Most of the old Indonesian Pencak Silat styles incorporated stylize “dances” within their structure. Often individuals have travelled to Indonesia to study, but have not remained long enough to understand the complete program. What often happens is the student only attempts to copy the obvious punching and kicking and discounts the Tarian as simply “dance”. Typically these half trained students make boastful claims such as we don’t “dance” just “fight”.

In the Pencak Silat Cimande from Tari Kolot, a Cimande Village in West Java, that I teach we use the first original Dance of Cimande as passed on from Embah Kahir, it’s originator, then through the ancestors of my teacher Pendekar Mama Sukarmo, and directly onto me. It is called the Selencar. It is composed of these individual components.

1. Lanka Ampat (four steps of movement)
2. Bangau (Crane Mannerism)
3. Meong Lugan (The awakening Tiger)
4. Luk Paku (Carrying on the back)
5. Pesek(kupas) Roay,(Monkey Mannerisms of plucking leaves and opening peanuts pods)
6. Jalak Pengkor (The limping Crow)

These are performed on a figure of eight, and a six. Together they represent the essence of the Selencar. Each teaches Combative realities, and greatly strengthens the physical structure, including balance, making it superior in Combat. For instance the Lanka Ampat operates from an extremely wide stance. Thus suddenly requiring the player to spring up to a one legged stance. This develops tremendous leg strength ideal for sweeps and kicks, balance is also improved as well. All of this including the hand positions and the arm movements develops the entire mind and body for the crane mannerism in fighting. Abandoning this Lanka Ampat and going directly to the Combative Crane techniques will deprive the player of the strength and balance necessary to move effectively in their use., As mentioned before, the hand positions and arm movements prepare for powerful strikes and hit parries. In addition to the physical prowess that is elevated by the body positions and movements, the music that is always used while it is being practiced adds an Internal dimension that prepares the student mentally to access the Crane ”essences” the Magick of Silat, if you will. Done on two touching circles ( hence the figure of eight) this symbolically takes the student from the external to the internal and back, as one side represents the physical here and now, and the other the future, the unknown, the outside and inside etc… Other mystical concepts are revealed to the practioner, who travels the eight. Form and function often exists as silent partners. These arts should not be dissected with valuable parts discarded by the uninitiated without the full understanding of what they are removing. In this short article we have only discussed one of the components of the Selencar, all are equally important and are used for a variety of Combative preparedness. Added together the practioner is transform into a new thing we call the “Naga” (King Snake Dragon).

On a final note this Selencar being the first Original Tarian of Cimande, is also shared in the Sera of Embah Kahir, the originator of that Art. So anyone who does Authentic Sera will know the Selencar – The Dance of Beautiful Destruction.