Pencak Silat ("Silat") is a general term for the indigenous martial arts of the Indonesian-Malay archipelago, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Silat has played a significant role in the history and culture of Indonesian and Malay societies. Traditionally, it was an essential part of a young man's education and a key aspect of his journey to adulthood.
The geographical diversity of the Indonesian-Malay archipelago, along with the unique cultures of each region, gave rise to many different styles of Silat. For example, in areas with rocky and slippery terrain, Silat styles developed low stances to adapt to the environment.
Silat remains an important aspect of Indonesian and Malay culture. It is practiced in both traditional and modern forms and is rapidly gaining popularity worldwide under the guidance of PERSILAT, the world governing body for Silat.
Pencak Silat was introduced to Europe in the early 20th century and has been publicly taught in the UK since the late 1970s. It is a non-aggressive martial art practiced by men, women, and children of all ages and is accessible to complete beginners.
Silat employs natural body movements, developing balance and efficiency in motion. It can be practiced for sport and fitness, for the aesthetic beauty of the art, or as an opportunity to learn one of the world's last remaining complete traditional martial arts systems.
Most Pencak Silat schools now incorporate self-defense ("bela-diri"), the artistic aspect ("seni"), and the sporting aspect ("olahraga"), with individual instructors placing different emphases on each element.
Although olahraga (sports Silat) or tanding (competition fighting) has only recently been developed, it is becoming especially popular among young people in Asia and worldwide. Under PERSILAT, both olahraga and seni have been developed as unifying elements among different Pencak Silat styles. A standardized set of rules and regulations has been introduced by PERSILAT, and all competitions follow these guidelines.
Competitions are held at the national, regional, and world levels. Any student ("pesilat") who is a member of a recognised Silat school, club, or perguruan may participate in these championships after passing the selection process.
Beyond martial arts training, Silat fosters self-awareness, self-discipline, integrity, responsibility, loyalty, and cooperation among its practitioners. When taught by a qualified instructor, it offers students an opportunity to develop physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually.
The global organization of Pencak Silat consists of national federations in various countries, each overseeing individual schools and clubs. At the international level, Persekutuan Pencak Silat Antarabangsa (PERSILAT) serves as the ultimate authority, responsible for the promotion and development of Silat worldwide.
Most countries where Silat is practiced have a single national federation, which promotes authentic Silat and is recognised by PERSILAT as the official Silat organization in that country.
The International Pencak Silat Federation (PERSILAT) was established on March 11, 1980, during a conference in Jakarta attended by:
Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia (IPSI) - Indonesia
Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan Malaysia (PESAKA) - Malaysia
Persekutuan Silat Singapura (PERSISI) - Singapore
Observers from Brunei Darussalam
These four founding members formed the core of PERSILAT, and since
then, national-level Pencak Silat federations have been
established in multiple countries under PERSILAT's recognition.
The Pencak Silat Federation of the UK (PSF UK) is the only national Silat organization in the UK that is officially recognised and approved by PERSILAT, the world governing body.
PSF UK was founded by the instructors of two London-based Silat
schools:
Silat Gerak Ilham Bugis-Makassar (GI) - A style
from Sulawesi (Makassar), Indonesia
Silat Perisai Diri (PD) - A style based in Java
In June 1994, Bapak Aidinal Alrasyid of Silat Gerak Ilham Bugis-Makassar was appointed PERSILAT's representative for the entire United Kingdom.
Following this recognition, PSF UK was officially established and inaugurated on September 16, 1994, at the Indonesian Embassy in London. The inauguration was led by:
Bapak Eddie Nalapraya (President of PERSILAT)
Excellency Bapak J. E. Habibie (Indonesian Ambassador to the UK)
PSF UK was founded to:
The PSF UK considers membership applications from qualified Silat instructors who:
PSF UK has also played a key role in forming the European Pencak Silat Federation, which consists of recognised European Silat member organizations under PERSILAT.