Thang-Ta is an Indian form of martial arts characterized by the heavy use of swords and spears against opponents. It was developed to fight against armed assailants.

Literally translated to swords and spears, Thang-Ta is the most popular form of Meitei martial arts in Manipur, India. It involves a heavy reliance on weapons, specifically swords and spears. It is practiced in three different ways. The first way is ritual in nature and related to the tantric practices. The second way consists of performances involving sword and spear dances; these dances can be converted into actual fighting practices. The third way is the fighting technique.

The goal of Thang-Ta is to learn to use swords and spears as an effective means against one or multiple opponents.

The origins of Thang-Ta can be traced back to 17th century India. Manipuri kings used Thang-Ta effectively to fight the British. With the British occupation came a ban on the teaching of martial arts, but the 1950s saw a resurgence in the art.

Spears
Swords

Training in Thang-Ta is heavily focused on learning effective use of swords and spears. The training also involves learning of the tantric practices, performance involving the swords and spears, and the actual fighting techniques with the weapon forms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thang-Ta