Pencak Silat is a self-defense system with origins in the culture of Nusantara, with their styles are main which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, and taught by perguruans in Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. These four branches of Pencak Silat, along maintained, developed through organizations of Pencak Silat in the form of education, teaching and training, and any other various activities

What does Pencak Silat mean

Pencak Silat is a compound word. The word Pencak are derived from the Javanese word mencak which means actions to prepare for fighting. The word Silat comes from the Malay word ilat which means tactic and from the ancient Javanese word sila which means moral.

There are some Pencak Silat representatives and authors who consider Pencak a form of play theoretical self-defense system, and Silat as the real, practical and sacred self-defense system. We contend that neither Pencak nor Silat means play or practical self defense systems but that the meaning depends on the circumstances and the needs of the moment. The words Pencak and Silat have the same meaning, are interchangeable, and have their origins in the culture of Nusantara.

There are regional differences though The term Pencak is commonly used by the people in the islands of Java, Madura and Bali, and Silat is used by the people who live in the other areas of Indonesia as well as in the other Nusantara areas The term Pencak Silat is a compound word. This compound term was accepted in the by-laws of IPSI at the first IPSI Congress in December 22nd-23rd 1950 in Yogyakarta.

IPSI

IPSI was founded on May the 18th, 1948 in Surakarta, Indonesia. The original name of the organization was “Ikatan Pencak Seluruh Indonesia”. Since 1950 Pencak Silat has become the official term, and the symbol of unity for Silat and and their followers in Indonesia and other countries.

PERSILAT

The international organization of Pencak Silat was founded in Jakarta on March 11th, 1980, under the name Persekutuan Pencak Silat Antara Bangsa (International Pencak Silat Federation) also known as PERSILAT Nevertheless, regional use of the words Pencak and Silat, as separate concepts still prevails.