✦ Member
← Arsenal

WABUKAN Arsenal · Training tools · India

Gada

A heavy club-mace. Indian wrestlers swing gada and wooden clubs (mudgar) to build strong shoulders and grip.

Gada
Gada WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

गदा · gadā; mudgar; jori (paired clubs)

Origin and history

The gada, a heavy mace, is an ancient Indian weapon associated with the god Hanuman and the hero Bhima of the Mahabharata. In kushti (pehlwani) wrestling akharas it became a training tool, swung behind the back to build the shoulders and grip.

Martial arts that use it

Kushti

Construction

A wooden or metal shaft with a heavy spherical head, from a few kilograms to over 20 kg; training gadas are often bamboo shafts with a stone or concrete head. Mudgar or jori are paired wooden clubs.

Basic techniques

Training

Training tools are used in short, regular sessions: correct technique first, then gradual increases in load or contact so that joints, skin and tendons adapt.

Safety

Increase load and contact gradually, stop if joints hurt (as opposed to normal muscle fatigue), and check the equipment and its fixings before each use.

Legality (general information)

This is training or traditional equipment, not a weapon, and is generally free to buy and own. Clubs and federations may still set rules on approved models and condition. General information, not legal advice.

Did you know?

A silver or gold gada is still the trophy of major Indian wrestling titles such as Rustam-e-Hind.

More weapons

Feder Espada preta (black sword) Punching bag Meel Dussack Bokken

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Gada (mace)
  2. Wikipedia — Pehlwani