Pencak Silat

Many of today's martial arts today have grown sterile. Extreme physical conditioning, often resulting in overstretched tendons and ligaments, has replaced inner power and meditation. The body has grown bigger while the mind and inner strength have deteriorated.

The internal aspects known as Kebatinan (mysticism) and Ilmu (sorcery/magic) are intrinsic parts of the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat. Students from other arts that do not contain these aspects have mixed emotions when faced with them for the first time.

First, one must realize that our art was designed as a moving ritual intended to gather forces from within and without the practitioner. These include the principles of Father Sky and Mother Earth, and all the elements associated with them - Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Spirit. The spirit - Raja Naga - symbolizes the embodiment of everything propelling the Tenaga Dalam (Inner Spirit/Power).

The moving fighting ritual of Pencak Silat leads to altered states of consciousness which produce the desired combat attitude in the fighter. Attitude has been called a warrior's primary weapon because it allows functioning of the physical body without it being held back by doubt, fear and apprehension. These negative feelings can actually halt physical skills. Altered states allow isolation of physical attributes, which in turn sharpen specific skills.

Altered states in effect open a pathway, linking into the animal spirit lighting skills contained within that most ancient portion of the human brain, often referred as the 'Reptilian Brain'. This area is most closely associated with survival and real fighting skills - not tournaments or other such games.
An opponent facing someone who has turned off his conscious mind is facing someone without fear; someone who is intimidated by neither size nor talk. This is someone who will fight with no preconceptions, no pattern and no fear. Remember a true Silat warrior fears no man on earth.

This is what Pencak Silat is all about! So embrace the Kebatinan and Ilmu of Pencak Silat, and you will realize that the art is truly alive.