Silat and Bersilat?

[arnisador]

A question arose recently in another forum on this board about the usage of the term silat. What areas have arts that are generally considered silat as opposed to bersilat--is it as simple as saying that silat refers to Indonesian arts and bersilat refers to Malaysian arts? I know that silat is also used in some Filipino systems.

 

[disciple]

Sorry for the delayed response, but I just joined this forum.:wavey:

Anyway, in my understanding that "silat" is a verb much like "practice", and "bersilat" is a present continuous verb (if I am not mistaken )much like "is practicing".

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by disciple
Anyway, in my understanding that "silat" is a verb much like "practice", and "bersilat" is a present continuous verb (if I am not mistaken )much like "is practicing".

I understand. Are these terms both used in both Indonesia and Malaysia then? I had thought that bersilat was used only for Malaysian arts while silat was used for Indonesian and some Filipino arts.

 

[disciple]

I think you're right about that, although I am not sure about the Filipino part. Indonesian and Malaysian have the same language root, although it's a bit different now.

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by disciple
I think you're right about that, although I am not sure about the Filipino part. Indonesian and Malaysian have the same language root, although it's a bit different now.

I am confident that the term silat is used in some FMAs but I don't know if it is an adopted word, like kuntao, or a native word (possibly from the same root tongue as that of Indonesia and Malaysia--I don't know the connection).

 

[Hu Ren Qianzai Long]

Maybe Silat is just a short form of Pentjak Silat, an indonesian martial art.:asian:

 

[gravity]

Hey,

Silat is a generic term like kung fu. There are over 500 styles in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Bersilat generally refers to silat praciticed in Malaysia. Pentjak/ pencak silat usually refers to silat in Indonesia. In singapore it is usually silat (like Kung Fu to the general public and Choy Lay Fut, Bak Mei, Fu Jow to those involved in martial arts....

Hope that helps

-LATER-

 

[KickingDago]

has anyone ever heard of the martial art of tomoi? (malaysian boxing) some say is the malay version of muay thai but I've haven't be able to find anything about the style.

 

[arnisador]

Doesn't ring a bell. A Yahoo! search gives, amongst others:

http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsdraeger_safari.htm

After ten days on the Thai-Malaysian border I’m really more impressed than ever with toi-muay (tomoi as Malaysians pronounce it). This is the root of present-day Thai boxing and kickboxing, but in the kampong it is still a real fighting art with no sport attitude. The Siamese rule the roost against silat and kuntao fighters, and in border town competitions, the loser still goes to the hospital. The government here has banned such contests, so the locals go across the border into Siam to fight.

This is from a collection of extracts from letters written by Donn F. Draeger to Robert W. Smith at EJMAS, so I suspect it's accurate.

 

[Kiwi]

We interpret silat as "lightning". I did some digging to get more info on the subject and came across the following site.

"Another term used by several martial arts writers is Bersilat for Malaysian Silat. Sorry , I must highlight that this is a mini mistake. Bersilat is to do Silat . It can also be used as Berseni silat or berpencak Silat which can roughly be translated as to do the art of Silat ! Please stop using Bersilat to describe Malaysian Silat.

Silat is the combative characteristics of fighting (Malay version of course). There are many theories about the origin of this word. However, I find one most popular among the old gurus which I have been with. Silat is short for SIKILAT or the LIGHTNING ! The Silat practitioner must be bright (smart). Beautiful and graceful movements like the lightning in the sky. His moves must be fast , deadly and elusive like the lightning !You can feel it's presence , but you do not know where it comes from. Lightning is so fast and once struck an object it destroys. Since majority Silat style are taught by Moslem Gurus, the lightning is believe to be the angels weapon to punish the Satan . So Silat is against evil !"

http://www.jakothmansilat.com/lightning.htm

Regards,
Kiwi

 

[blackdiamondcobra]

In the south of thailand on the border of malaysia and thailand, they mostlyengage in the older bare knuckle variant thats why the post above mentioned it as a rough art. Southern styles of thai bare knuckle produced many great fighters and the systems still exist today. They also practice a version of silat which they term sila.

 

[krys]

bersilat refers to Malaysian arts? I know that silat is also used in some Filipino systems.

This is nonsense, I lived for a year in Malaysia and never heard the word bersilat.

The word Bersilat was invented by some foreigner who wants to educate the locals, there is the same thing for kali...

Silat is one of the filipino martial arts....

Indonesia has about 850 styles, Malaysia around 650, Singapore 30, Mindanao 100......



Sikilat? Sila? Ha!Ha!Ha!, why not kalisila?


Mabuhay ang filipino Silat at Arnis.

 

[krys]

Actually there is no "bersilat" style (bersilat meaning to do silat). The so called bersilat styles were invented by foreigners .... Malaysians just say Silat.

The words used to describe malay martial arts are quite misleading.

In Indonesia pencak means art of body movements, while silat means struggle, fight.
So pencak silat means the art of fighting.

In the southern Philippines the term "silat" is used for a form of "martial arts", "penjak" is the name of another martial art.
Therefore it is irrelevant to say penjak silat there ...
And then you have the term pentjak meaning dance.....


Mabuhay ang filipino Silat at Arnis.

 

[arnisador]

Thanks for the info. krys. What separates Malaysian and Indonesian systems--any generalizations? Are the former more simialr to Chinese systems and the latter to Filipino?

 

[krys]

What separates Malaysian and Indonesian systems--any generalizations?

I am not so sure as there are maby systems and I can only give my own opinion based on what I saw, I hope this will not offend indonesian-malaysian pesilats.

I got the impression malaysian styles are harder than indonesian styles. Indonesian styles seem to be more fluid.

QUOTE]
Are the former more simialr to Chinese systems and the latter to Filipino?[/QUOTE]

For me malaysian silat is like an advanced system of ju-jitsu and hard chinese system..

My opinion on filipino silat may not be objective as it is my favorite silat system.

I find filipino silat different from malaysian-indonesian arts.
I got the impression that there are a few chinese elements in filipino silat, but that may come from filipino kuntao-silat and filipino kuntao influence.

The weapon training is also like advanced arnis. But you won't see weapons before 4-6 years of empty hands training.

Hope that helps,

Mabhuhay ang filipino Silat at Arnis.

 

[arnisador]

There is a brief interview in the current issue of Martial Arts Illustrated with Aziwahija Yeop of Malaysian Silat (Seni Gayung Fatani Silat, translated as "Malay Art of War" by the interviewee). The interviewer is Dannio Khalid.

DK: What types of weaponry are used as part of your system?
AY: Silat technique is weapon technique. All the techniques in the system are basically weapon movement but in the first level the student will be exposed with the empty hand training.

(The rough English is in the original.) He mentions sword and spear training, and stickwork is also shown.