PENTJAK SILAT: A martial art native to Indonesia. Developed on the island of SUMATRA in the seventh century A.D., Pentjak Silat is believed to have been created by Buddhist monks. Some claim, however, that it was first developed by a peasant woman who imitated the movements of a bird fighting a snake in order to avoid being beaten by her husband. Pentjak Silat has both open-handed and weapons forms, which imitate the movements of animals such as the tiger and monkey. (See also Pentjak Silat article).
