“Other definitions exist, but all agree that silat cannot exist without pentjak; pentjak without silat is purposeless.” -Donn F. Draeger1 Smack! I can still remember the sound of the impact ten years later. A student’s hand impacting the sweat-slick tile to break their fall, followed by the collapse of their body into the hard ceramic and an enthusiastic “ya!” from the instructor. Next it was our turn to learn, one bule (foreigner) matched with a pesilat (silat player) from the visiting school. They had arrived earlier that afternoon, in matching blue jackets and black pants. They came from a silat school known as BIMA (Budaya Indonesia Mataram) as we were finishing our afternoon training … [Read more...]
An Interview with Indonesian Silat Guru Mas Noeryanto Dhipuro
"...a Guru must teach the way of fighting and making peace with one’s self..." -Mas Noeryanto Dhipuro I first met Mas Noeryanto Dhipuro in 2013 during our biannual training camp which began in the hills and forests of Bali . We were staying at the home of our friend Pak Made, who runs a traveling gamelan (traditional Indonesian music style featuring drums and other percussion instruments reminiscent of xylophones) orchestra based out of the University of Colorado at Boulder. At that time we had already done several silat demonstrations using his music as our accompaniment. Pak Made’s place has its own enclosure for playing gamelan as well as some hard-packed … [Read more...]
Spirituality and Mysticism in Pencak Silat
About six or seven years ago, I was waiting for my turn to present at a demonstration that my school, Inti Ombak Pencak Silat, was putting on as part of an Indonesian cultural exhibition. Immediately before our presentation was a gamelan (traditional Indonesian music) and dance performance. I was set to demonstrate jurus , which is a set movements either unarmed or with weapons analogous to, but more fluid than, the common perception of a form or kata. I was nervous because I was new to practicing this martial art and, as I was to become accustomed, the performance was to be done with a minimal amount of preparation. I was reviewing my form in my head when one of the … [Read more...]