Penjak Silat martial arts of Indonesia

An highly effective fighting method

Penjak Silat is a highly effective and deadly art which originates from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Silat is a term generally used to define the indigenous arts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Southern Philippines, countries comprising a cast archipelago of islands stretching 2000 miles in an east-west direction and 1600 miles in north-south direction. In Java, Indonesia, it is known as Pentjak Silat. The term, "Pentjak" loosely defined, refers to the 'training for the application of the fight' and 'Silat' being the 'fight' or 'application' itself. In Malaysia, it is known as Bersilat., the 'Ber' meaning 'to do Silat.' In the Southern Philippines it is known as Silat or Kuntaw. 'Kuntaw' being a newer slang term of Chinese origin but representing an art closer to Indonesian Silat in terms of combative structure.

The practice of Silat, according to martial arts researcher/hoplologist Donn Draeger, was known to be in use as early as the 6th century AD, although in a crude form. Pentjak Silat evolved and as Draeger notes, "...was by the 14th century polished and the technical property of the nobility - the Majapahit sultans and their court officials. Commoners were excluded from learning its tactics."

At first sight Silat might appear to be a throwing or grappling art, in fact it is far more subtle than that. The whole body of the practitioner is used as a weapon, as he (she) moves in to defeat the opponent various strikes and less obvious manipulations are used to soften them up before the final take down.


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