Silat
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Silat is a collective word for martial arts created in the Malay Archipelago and Malay Peninsula of Southeast Asia. Originally developed in what is now Indonesia, peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand and Singapore, silat was also traditionally practiced by the Malay communities of Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. As a result, silat is closely related to other Southeast Asian martial arts including krabi krabong and eskrima. Practitioners are called pesilat. The Chinese fusion of silat is known as kuntao[1]
There are hundreds of different styles but they tend to focus either on strikes, joint manipulation, bladed weapons, throws, animal-based techniques or some combination thereof. Silat schools are overseen by separate national organizations in each of the main countries the art is practiced. These are Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan Malaysia (PESAKA) from Malaysia, Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia (IPSI) from Indonesia, Persekutuan Silat Brunei Darussalam (PERSIB) from Brunei and Persekutuan Silat Singapura (PERSIS) from Singapore.
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[edit] Terminology
The origin of the word silat is unknown. Although one theory states that it comes from the Minang word silek,[2] the etymology of silek itself cannot be traced. Another theory is that it comes from the word silambam, which has long been practiced by the Indian community of Malaysia. Other similar-sounding words have been proposed as the derivation of silat but none have been proven.
Originally the word silat was used as a generic term for martial arts, including systems from outside the region. Some Malay-speakers (especially in Indonesia) still use the word as such, as can be seen in the term ilmu silat (knowledge of silat) which can used for any fighting style. Tonday, the noun silat has a formidable arsenal of terms used to refer to martial arts in Southeast Asia.[1] It is usually called pencak silat in Indonesia or silek in the Minangkabau language. Some examples of the word's application in Malaysia and Singapore include seni silat (art of silat) and seni bela-diri (art of self-defence). The term kali or basilat is used by the Malay community of the Philippines who developed a style of fighting with the tongkat (walking stick).[3]
[edit] History
Fighting arts in the Malay Peninsula and Malay Archipelago arose out of hunting methods and military training by the region's native inhabitants. The descendents of former headhunters still perform ancient wardances which are considered the precursor of the tari (freestyle form) in silat. While these aborigines retained their tribal way of life, the Indon-Malay diaspora instead based their culture on China and India. By adopting the Indian faiths of Hinduism and Buddhism, their social structure became more organised.[4] Upper-class nobles from Southeast Asia would often send their children to study in one of the two countries, and evidence shows that silat was influenced by both Indian and Chinese martial arts.[5] Many of the region's weapons originated in either China or India and silat's thigh-slapping actions are reminiscent of Hindu wrestling.[6]
Although numerous myths attempt to explain the institutionalisation of silat, most of them concern only a specific style. The earliest evidence of silat taught in its present form is found in Sumatra where, according to local legend, a woman based her combat system on the movements of animals that she had seen fighting. Masters still believe that the first styles of silat were created by observing animals, and these styles were probably derived from animal-based Indian martial arts.[7] In the fifth or sixth century, pre-determined sets are said to have been introduced by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma who came from India to Southeast Asia via the Sumatra-based kingdom of Palembang.[4] Through this connection, silat is also used as a method of spiritual training in addition to self-defense.[5] It was eventually used by the defence forces of Langkasuka, Champa, Srivijaya, Beruas, Melaka, Makassar, Aceh, Majapahit, Gangga Negara, Pattani and other kingdoms in Southeast Asia.[8] However, silat was never confined to any particular social class or gender but was practiced by all without restrictions. Even today, it is often taught in families who have inherited cultural traditions such as woodcarving, dance, herbalism or the playing of musical instruments.
Southeast Asian trade had already extended into Okinawa and Japan by the 1400s. The number of Japanese people travelling the region increased after the Battle Of Sekigahara. By the early 1600s there were small Japanese communities living and trading in Indochina. Some arrived with the official red seal ships while others were warriors and pirates from the losing side of the Sekigahara war. Although mostly confined to Siam, some Japanese escaped to Cambodia and Indonesia after Ayutthaya was attacked by the Burmese. Silat shares many similarities with Okinawan karate as well as the throws and stances of Japanese martial arts[6] which may date back to this time, but whether Japanese fighting systems had a stronger influence on silat or vice-versa is unclear. Trade with Japan ended when the country went into self-imposed isolation but resumed during the Meiji era, during which time certain areas such as Penang and Singapore became home to a small Japanese population. After the Japanese Occupation, some silat masters incorporated the katana into their styles. The weapon is still used in some systems today although its application has little relation to actual Japanese kenjutsu.
Except for generals and royalty, warriors in Malaysia and Indonesia wore minimal armour. A rattan shield, or a breastplate at most, was the only protective gear available to the average soldier. The older forms of silat consequently relied more on agility than they do today. During the colonial era when the western system of law enforcement was introduced, police officers who practiced silat emphasised trapping and joint locks so as to disable criminals without killing or injuring them unnecessarily. The styles created during this period are the most widespread today. Malaysians and Indonesians would later use silat to liberate themselves from foreign authorities.[5] Post-independence, the art spread out from Asia and into Europe. Silat is now included in competitions, particularly during the Southeast Asian Games. Since the Islamisation movement of the 1980s and 90s, there have been attempts to combine silat with foreign styles such as the Muslim Chinese martial arts. To make it more compliant with Islamic principles, it is now illegal for Muslim practitioners in Malaysia to chant mantra, bow to idols or practice traditional meditation and deep breathing. Some of these old methods have been lost after silat masters could no longer teach them, but others still endure among conservative silat schools in Indonesia and Thailand.
