Pencak silat festival held to nurture Indonesia’s cultural heritage
The Betawi Traditional Pencak Silat Association (Astrabi) held the annual pencak silat martial arts festival bearing the theme "Road to Merah Putih" to maintain Indonesia's Intangible Cultural Heritage recognized by UNESCO.
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: The Betawi Traditional Pencak Silat Association (Astrabi) held the annual pencak silat martial arts festival bearing the theme “Road to Merah Putih” to maintain Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage recognized by UNESCO.
“This is our effort to nurture pencak silat that has been recognized as Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UN world body, UNESCO,” Astrabi Chairman Yusron Sjarief stated here on Monday.
Sjarief revealed that the annual Betawi pencak silat festival was held again after COVID-19 cases had declined in Indonesia, especially Jakarta.
According to the association’s chairman, the pencak silat festival was not merely a performance-based event but also an effort to maintaining Indonesia’s culture.
To this end, he affirmed that Astrabi seeks to advance the traditional silat culture and collaborate with various parties, including the local government, the private sector, and the Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (IPSI).
“We want to globalize silat. Hence, we are formulating (a plan) towards achievements and joining hands with IPSI and the Jakarta provincial government,” Sjarief stated.
Meanwhile, the Unit Head of the West Jakarta Cultural Office, Ahmad Syaropi, remarked that the government should support Astrabi and other forms of cultural arts.
“I am proud of Astrabi for holding this festival, as through the festival, the traditional silat practitioners can perform better, with greater modes and punches,” Syaropi explained.
The annual pencak silat festival was held on Sunday (July 31) from morning to evening, with the West Jakarta Congkok Indonesia Pencak Silat School emerging as the general champion.
Astrabi has regional coordinating managements in five administration areas of Jakarta as well as Seribu Islands, Bekasi, Depok, Bogor, and Tangerang.
Internationally, the association operates a management unit in Antofagasta, Chile, South America, and another new management will be formed in a city in Chile and also in Spain.
In Indonesia, Astrabi is spread across 44 sub-districts, 267 villages, six thousand hamlets (RW), and around 30 thousand neighborhood units (RT) in Jakarta.
