I was – like most teenagers – bored, with little to do and therefore looking for trouble. It is said that silat chooses you as opposed to you choosing it this is certainly true in my path to this mystical but deadly fighting style. The tradition of silat has deep roots in Malaysian culture, tracing its origin to the dawn of Malay civilization 2,000 years ago. The phrase silat Melayu is a blanket term for the various styles of silat created in Southeast Asia’s peninsular, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. The origins of silat are lost in the mists of antiquity due to the lack of reliable written records, though it is widely believed that Indonesia, specifically Sumatra, was the cradle of the combat art of silat. Silat encompasses the martial arts styles of the Malaysian peninsula and the Indonesian Archipelago and the word itself comes from the term si kilat, which literally means “a person with moves like lightning.” But to Malaysians, silat is not only known, but respected looked upon as an ancient warrior fighting system. Having lived in Japan, the Philippines and Hong Kong, I am now settled in Kuala Lumpur, but I doubt I would be here (or indeed would have discovered any other part of Asia) if not for the influence the martial art known as silat has had on my life.įor most Westerners, the word silat is as foreign to them as it is to live abroad. I was focused only on where my blade should be in accordance to my opponent’s.Īs an expat, I have lived almost ten years away from my native home of England, spending most of that time in Asia. When I think back, most of the contest is a blur to me. The sound of the gong vibrated throughout the hall, signaling us to begin, and then only war cries and the unmistakable sound of blades clashing together could be heard. We were in the finals of the Kejuaraan Seni Silat championship. The crowd’s applause erupted as my partner and I stepped onto the mat.