Sqay

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Sqay is a South Asian martial art from Kashmir which involves fighting with a sword and shield.[1]

Name[edit]

Sqay is believed to be a word from Persian meaning "knowledge of war".[2]

History[edit]

Sqay was historically practiced as a way to hunt and protect against wild animals, as well as for fighting invaders.[3] It dates back to at least 4000 BCE.[1] Kashmiri soldiers were required to practice sqay during the Muslim rule over Kashmir from 1325 to 1819 CE. In those times, sqay fell under the category of martial arts known as shamsherizen.[4][5] During British rule and afterwards, sqay's popularity greatly declined.[1][6][2]

Nazir Ahmad Mir, a sqay grandmaster, played a significant role in reviving the martial art's popularity; he began promoting sqay from the 1980s onwards in Kashmir, and did international demonstrations in various countries. He eventually started an organisation which helped promote sqay globally.[7][1][8]

Sqay will be included in the 2023 National Games of India.[9][10][11]

Gameplay[edit]

The sword used in Sqay, known as a tura, is made of bamboo with a leather cover. The shield, known as a bargula, is made of leather.[1]

Variants[edit]

Sqay has two variants - a combative variant known as Loba and an artistic variant. The artistic variant can be performed without music (known as khawanky) and the other with music (aerosqay).[1]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Sqay: Reviving an ancient Kashmiri Warfare Art Form". Financialexpress. 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "From Sqay's Mythical Origins to Afreen Hyder's Taekwondo Triumph". Kashmir Images Newspaper. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  3. Sharma, Ateet (2023-05-19). "Indian Army empowers Kashmiri girls to break barriers, embrace strength". Indianarrative. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  4. "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories". m.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  5. Experts, Arihant (2018-04-20). Indian Art & Culture. Arihant Publications India limited. ISBN 978-93-5094-484-4.
  6. Desk, K. R. (2023-05-27). "SQAY – an ancient martial art of Kashmir". Kashmir Reader. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  7. "Nazir Ahmad Mir: Athlete who introduced Kashmir's Sqay martial arts to world". risingkashmir.com. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  8. "SQAY Federation Congratulates Grandmaster". Brighter Kashmir. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  9. "National Games: Record 43 disciplines get nod, beach football to debut, lagori is demo sport". The Times of India. 2023-05-17. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  10. KHAN, ABID (2023-05-15). "37TH NATIONAL GAMES | 'Inclusion of Pencak Silat, Sqay disciplines will benefit J&K athletes'". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  11. Desk, K. R. (2023-09-03). "J&K Sqay Association conducts selection trials for 37th National Games". Kashmir Reader. Retrieved 2023-09-29.