Pencak Silat

Suci Hati

Pencak silat is the indigenous fighting art of Indonesia and exists in similar forms throughout the Malaysian peninsular. The movements of silat are dancelike, yet deceptively efficient as a fighting art. The emphasis is more towards the use of the hands and feet for striking, although joint locks and throwing the opponent are also involved.

Something about weapons?

Weapons in Pencak Silat

The weapons program in pencak silat builds directly upon the unarmed skills and strategies. The positioning and movement methods remain the same, albeit that the change of effective fighting distance and the weapon manipulation introduces some changes. Each weapon presents its own set of challenges to master.

The main weapons used in silat are sticks of various lengths, namely:

Gada (short stick or baton)
Tongat (medium length stick)
Toya (long stick)

Other weapons are used to a lesser degree.

It is important for students and practitioners to understand how weapons are regulated. In Western Australia (as in many other jurisdictions) there is legislation directly dealing with weapons in general and martial arts weapons in particular. Please ensure you have familiarized yourself with the Weapons Act.

Weapons in Pencak Silat

The weapons program in pencak silat builds directly upon the unarmed skills and strategies. The positioning and movement methods remain the same, albeit that the change of effective fighting distance and the weapon manipulation introduces some changes. The involvement of weapons does however shift the emphasis towards the need for maneuverability rather than stability.

Silat incorporates the following:

Gada (short stick or baton)
Tongat (medium length stick)
Toya (long stick)
Other weapons