In between times during the effort to pursue a dream to give form to the richness of pencak silat so that it may one day be competetive on the levels of an Asian Games or even as an Olympic event, the prime figures of the silat world have allowed other aspects contained within the art to slip.

The side-lined aspects of Pencak Silat such as self-defence and artistic expression, don’t experience the glory and the limelight as do the sportive elements and because of this neglect traditional Pencak Silat is rarely included within the discourse of silat development in the nation. Many traditional aliran and perguruan that are unable to follow the progressive march of sportive pencak silat reach a dead end and die out.

This writer observes that the perguruan/aliran of Pencak Silat Putra Betawi in the past boasted a membership of more than 50 aliran/perguruan as a yardstick by which to calculate the numbers of aliran/perguruan it sheltered/nurtured within its organisation. Of those numbers, only 15% of the original perguruan remain and are active today. This writer feels saddened by the current predicament experienced by pencak silat, and contends that it is cause for grave concern.

It transpires that a group of like minded young people exists, who without preference to any central aliran/perguruan but with the appropriate technical cybernet abilities, have created the silatbogor@yahoogroup.com mailing list as a tool where they can express their thoughts while disseminating information about traditional pencak silat. Whereby each group member is encouraged to write and critically observe pencak silat in order to perpetuate pencak silat’s existence. Within this forum we are able to exchange views and information regarding the health and condition of the development of Indonesian pencak silat.

Dreaming together or “to collect the scattered bones” to borrow a phrase from Bp. Rustadi Effendi and to be able to work together and give form to a reality, became clearer as time passed. A resolution originating as an idea germinated and discussed on the forum for over a month, was agreed upon at the front courtyard/verandah (of Padepokan) on June the 10th, 2006 with a clear working structure and forward looking strategy.

Within a short while the innovative forum members were working hard in their own time. They were able to provide support to pencak silat perguruan and aliran close to extinction from the face of the earth in Nusantara. The Indonesian Pencak Silat Community became invigorated through silatbogor@yahoogroup.com and were able to introduce seminars, publications, electronic media promotions, print media promotions and the documentation of traditional pencak silat.

I am proud to be able to call them my friends, they who have proven such a high dedication to support traditional pencak silat using whichever means available. It is paramount that this effort to perpetuate traditional pencak silat should proceed consistently without stopping, to avail the opportunity to our grandchildren, that in the future they too may experience the heritage of self defence created by our ancestors.

However during this first birthday celebration we should not become complacent nor forget, that the road is long with many challenges that will increase in proportion to the growth of the FP2STI forum. Because of this, allow me to advise on a number of issues as we look to face the future of this forum, which we can rightfully be proud.

1. Website discourse must be consistently strengthened, because it is the foundation of the forum

2. Documentation must be approached seriously with deep and critical appraisal, because it will provide the reference for those in the future.

3. There must be a short term as well as a long term management plan for the prioritization of effort, in order to produce tangible and sustainable results.

4. The flow of communication between the older generation and the new has to be supported in a harmonious way. The strength of the forum is through the quantity and quality of its members.

5. The forum has to be able to exist independently and not become the intellectual property or tool of any single perspective, media lobby group or perguruan.

6. There must be an effort to embrace new members from the whole of Indonesia, that there might be none who are left behind or forgotten.

My dear friends in silat (Sahabat silat), our strength lies in communication and and information shaped and channelled through our collective concern for pencak silat. Thank you, all sahabat silat whose numbers are beyond my reckoning and to Bp. Eddie M Nalapraya who has given freely of his time to mentor and support FP2STI and perpetuate our collective culture.

Lets march foreward FP2STI and foreward with Pencak Silat.

Vientiane, 5 Juni 2007
by : O’ong Maryono
Translated by : Krisno Pryosusilo