JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto opened a side of pencak silat that is rarely discussed. It turns out, this original Indonesian martial art was once banned by the colonizers and studied secretly in villages and remote places.
In his speech at the XIV IPSI National Congress, Saturday, April 11, Prabowo said pencak silat was not born from a comfortable space. It grew out of pressure and resistance.
According to the President, during the colonial period, pencak silat training should not be done openly. Teachers teach the science in secret.
"Training night after night, on the mountain, in the surau," he said.
The situation made pencak silat long ago considered a "village sport". Not because it is low, but because it is forced to stay away from the center of power.
Prabowo assessed that the stigma must be straightened. It is from these silent spaces that the nation's resilience is born.
He also alluded to the character of Indonesian people who are open to immigrants. However, in history, this openness is often used by foreign powers.
"Those who come do not want to go home," he said.
Prabowo emphasized that understanding this history is important so that the current generation does not lose its roots. Because without historical awareness, cultural strength can weaken again.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
