According to anthropologists, Pencak Silat first served its practical purpose as a technique to protect humans from nature. Back then, the more pertinent threats to the community were natural threats, such as animal attack or extreme living conditions.
During the upheaval leading to Indonesia’s independence, Pencak Silat assumed a new role as a technique that helped local warriors defend their hometown against the colonialists. Celebrated local heroes such as Sultan Agung, Prince Diponegoro, Cut Nyak Dhien and more, have used the form of martial art in a battle against invaders.
The process of imparting Pencak Silat through generations are often supported by legends of great and somewhat fighters, which finally make their way into everyday discourse and in turn help shape the local culture. Heroic figures from different cultures such as Si Pitung, Hang Tuah, and Gajah Mada are people with advanced Pencak Silat prowess, proving the ability in martial art as a desirable quality in the society.
More than physical capacity, Pencak Silat practitioners are also seen as people with superior mental and spiritual prowess. The martial art had somehow, through everyday discourse and customs, installed itself in the society’s many facets, especially religion and tradition.
Pencak Silat and the legends around it mix with everyday customs and religious teachings, and by the 14th century, the martial art was taught alongside Islamic principles in religious halls. Other communities require practitioners to start with meditation and asceticism to cultivate the inward qualities before proceeding to the physical performance so that the religious and cultural philosophy is contained in every movement.
As a cultural aspect, Pencak Silat is often present as a traditional performance or procession during ceremonies. In Betawi culture, for example, Pencak Silat is used as a ceremonial play in traditional weddings. The play shows the groom demonstrating his toughness as he protects his bride against another fighter who tries to abduct her, using the moves and stances of Pencak Silat.
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