What Is... Pencak Silat?
To understand what Pencak Silat is, one must have an understanding
of the history and geography of Indonesia and Malaysia.
A string of large and small islands, it's history and cultural development
is as diverse as the surface area of the thousands of islands that make
up the archipelago.
The cultural and administrative center is Java, which has an ancient history
of both conquest and invasion, and that enriched the world with a royal
culture of great depth and refinement. Most of the best known Pencak Silat
styles are from this island. Java's urban centers have given rise to very
practical, streetwise forms like Mustika Kwitang and Tjinkrik, as well
as the highly practical Pukulan forms. Middle Java created the deceptive
style of Setia Hati, while East Java's most famous style is the highly
organized Perisai Diri. This form is characterized by it's upright stances
and staccato execution.
The second-most important island, Sumatra, created the highly
characteristic Harimau form, which is sometimes called the
crawling tiger form, as opposed to the standing tiger Macan
(Matjan) style. Harimau was created by the Manangkabau
people. A lesser known style is Kumango which seems adapted
for use on a sandy surface, like a beach. Patai hails from the
mountainous Bukittingi region, and the combatant seems to
try and position himself on higher viewpoint than his opponent.
The highly cultured island of Bali, a modern tourist destination,
has it's own style called Bhakti Negara Pencak Silat. Deception
and evasion characterize this arm and hand technique based style.
Pentjak Silat is often divided up into two components - the
Pentjak or exercises in proper movement, which are sometimes
even dancelike and always graceful, and Silat, which are the
highly destructive and lethal applications of the Pentjak. Rather
than seeming without use, Pencak is needed to create the proper
power generation and reflexes through the creation of leverage
and learning to move the entire body as one.
Unlike more stylized martial arts, the practical history of Silat
never lets its practitioners forget that it is better to have a weapon
than not. Knifes, sticks, swords, Okinawan (karate) weapons and
more exotic implements are used, sometimes in combination with
poisons.
Psychological preparation is a necessity of combat as well,
and the preparation of the mind takes great care. Pencak
Silat practitioners will often prepare themselves mentally to
take great punishment from sticks, swords and knifes. The
spiritual training can go far beyond that and is intended to
create harmony within the practitioner as well. Kebatinan
is often still kept secret, although there are more and more
teachers who are opening up about this spiritual aspect
of Pencak Silat. The Indonesian equivalent of "beserk" is
"mataglap", which is a concept that is very important in
effective self-defense. The ability to call on one's primal
instincts and lose oneself in the moment of the attack can
mean the difference between life and death.
Pencak Silat is an Indonesian martial art, and practiced
extensively in Indonesia. Because Indonesia was a Dutch
colony for several centuries, many of the people of Dutch-
Indonesian descent came into contact with Pencak Silat,
and brought it with them when they emigrated to Holland
after Indonesia became independent. It was popular
after the war for Dutch people emigrate to countries like
Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, and many
Dutch-Indonesians took up this opportunity, spreading
Pencak Silat and Pukulan to the USA. Especially Rudy
ter Linden and the de Thouars brothers became famous
in California, as did masters Willie Wetzel and Jim
Ingram in Washington state.
Even though Pencak Silat in Indonesia has become more
stylized (strong central governments aren't very keen on
citizens practicing deadly arts - the same can be seen with
Wushu in China), this art will survive and is probably more
alive than ever.