[edit] Training
[edit] Stances and footwork
Almost every silat style incorporates multi-level fighting stances (sikap pasang), or preset postures meant to provide the foundation for remaining stable while in motion. The horses stance (kuda-kuda) is the most essential posture, common to all styles of silat. Beginners once had to practice this stance for long periods of time, sometimes as many as four hours, but today's practitioners train until it can be easily held for at least ten minutes. Stances are taught in tandem with langkah (lit. "step"), a set of structured steps. Langkah consist of basic footwork and kicks made to teach how best to move in a fight. The langkah kuching (cat step) and langkah lawan (warrior step) are among the more prominent examples of langkah. After becoming proficient at langkah, students learn footwork patterns or tapak ("sole") from which to apply fighting techniques. Each tapak takes account of not only the particular move being used but also the potential for change in each movement and action. Among the most common formations are tapak tiga, tapak empat and tapak lima. All together, the stances, langkah and tapak act as a basis for forms-training.
[edit] Forms
Forms or jurus are a series of prearranged meta-movements practiced as a single set. Their main function is to pass down all of a style's techniques in an organised manner as well as being a method of physical conditioning and public demonstration. While demonstrating a form, silat practitioners often use the open hand to slap parts of their own body such the shoulder, elbow, thigh or knee. This reminds the pesilat that when an opponent comes close there may be an opportunity to trap their attacking limbs. Aside from solo forms, they may also be performed with one or more partners. Choreographed forms pitting one fighter against several opponents are common in silat, especially styles which emphasise defense against multiple attackers. Partnered forms are useful for teaching the application of techniques, particularly those attacks which are too dangerous to be used in a sparring match.
Tari ("dance") are freestyle forms which haven't been arranged beforehand. With a partner, tari is used as a way of sensitivity training similar to Chinese chi sao.[4] The aesthetic aspect of forms is called flower (bunga) or art (seni) forms. They are performed in slow, graceful movements with an intentional dance-like quality. Their purpose is to hide the subtle applications of a certain technique from onlookers or to trick the opponent into making a mistake during battle. Once the student has learned basic techniques, forms, and footwork, they are taught how to attack before being attacked, in self preservation. Silat exponents are entrusted to use their knowledge confidently in its rightful place and to ensure that their knowledge does not fall into the hands of the irresponsible.[9]
[edit] Weapons
Along with the human body, silat employs a wide variety of weapons. Prior to the introduction of firearms, weapons training was actually considered to be of greater value than unarmed techniques and even today many masters consider a student's training incomplete if they have not learned the use of weapons. In styles which are not weapon-based, students must achieve a certain degree of skill before being presented with a weapon which is sometimes made by the master. This signifies the beginning of weapons-training. Among the hundreds of styles are dozens of weapons. The most commonly used weapons are the kris (dagger), parang (machete), tongkat (walking stick) and sarong. The kris is accorded legendary status in Indon-Malay culture and is the primary weapon of most silat systems, although some styles prefer the stick for its versatility. Silat's traditional arsenal is largely made up of objects designed for domestic purposes such as the sickle (sabit), flute (seruling), rope (tali), chain (rantai) and trident (serampang).
[edit] Energy
In silat culture, the energetic body consists of interlocking circles called cakera. The cakera's energy rotates outwards along diagonal lines. Energy that emits outwards from the centre line is defensive while offensive energy moves inwards from the sides of the body.[4] By being aware of this, the pesilat can harmonise their movements with the cakera, thereby increasing the power and effectiveness of attacks. Energy could also be used for healing or focused into a single point when applied to sentuhan, the art of attacking an opponent's pressure points. The highest form of sentuhan supposedly allows a pesilat to attack pressure points using energy alone without physically touching the opponent.
[edit] Music
The movements of silat are often performed as a dance during festivities such as weddings. These performances can be done either solo or with a partner and are accompanied by music often played by a live band. Several traditional dances were influenced by silat, such as inai from Malaysia. In the Minangkabau area silat is one of the main components in the men's folk dance called randai,[2] besides bakaba (storytelling) and saluang jo dendang (song-and-flute).
The music played during silat performances is known as gendang baku or gendang silat baku in Malaysia and gendang pencha among the Sunda people of west Java. The instruments vary from one region to another but the gamelan (Javanese orchestra), kendang (drum) and gong are common throughout Southeast Asia. The Minangkabau of west Sumatra play the music of chak lempong and sometimes use a type of flute called saluang. The most common instruments in Malaysia are the gendang (drums), serunai (oboe) and seruling (flute). Music from Malaysia's the northern states more closely resembles Thai music.
Types of silat drums include the gendang ibu or "mother drum" and the gendang anak or "child drum". The serunai, which also comes in long and short variations, is what gives silat music its distinct sound. As with a tomoi match, the speed of the music adapts to the pesilat's pace.
[edit] Terms of address
Silat instructors who are qualified to teach but haven't yet achieved full mastery are addressed as Cikgu, a contraction of encik and guru. Masters are called Guru or teacher while grandmasters are called Guru Agong or Mahaguru meaning supreme teacher. A master may be addressed as Tok Guru or Tok (lit."teacher-grandfather"), especially an elderly male. In the past, students in a silat school would be treated as one family and addressed each other as such. Junior students were called adik seguru ("younger sibling of one master") or just adik. Senior students were addressed as abang seguru or kakak seguru ("elder brother/sister of one master") which were usually shortened to abang or kak. These terms vary according to local dialect. The Javanese term for addressing a senior is Kang. Seniority depends both on one's age and level of experience.
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