Maces/Gada
Myth & Meaning
I’ve been sitting on this information for awhile now, and have only shared it with a select few individuals. But, after reading what is truly a well meaning blog about the “origins” of the Gada or Mace of Vedic tradition I asked the source of my information if I could reveal it on a global scale and I was given permission to begin to let “some” information out.
For some people knowing the “traditions” behind something isn’t overly important. To some degree they are correct, swinging a Mace WILL make you very strong, with or without this “deeper” knowledge. I can personally attest to this, I have done things with the Macebell that no one else has even come close too and it is my videos on YouTube that have spearheaded the interest in the macebell, I am very accomplished in it's use.
So why does that matter?
Because as accomplished as I was, I didn’t begin swinging 80-100lb Macebells until I began to realize the deeper implications of the Mace or Gada and tapped into a current of ancient tradition.
Knowing this tradition helped fuel my love of the Gada, embracing it on a deeper level. The gada became a part of me. I vowed to swing bigger and heavier and not let the Macebell become “just another” fad tool and forgotten because some money driven “Guru” did a couple of weak swings with it moved on.
The man in the orange robes in my video above is a venerable Buddhist monk; he was the head abbot at one of the oldest Buddhist monastery in India for well over 20 years. Meeting him was one of the most auspicious events in my life. He opened doors to Japanese Shinto and the heavy club swinging spirits called Oni, revealed to me warrior concepts of Buddhism that few have ever heard outside of monastery walls, and he also placed me in contact with a very secretive group he met and to some degree even working with during his time in India. An all male sect devoted to Hanuman, the Vedic Monkey god of strength, wisdom, compassion and courage.
In Vedic belief Hanuman defeats evil demons and proects people from harm. Hanuman is asked to lend his strength to smash bad luck, crush evil intentions and snap the chains of addiction. Hanuman’s compassion directs him to act on behalf of the poor, the abused, the down trodden, the oppressed, the enslaved and the tormented.
This sect of men devoted to him both worship and train to “re-shape” their bodies and spirits in his image and to do his work on earth. They swing Gadas and clubs, use dumbbells and hold one or two “simple” but taxing yogic postures for 10-15-20 minutes at a time while praying to and meditating on him.
During the day these men have families, hold down jobs, they go to school, etc. But at night, or whenever the need arises, they come together in the streets and liberate their town from pimps, drug dealers, thugs, and corrupt officials in a VERY direct way. These men love their people so much they willing face death, torture, and imprisonment to prove it and to show their devotion to the teachings of Hanuman.
So more than just about anyone these men KNOW how to utilize the Gada, clubs and physical and spiritual training to get the most out of the time they have and face such dangerous odds, with no back up and no support from law enforcement.
Not only is their physical training method simple and mind boggling effective, but, to face such hardships, their spiritual values MUST be up to par.
In just ONE story about the origins of the Mace, and the story that sparked me posting this blog.
An aspect of Vishnu as asked to make a weapon out of the bones of a powerful war mongering demon named Gada who is treating the world as his own personal killing field, and then to destroy Gada with that weapon made of his own bones.
Yeah... thats a nice watered down version of the real story.
The real story is that an aspect of Vishnu is asked to render impotent, yes, impotent a powerful Demon named Gada. Gada had become so powerful he was completely detached from the consequences of his actions and intoxicated with his own sense of power believes he is above judgement for his actions. The “bones” Vishnu was to take was literally Gada’s penis.
The penis is viewed as the storehouse of masculine power, the testosterone regulates the development of muscles and aggressive, forceful, and confident actions, actions that can be used to create or destroy.
Now before you linked nonsensical values of good and evil to the powers of creation and destruction, understand that neither is good or evil. What IS good or evil is what you do with them.
You can create as much good as you can evil and you can destroy evil as much as you can destroy something good. Testosterone can direct the creation of life, such as a family, or it can sire a number of fatherless children as you go and get your “rocks off”. Testosterone can also impel you stand up to a reckless and unrighteous authority, or it can help drive you to become a bully or thug.
It’s NOT about denying these impulses, it’s about learning how to use these tools you have been blessed with to help promote a world worth living in.
The demon Gada had become a force of complete destruction, but his “gada” or power is still of great need. The Mace or Gada you swing is a way of harnessing that power to create more strength, destroy your weakness, create endurance, destroy sloth, create functional strength and destroy one-dimensional power.
The Gada is a symbol of self mastery, and when a man masters himself, he masters his own true “royal scepter” the source of his testosterone, he is a king of his domain. Now, whether he is a good king or a bad king is the real struggle. Are you a king that people praise out of love, admiration and gratitude or are you a Tyrant people fear and detest?
While swinging the Gada as man or woman asks themselves, “To what end do I swing this? What will I do with the strength and endurance I will develop from this practice? What type of King (or Queen) am I?”
That is a powerful question and one that most times will make one stop training and re-evaluate what they are doing, pausing dead in their tracks… searching for an answer.
Hanuman teaches that exercise can be a fire that burns the evil within men to ashes, burning away impurities and revealing a spirit that shine like gold and is worth the weight of a mountain of gold to this world.
In the light of this, there is simply no way your Gada or Mace swinging practice will ever be the same again, and trust me you WILL ask yourself “To what end do I swing this? What will I do with the strength and endurance I will develop from this practice, what kind of King will am I?”
Believe me, that is a good thing, and, if the answer resonates with your true self, you WILL swing heavier, harder and more than you ever did prior because you will be creating a fire to burn away all that keeps you from living your true life and revealing a indomitable spirit committed to attaining your highest wishes.
Hanuman would say he builds strength so that he can lend it to those in needs and to support causes of true compassion. That muscle is nothing if the spirit is weak and that talk means NOTHING you are demonstrating your words through actions and deeds.
Now that I have shared just a small part of this tradition, the Gada is now not JUST a mace to swing, but a royal scepter to master so that you can master yourself and become a great king of your domain.
Neat huh?
This is only a small portion of information I have been gifted with, there is much deeper levels to this.
Interested, drop me a line and we will see where it can lead.
-Kevin Wikse