Your Ultimate Guide to the Karambit Knife 2024
The Karambit knife is the curved blade of the Minangkabau people of Sumatra, Indonesia, and one of the deadliest edged-weapons in the art of Pencak Silat. Discover the history, culture, meanings, and usage of this fascinating knife of ancient legends.
Tok Janggut : Malaysia’s Rebel Pendekar
Born 1853, Haji Mohd Hassan bin Munas or more famously known as Tok Janggut (Old Man with Long Beard in Bahasa) was the son of Panglima Munas and Che Mah. He was born and raised in Kampung Saring, a small village in Kelantan, East of Peninsular Malaysia. His father, Panglima Munas was a man well-known in the village for his Silat fighting skills, learning Silat from his father, Tok Samad, who was a famous master in the district and later on diving deeper into the art from Panglima Puteh, one of the royal guards at the time.
The Ultimate Pendekar: Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior who lived in the 15th century during the Malaccan Sultanate. He was said to be one of the deadliest fighters among the Laksamana who served the Sultan and is considered one of the greatest Pendekars who ever lived in the Malay Kingdom.
The Secret Story of the Sarong
Sarong is one of the oldest styles of clothing still worn today, and the national clothing of countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen, Burma, and Somalia. A long fabric made of cotton, silk or rayon, it is worn as a wide piece of cloth around the waist to cover the lower part of the body. And in extreme cases, used as a weapon for self-defense in the various arts of Pencak Silat. The Sarong has a long history in the Nusantara (Indonesia and Malaysia) but…
Your Ultimate Guide to Keris: Dagger of Life and Death
Known as one of the most iconic and revered weapons of the Nusantara, the region which is now mostly known as Malaysia and Indonesia. A dagger-like weapon famously used by warriors, rulers, and commoners alike in early Nusantara Kingdoms in the Malay Archipelago and was considered as one of the most recognized symbols of the Nusantara.
The Rise and Fall of Malacca
The start of the trials of colonialism faced by the Malays following the conquest of the Sultanate of Malacca. And how Pencak Silat withstood the onslaught of one of the most advanced naval forces of the day: the Portuguese Conquistadors. For the citizens of the Sultanate of Malacca and their successors, the resistance to the conquistadors proved to be as much a political, religious, and cultural struggle as one of the force of arms.
Pencak Silat and The Future
In the age of advancing technologies, weapons industries, artificial intelligence, autonomous robots, is Pencak Silat training still as relevant and as lethal as it was? Can it still be counted on for self- protection? What are the odds of using silat and winning against killer robots or enhanced human beings? While everything is evolving rapidly, Pencak Silat MUST EVOLVE. Either the art evolves, or it dies, or you die.
Weapons of Silat
Until the early twentieth century, the people of the archipelago have forged weapons primarily for their daily use and self-defense rather than using it for offensive purposes. People mainly use these weapons as a tool for their daily chores and activities such as hunting, gathering firewood, care for their crops, and building their shelter. As the cultural and social systems developed, the functions of the weapons have also evolved and changed.