There is something striking about watching a traditional Indian Pehelwan train with a Mudgar.
The movement looks simple at first.
A wooden club moves around the body. The wrestler guides it behind his back, brings it forward and repeats the motion.
But watch closely and you begin to notice something else.
The movement is controlled.
The grip is deliberate.
The shoulders are constantly working.
And the wrestler isn't simply lifting a heavy object. He is learning to control momentum.
That was the real value of the Mudgar inside the traditional akhada.
It wasn't designed to replace wrestling practice or become a bodybuilding exercise. It was one part of a much larger system of physical preparation used by Pehelwans. Historical descriptions of Pehelwani training include clubs and other traditional implements alongside bodyweight exercises, running, wrestling and other forms of conditioning.
So, how exactly did Pehelwans use the Mudgar?
The Mudgar Was a Training Tool, Not a Weapon
The first thing worth understanding is that the training Mudgar should not be confused with the idea of a mace as a battlefield weapon.
In the akhada, the Mudgar was used as exercise equipment.
Its long handle and heavier end created leverage and momentum. Instead of performing a straightforward lift, the Pehelwan could swing the club through controlled paths around the body.
Traditional sources describing Indian club training note movements in which one or two wooden clubs are swung behind the back and through different patterns. These movements are particularly associated with developing grip strength and shoulder endurance.
This is what made the Mudgar different from an ordinary weight.
The wrestler had to learn to work with the movement of the club.
A Pehelwan Didn't Start by Swinging the Heaviest Mudgar
Traditional wrestling was built around progression.
Young wrestlers entered the akhada under the guidance of a guru and developed their physical abilities over time. Training could begin at a young age, with formal wrestling education often taking place under the supervision of an experienced teacher.
The same principle applies to Mudgar training.
A beginner needs to learn the movement before worrying about the weight.
A heavier club produces more momentum and therefore demands greater control. Starting with something manageable allows the athlete to understand the path of the movement, the position of the hands and the rhythm of the swing.
This is an important lesson from traditional training:
Control comes before load.
The goal wasn't to impress someone with the size of the Mudgar.
The goal was to become better at handling it.
The Famous Swing Around the Body
When most people picture a Pehelwan using a Mudgar, they imagine the club moving around the body.
This is one of the defining characteristics of traditional club training.
The athlete uses the hands and arms to guide the club through a rotational path, often taking it behind the body before bringing it around again.
As the club moves, the athlete has to anticipate where its weight is going.
That makes the exercise very different from a conventional curl or shoulder raise.
The weight is moving.
The body is responding to that movement.
The hands are controlling the handle.
And the shoulders are working to maintain the path.
This is why Mudgar training has traditionally been associated with shoulder conditioning and endurance. Modern practitioners also describe the movements as useful for grip, core involvement and broader functional movement.
Why the Shoulders Mattered to Pehelwans
A wrestler's shoulders are constantly involved.
Pushing an opponent.
Pulling an opponent.
Controlling an arm.
Maintaining a hold.
Changing position.
Recovering from an awkward position.
Kushti demands a body capable of handling movement from many directions.
The Mudgar complemented this kind of preparation by putting the shoulders through repeated controlled movements.
Unlike a machine that guides the movement along a fixed track, a freely moving club requires the athlete to manage the path.
That makes coordination and control part of the challenge.
For a Pehelwan, that was valuable.
The Hands Were Doing More Than Holding the Club
One of the easiest things to overlook when watching Mudgar training is the grip.
The handle may look simple, but once the club starts moving, the hand becomes an important part of the entire movement.
The Pehelwan has to keep control of the handle while the heavier end creates momentum.
The wrist and forearm contribute to maintaining that control.
This is one reason traditional club training has long been associated with grip development. Historical descriptions specifically mention grip strength among the qualities developed through Mudgar and Indian club exercises.
For a wrestler, that mattered enormously.
A strong body is useful.
But in wrestling, the ability to hold on matters too.
Mudgar Training Was Part of a Bigger System
It would be misleading to imagine an old akhada as a place where Pehelwans simply spent hours swinging Mudgars.
They didn't.
The Mudgar was one component of a much broader training routine.
Traditional Pehelwani conditioning included exercises such as dands and baithaks, running, wrestling, rope climbing and various forms of resistance work. Historical accounts also describe traditional implements such as the gada, nal and other weights being used as part of physical preparation.
The purpose was to build the whole athlete.
The Mudgar could contribute to upper-body conditioning and movement control.
Dands developed pushing strength and body control.
Baithaks trained the legs and endurance.
Wrestling developed technique, timing and the ability to apply strength against another person.
Together, these methods created something much more complete than any single exercise.
The Pehelwan Trained for Wrestling, Not for Appearance
This distinction is important when looking at traditional Indian training through a modern fitness lens.
