- published: 27 Sep 2015
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Silat is a collective word for indigenous martial arts of the Indonesian Archipelago and Malay Peninsula of Southeast Asia. Originally developed in what are now Indonesia, peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand and Singapore, it is also traditionally practiced in Vietnam, Brunei and the Philippines.
There are hundreds of different styles but they tend to focus either on strikes, joint manipulation, throws, bladed weaponry, or some combination thereof. Silat is one of the sports included in the Southeast Asian Games and other region-wide competitions. Training halls are overseen by separate national organizations in each of the main countries the art is practiced. These are Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia (IPSI) from Indonesia, Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan Malaysia (PESAKA) from Malaysia, Persekutuan Silat Brunei Darussalam (PERSIB) from Brunei and Persekutuan Silat Singapura (PERSISI) from Singapore.
The origin of the word silat is unknown. The closest linguistic relative and possible origin can be found in Minangkabau language as silek. Originally the word silat was used as a generic term for any system of fighting in the region. Burmese martial arts, for example, would be called silat Awa. In Indonesia, the term ilmu silat (knowledge of silat) can be used for any fighting style. Today, the word has a formidable arsenal of terms used to refer to martial arts in Southeast Asia. It is usually called pencak silat in Indonesia or silek in the Minangkabau language. Some examples of the word's application in Malaysia and Singapore include seni silat (art of silat) and seni bela-diri (art of self-defence).