Silat: Quick facts

Agile moves: Two silat exponents demonstrating the grace of this ancient martial arts form.

> SILAT is an umbrella term to describe traditional martial arts forms throughout the Malay Archipelago; it combines the art of fighting and spiritual training. Silat has spread throughout the Malay Archipelago since the seventh century AD, but its origin is still uncertain.

> Silat was gradually refined into the specialised property of sultans, bendahara (prime minister), hulubalang (warriors) and panglima (knight) during the reign of the Malacca Sultanate (1400-1511), Majapahit (1293-1500) and Srivijaya (650-1377) empires.