The goal of a Pehelwan wasn't simply to develop an impressive physique.
He needed a body that could perform.
He needed strength that could be used.
He needed endurance to continue wrestling.
He needed grip to maintain holds.
He needed balance to stay on his feet.
And he needed the coordination to bring all of these qualities together.
That is why traditional training often looks different from modern bodybuilding.
The exercises were not necessarily chosen because they isolated one muscle.
They were chosen because they helped build a capable wrestler.
The Mudgar fit that philosophy perfectly.
Why Pehelwans Used Momentum
Perhaps the most interesting part of Mudgar training is momentum.
With a conventional dumbbell, you can pick the weight up, lower it and repeat.
With a Mudgar, the length of the club changes the way the weight behaves.
Once the club is moving, it has momentum.
The Pehelwan has to guide that momentum rather than simply stop it.
This makes the movement feel almost rhythmic.
The better the control, the smoother the movement becomes.
That smoothness was not an accident.
It came from repetition.
Again and again.
Until the movement became familiar.
Until the wrestler could control the club without fighting it.
Repetition Was the Real Teacher
Traditional akhada training placed enormous importance on repetition.
A movement performed once teaches you very little.
A movement performed hundreds or thousands of times teaches the body something different.
This philosophy extended far beyond the Mudgar.
Pehelwan training historically involved high volumes of exercises such as dands and baithaks, alongside extensive wrestling practice.
The Mudgar was part of the same mindset.
You didn't pick it up once and become strong.
You trained with it consistently.
You learned its movement.
You improved your control.
Then you gradually challenged yourself further.
That is perhaps one of the most valuable lessons modern training can borrow from the akhada.
Consistency beats novelty.
The Guru Controlled the Training
Traditional akhadas operated under the guidance of a guru.
A young wrestler wasn't simply handed a heavy piece of equipment and told to figure it out.
Training took place within a culture of apprenticeship, where beginners learned under experienced teachers.
That matters when discussing the Mudgar.
The tool itself is simple.
The technique isn't necessarily.
Good movement requires space, control and appropriate progression.
The old akhada system understood this naturally: learn from someone experienced, practice the basics and gradually develop your abilities.
Mudgar Training and the Culture of the Akhada
The Mudgar also represented something bigger than physical conditioning.
The akhada was a community.
It was a place where training, discipline and tradition came together.
Accounts of traditional akharas describe them not simply as wrestling grounds but as environments where students trained under a guru and followed established routines and customs.
So when a Pehelwan picked up a Mudgar, he wasn't participating in an isolated workout.
He was participating in a tradition.
The movement had been seen before him.
His guru had learned it.
Older Pehelwans had practiced it.
And he was now learning it himself.
That continuity is part of what makes traditional Indian training so compelling today.
From the Old Akhada to Today
The world around the traditional akhada has changed.
Modern gyms have made strength training more accessible than ever.
We have barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, machines and sophisticated equipment.
Yet the Mudgar continues to attract attention.
Perhaps because its philosophy feels refreshingly simple.
Pick it up.
Learn the movement.
Control the momentum.
Repeat.
The modern fitness world has started rediscovering traditional Indian clubs and maces, with contemporary athletes and fitness practitioners using them for movement, conditioning and strength work.
But the modern version should never erase the history.
The Mudgar came from somewhere.
It came through a culture of training that valued discipline and practical physical ability.
Our Connection to That Tradition
At Akhada Club, this history is particularly close to home.
Our grandfather, Late Mr. Babu Pehelwan, started his akhada in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, in 1959.
That legacy is one of the reasons we believe a Mudgar should be more than another piece of fitness equipment.
It should carry something of the character of the akhada with it.
That is why we focus on traditional craftsmanship and old Sheesham wood—a material with the weight, texture and natural character that make a wooden Mudgar feel like a genuine training implement rather than a mass-produced gym accessory.
Our aim is simple:
Take something that belonged to the akhada and give the next generation a way to experience it.
The Pehelwan's Mudgar Was Never Just About Strength
When you look at an old Pehelwan swinging a Mudgar, it is tempting to see only the physical side.
A strong man.
A heavy wooden club.
A powerful swing.
But there is more happening.
There is timing.
There is grip.
There is coordination.
There is patience.
There is repetition.
And there is discipline.
That is what the Mudgar represented inside the akhada.
Not simply how much weight you could move, but how well you could control it.
And perhaps that is why the Mudgar still feels relevant today.
Because after all the machines, technology and modern training trends, the fundamentals haven't changed.
A strong body still needs control.
A capable athlete still needs coordination.
And meaningful progress still requires consistency.
The Pehelwans understood that generations ago.
The Mudgar was simply one of the tools they used to put that understanding into practice.