As in many traditional martial arts, Penchak Silat is based on the study of animal behavior, such as the tiger (harimau), the serpent (ula), the eagle (garuda) ... But also by plants (lotus), or local deities (Shiva) ...

Pencak Silat has four distinct aspects: self-defense (Bela Diri), the sport (Olah Raga), art (Seni Budaya) and the spiritual (Ilmu Batin or Isis). The positions sometimes high, sometimes low are called Kuda and coalesce as sequences called lankas (which in fact to taos kung fu or karate kata). Pentas are forms of pre-arranged battle two, and Serangan ( "attack") the struggle free. It is sometimes punctuated by the sound of gamelan (traditional Indonesian percussion).

The Pesilat always a guard named passang very open, which in fact constitutes a trap for the enemy, and allows devastating attacks against!


Fluidity, speed, flexibility, precise schematic in the execution of movements all in an effort to break the concentration of the opponent and assener of tweaks and violent on parts of the body most sensitive ... The fighter is First formed with bare hands, and then continue to weapons such as machetes, kriss, kukri, short stick ...

In contrast to the Chinese martial arts where practitioners have observed how to make this or that animal to reproduce their movements, Penchak Silat, they are shamans who developed mannerism animal using trance to be "live "with its spirit.

Therefore, the spirit of the animal and not the observation of it which is the source of its codification, his calquage.