Kwitang silat


Perguruan Silat Mustika Kwitang, or simply called Kwitang silat, is a Betawinese silat style. It was originally developed in the Kwitang village, which is now part of the Senen subdistrict in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. This style is a hybrid martial arts, developed by combining the local silat with the Chinese-influenced kuntao. The Mustika Kwitang Silat School was founded in 1945 by H. Muhammad Djaelani, who previously studied the martial arts from his own family.

Etymology

The name Kwitang is probably as a modification of Tjung Tang Kiam's name ; or derived from the name Gnuidang, which is the Hokkien Amoy spelling for Guangdong in China.

History

There are many versions on the formation of this martial arts in the Kwitang Village. In the mid of the 19th century, the village was inhabited by Betawinese, Chinese and Arab peoples. Most versions agreed that the kuntao martial arts was taught by a Chinese tobacco trader, kuntao practitioner, and medicine man named Tjung Tang Kiam. Tang Kiam, according to researcher G.J.Nawi, was an assistant and a student of Kam Siok, a Tit Khun martial art master from Hokkien who visited Batavia in 1840.
Tang Kiam's well known kuntao expertise might have provoked the Betawi silat masters in the area to challenge him in a duel. As the stories go, Mad Djaelani's grandfather succeeded in defeating Tang Kiam, who then taught him the kuntao martial art. It was told that Djaelani's grandfather mastered the Pangeran Papak silat and the kebatinan. The combined silat-kuntao style was then taught internally to his family, and called the Kwitang silat.
During the Indonesian revolution struggle, Mad Djaelani founded the Mustika Kwitang Silat School, and taught his grandson H. Muhammad Zakaria. Djaelani passed away in 1969, and Zakaria continued as the principal guru of the school. Zakaria had the chance to demonstrate his martial arts in front of the Shotokan master Masatoshi Nakayama and the martial arts author Donn F. Draeger, when they visited Indonesia in the '60's. Draeger then included a review of the Kwitang silat in his famous book, Weapons and Fighting Arts of Indonesia.
In 1973, the school joined the Persatuan Pencak Silat Putra Betawi. The association became one of the 9 "Historic Associations" that supported to the Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia, and since then began sending silat athletes regularly to the National Sports Week competition.
The Kwitang silat style currently has spread in various places in Indonesia and abroad.

Forms

Generally known Kwitang silat characteristics are medium horse stance, attractive and energetic movements, and quick and powerful blows. Blocking of enemy attacks tends to be done by pitting the strength of the hands.

Basic barehanded forms

Below are the names of the basic barehanded forms of Kwitang silat:
  1. Sideways punch
  2. Straight punch towards the abdomen and block the punch towards the abdomen
  3. Straight punch towards the face and block towards the face
  4. Sideways punch and block the kick
  5. Catch the opponent's punch and respond with sideways punch
  6. Catch the opponent's punch and respond with elbow and punch
  7. Sideways punch and ward block and elbow
  8. Catch the opponent's punch and break it

    Core barehanded forms

Below are the names of the core barehanded forms of Kwitang silat, taught after mastering the basic forms:
  1. Shoot
  2. Piong
  3. Wave 1
  4. Wave 2
  5. Wave 3
  6. Wave 4
  7. Wave 5
  8. Wave 6
  9. Swimming Dragon

    Weapon forms

Below are the names of the weapon forms of Kwitang silat, taught after mastering the basic and core forms:
  1. 2 Knives
  2. Machete
  3. Staff
  4. Spear
  5. Trident