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Playable heritage game

Pencak silat

Also known as forms and sparring sport

The martial sport of the Malay world, shown as a scored sparring match: low stances, punches and kicks, sweeps and locks, slips and blocks, each scored as a clean technique.

Play the previewAbout this tradition
Pencak silat: photograph by Sam Hidayat
Photo: Sam Hidayat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Pencak silat: the game in attract modeLive previewPlay

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How to play

  1. Read the rival's stance: it shows the technique he is about to use.
  2. Tap the answering technique while the marker is in the bright zone.
  3. Sweeps and locks score most when the rival is already off balance.
  4. Win two of three rounds, or lead by ten points.
Rules at a glance
  • Techniques score as clean points: a strike one, a kick two, a lock two, a sweep three; no force is shown.
  • Each technique beats two others and is beaten by two others.
  • A sweep or a lock works fully only on a rival who is off balance.
  • A round ends when one side leads by ten points, or when the clock runs out.
  • Use Breathe to recover stamina; tired techniques are weak.

About the tradition

Pencak silat is the family of martial arts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and the neighbouring islands, with many styles taught in local schools and shown in competitions and performances. Here only the sparring sport is shown.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Southeast Asia and the Islands.

Credits

Sources

Get the app

Pencak silat is one of 18 sports and skill games in the Sports & Skill of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 18 sports and skill games in the app

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