It is not known exactly how old silat is
but it can be traced back to the kingdom of Srivijaya. Indian martial
arts had an impact on Southeast Asian styles, evident from the use of
silambam staffs and the thigh-slapping found in many forms of silat
which is reminiscent of Hindu wrestling for example. Bas-reliefs in
Srivijaya which clearly illustrate warriors wielding weapons such as the
Chinese double-edged sword also suggest Chinese influence.
There are a number of legends of how silat was created but only one has
any historical significance. The story tells of a Sumatran woman who
witnessed a fight between a tiger and a very large bird while fetching
water from a well. Both animals, unfortunately, died in the fight. The
woman's angry husband came to scold her for her tardiness but she
blocked all of his attacks, remembering the movements of the fighting
animals that she saw earlier. The couple later formulized the art and
founded the first style of silat (sometimes said to have been Silat
Harimau). However true this story is, archeological evidence shows that
silat was indeed created in Sumatra and flourished after it spread to
Java.
By the 15th century, silat was already highly refined. Besides the
similarities to martial arts from China, India and other Southeast Asian
nations, silat also bears a resemblance to karate and Japanese weapon
arts, such as tessenjutsu and bojutsu. This is not surprising since
Okinawa traded with both Java and Melaka. Some Okinawans still have
South-East Asian facial features which indicates that silat also must
have influenced karate. After Dutch colonization, silat spread to
Holland from Indonesian immigrants. It still remains one of the most
popular Asian martial arts in the Netherlands.
