Why are Sikhs today so physically unfit?

Recently we have all heard about the massacre that was recently rediscovered in Haryana and you can read more about it on this link: [gurmatbibek.com]

This massacre also shows to us how important it is that Sikhs be Tyar bar Tyar all the time. Sikhs should be trained in some form of martial arts from childhood like puraatan Singhs were. That is why we never hear of Sikhs of puraatan times being victims of riots. During puraatan times when one Singh got Shaheed, he usually also killed a number of enemy combatants before getting Shaheedi. A puraatan Singh was very feared and respected like a lion is in a jungle.


It's no secret, we all know it, Sikhs today are physically unfit, ether we are overweight or too skinny. Sikhs should and need to be getting into physical fitness. Do some push-ups and squats everyday if nothing else, but please do some physical exercises so if you do get into a pangaa tomorrow you will not feel ashamed at yourself for losing a fight because you were physically unfit. Get training in any martial arts, I would suggest Krav Maga since it is effective for street fighting and even a riots type situation plus it is easy to learn.

From what I have seen, we Amritdharis are usually more physically unfit than the average mona Sikh out there, just look at our Raagis and Granthis, they are always overweight, it's almost depressing. Every Amritdhari should be physically fit whether they are children, youth, middle age or old age. Kulbir Singh Jee and other Sangat here, what do you all think? Please suggest some exercises I can do to get stronger.

Doing Shaster Abhyaas is part of Gurmat Bibek and able bodied Gursikhs - male or female - should do Shaster Abhyaas everyday. It's true that we all have become a bit Dhillay in this Bibek. Something needs to be done about it. Daas is quite dhilla in this field.

Kulbir Singh

Are there any stories of Bhai Sahib with regards to Gatka, physical fitness, etc? I'd imagine Bhai Sahib was incredibly fit especially pre-jail (torture in jail would have seriously affected his ability to exercise).

Veer keodn Ji, that is very important observation. I am not sure, if it is correct to say that Amritdhari are less healthy. Because, to compare health quotients of two groups, we need to take many other factors as constant. But if the observation is correct, that is very much disturbing. Let us see, how being Amritdhari can affect one's health.

Positive Affects on Health:

Vegetarianism benefits
No smoking benefit
No drugs/alcohol benefit
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. (we know that)
Less eating and less sleep, may be positive for health.
Naam Simran-------- direct positive affect on health.
Physical Sewa is physical exercise----------good for health.
Sangat----------Positive affect through mental health
Dependence on Guru makes one confidant, thus physically healthy.

Negative Affects on Health:

These affects could be related with our modern life style, being Amrtdhari.

Lack of Physical exercise: Spending more time/weekends/vacations on Kirtan/Katha/Computer instead of playgrounds/running tracks. There seems direct competition for time between Sangat and Playground, under present life style of Amritdhari Sikhs. Less interaction with non Amritdhari or Non sikhs, also keeps us away from play grounds/yoga sessions/gyms.

Attitude towards physical fitness: Worried too much about our spiritual heath, we pay less attention to our body fitness. Following our soul, we forget the body.

Food habits: More of milk fat is considered good in our Langars. Our Amritwela sessions are followed by unhealthy foods often.

More money power: Good habits, good education gives Amritdhari men and women, better jobs; which give less chance for physical exercise.

Conclusion:

Negative affects are due to our personal weaknesses and not due to Amrit.

3HO people seem to be practical people, by giving more importance to health than holiness.

Bhul Chuk Maaf Hove Ji. Please do add your comments.

I am a pretty fit person (in my opinion) and I exercise a lot but do not do Shaster Abhyaas. Is that the same as not exercising at all? Is Shaster Abhyaas itself the bibek?

Response to Japnaam Singh (love the name )

Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh in his auto biography talks about using a sword when a guard leaves it in his jail if i remember Bhai Sahib was practising his vaars (hits) but the prison guard took it away (cant remember the details hope a fellow gursikh could ellaborate on this point further).

Another case of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh weilding shaster was when the wall outside Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib was razed Bhai Sahib protested holding a 3' siri sahib (again those who know more details please add/ellaborate further)

Response to the topic

SsqRhIn ieh kbhUM n hoeI ] rihqvMq Kwls hY soeI ]
shasathreheen eih kabehoo(n) n hoee || rehithava(n)th khaalas hai soee ||
He who never abandons his weapon (Kirpaan). Recognise them as the disciplined and pure Khalsa.

Rehatnama Bhai Desa Singh

Its our duty as Sikhs who wear kirpan as kakkar should know how to use their kirpan effectivly and correctly. We should all learn how to do shastar abiyaas from gursikhs who practise it, great thing about it is that most of it revolves around simran as most martial arts are based on control the speed of your breath so your do physical and mental training.

All human beings should be fit and healthy, regular exercise, weight training etc but doing that alone without shastar abiyaas is not the same as shastar abiyaas is an art form which has to be learnt not something you pick up.

Best way to learn shastar abiyaas is only by learning from a gursikh but the sad thing is a lot of our brothers and sisters do not share what knowledge they learn from doing shastar abiyaas and that is why a lot of it is either lost or being forgotten, Guru Nanak Dev Jis khazana of knowlege is there to be shared amoungst brothers and sisters.

Shaheed Bhai Fauja Singh in the 70's started the Khalsa Farms where gursikhs can do naam abiyaas, amritvela, gurmat discussions, do martial art training, archery, sarbloh langar the lot. Maybe we need to approch it the way Bhai Fauja singh did (I can only dream of do that though ).