Excerpt from Puteri Gunung Ledang web site on
"Silat and
Mysticism":
Pentjak Silat or Silat is a form of self-defense that is indigenous
to Malaysia and Indonesia. Silat is steeped in culture, spirituality
and heritage. The martial arts techniques and the mystical elements
portrayed in Puteri Gunung Ledang are based on Silat and its belief
system, which takes its lead from Islam.
There are hundreds of different styles in existence and, although
debatable, it is believed that this fighting method evolved around
400AD. Silat involves a high degree of rhythmic and artistic motions
that give it a dance like form with a deadly array of combative
techniques.
The combination of soft and hard explosive movements, changing
directions at any point in time, forms a defensive system that uses
hard strikes with flexible postures. Religious beliefs and defense
as opposed to attack permeate Silat. At its core, Silat is an art
form for the true understanding of both self and creator. Like all
spirituality, Silat aims to rid the self of ego, to be selfless,
and to be of service. This is done by first overcoming the physical
self, then the animal self, and finally, the inner self. Silat masters
teach that when the self is empty, real power can be achieved.
Silat practitioners occasionally hide their techniques from the
attacker with unusual postures, stances and hypnotic movements that
are meant to confuse and deceive the attacker. Once this is achieved,
Silat practitioners defend or attack from a variation of angles
and positions that surprise the opponent. It is also noted that
these tactics of hypnosis were used to transcend one's spirit and
physical appearance into a form of a God, making the Silat expert
invincible and untouchable.
Blending the use of weaponry with one's movements and combative
applications forges a type of martial art that is mysterious, sophisticated,
and deadly with weaponry applications.
Hang Tuah was a master of Silat. This is brilliantly portrayed in
the film and his mastery is reflected not only in his fighting ability
but also in his core nature. Hang Tuah was selfless, meditative
and lived only to be of service to his Sultan and God. His powers
had transcended to a spiritual level whereby the power of his mind
made him the ultimate warrior.
The Putri was also highly trained in Silat, along with many other
disciplines, which endowed her in self-control, intuition and mystical
powers. For centuries, mysticism and its many spiritual forms were
very much the heart of Malaysian and Indonesian culture.
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