolutely rubbish

Buon libro sull'arte marziale indiana praticata dai guerrieri Kshatriyas

Good to know history

Indian Martial Arts as a whole is a pretty beautiful sight to behold. Not only do these styles look like they're dancing playfully, but they are quite effective in fighting and protecting oneself from multiple attackers. The issue is that there isn't enough resources to gain an understanding on these martial arts. There are a few books on Kalarippayatuu and one on Gatka, but nothing else really goes into depth. This book doesn't necessarily teach you step by step techniques, but it is a great introduction to basics ideas of indian weapons and the warrior class. This book also gives a general list of the weapons used and some ideas on their effectiveness.Some weapons i've seen, but others are completely new to me as well. A lot of the information comes from other stories and manuals, so expect to hear some excerpts when something is described. I also enjoyed reading about certain practices like how its custom to pray to their weapons, as well as hearing about military tactics. Although I would recommend a different book if you wanted to learn about a specific indian martial arts, this book is great for those looking for learning some basic ideas on how india would have fought just a bit after firearms were introduced. I think I can start seeing the separation between European, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian swordplay and fighting methods Although i didn't learn anything too deep into the fighting methods I wanted, I'm plenty satisfied with all the new things I learned while reading it.

I am a life long martial artist who has always been interested in the origins. This is a thoughtful and seemingly well researched work, that explains a ton. I highly recommend this book, for any martial artist.