Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

tions, silat has been an element of local celebrations (e.g., weddings, village
festivals). The prominence of aesthetic factors in silat and its close association
with genres of Southeast Asian dance-drama often have caused silat to
be mistakenly categorized as dance by outsiders.
In traditional styles of silat, the concept of supernormal power coexists
with the physical techniques. Although the primary contemporary religion
of Indonesia is Islam, and most of the practitioners of silat are Muslims,
supernaturalism in this area has been influenced by Buddhism,
Hinduism (particularly in Bali), and especially animism. Also, Islamic Sufism
supports a belief in Ilmu (Indonesian; science, esoteric knowledge), a
supernatural power. The last half of the twentieth century saw efforts to
standardize silat through modern federations such as Persatuan Pentjak
Silat Selurah Indonesia (PPSI).
Kuntao is most commonly considered to be a generic term for Chinese
martial arts practiced in the archipelago and on the Malay peninsula. The
most common translation of the term is “fist art” or “fist way,” although
there is no standard written form for the art among Chinese ideograms.
Donn Draeger and Robert Smith trace the term to Hokkien dialect from
the southeastern coastal province of Fujian.
Kuntao was developed and has remained largely confined to Chinese
communities in Southeast Asia. Secrecy has traditionally been an element
of the training. Therefore, kuntao and silat have pursued separate lines of
development despite the proximity of the practicing communities.
Kuntao encompasses the range of traditional Chinese combat philosophies,
from the “hard” Hokkien and Shantung styles to “soft” Thay Kek
(taijiquan [tai chi ch’uan]). In general, however, the movements are circular
rather than linear, and the practice of imitating animal movements and
attitudes has been preserved from Chinese boxing. The systems incorporate
both unarmed and armed techniques utilizing traditional Chinese weapons.
Kuntao is strictly combative; there is no sport dimension.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s principal martial art is bersilat, the form of silat practiced on the
Malay peninsula. While bersilat is regarded by some as distinct from Indonesian
silat, there is a close relationship between the two systems dating
from at least the fifteenth century. The Indonesian origin is reinforced by
tradition, which attributes bersilat to the Malayan folk hero Hang Tuah,
who moved from Menangkabu in west Sumatra to Malacca, Malaya, in the
late fourteenth century, bringing with him both the kris and silat.
Like its parent art, bersilat is subject to considerable local variation.
Also like Indonesian silat, Malaysian bersilat utilizes hand and foot strikes,
throws and locks, attacks to vulnerable points in the body, and traditional
Southeast Asia 543