Ducking Fighting Technique in Silat

According to a legend, Javanese Kingdom attacked West Sumatera. Many people were killed. The leader from West Sumatera thought that to overcome Javanese attack, they should use tactic. Then, to avoid more victims of battle, both Sumatera and Javanese Kingdom agreed not to continue the war but to decide the winner, they conducted buffalo fighting contest. In ancient era in Indonesia, buffalos were a mascot. People used the buffalo to represent the power of their kingdom. In certain case, buffalo fighting was held to decide the settlement of dispute between two countries. Usually, they set small blades on the tips of buffalos’ horn so they were able to kill each other.

Javanese Kingdom prepared big buffalo for the fighting whereas West Sumatera people used small buffalo calf. Before the contest, West Sumatera people trained the buffalo calf, which still needed milk from its mother. They weaned the calf from sucking the milk from its mother in order to make it needy for its mother presence.

On the day of contest, people gathered on the field to see the buffalo fighting. Both of buffalos were ready to fight. Secretly, West Sumatra secret agent brought the buffalo calf’s mother behind the Javanese buffalo in the crowd of Javanese soldiers. The contest began. The small Sumatera buffalo calf saw its mother. It became so needy and ran fast to its mother. Because the calf was small, it was able to run through the space between Javanese buffalo’s leg and the blades on the tips of its horns tore the big Javanese buffalo’s stomach. Javanese buffalo died and West Sumatera buffalo calf won.

West Sumatera people were able to defend their country. To remember that winning time, they named their country “Minang Kabau.”Minang means “win.” Kabau means “Buffalo.” So, they called their country the land of winning buffalo.

This legend has also influenced their traditional martial art, called Silat. The technique of ducking or taking lower position to defeat the enemy also adopted the story of the calf. In Silat from Minang Kabau, they use this exotic technique to attack enemy’s balance and vital points. We can see this technique in some Minang’s style, such as, Harimauan, Silek Tuo Minang, and Starlak style.

In Setia Hati, a Silat organization from Java, there were many beautiful ducking techniques adopted from Minang style. Its opening movement is taken from Minang’s silat style and philosophy because, Master Suro Diwiryo, the 1st Grand Master of Setia Hati, also learned Silat from Minang, West Sumatera.