Pentjak Silat
班卡西拉
Pentjak Silat (called Silek in the Minangkabau language) is a general term used to describe a group of several styles of martial arts practiced in Southeast Asia around the Indonesian Archipelago, from Malaysia to New Guinea, including Malaysia, Brunei, parts of Burma, the Southern Philippines which were in ancient times part of the Sumatra based Svirvijaya Empire, and then the Java based Madjapahit Empire.
班卡西拉（有时亦被称为Pencak Silat）是对东南亚印尼群岛一带，从马来西亚到新几内亚，包括马来、
文莱、缅甸局部、菲律宾南部等的几种不同形式武术的总称。
The roots of Silat can be traced back at least 2000 years. The earliest archaelolgical evidence of organized martial arts combat systems being practiced in the area date back to the 6th century A.D. and probably go back much further than that because most of the Silat tradition is passed down orally. With absence of written records, it is unclear exactly when and how Silat first began.
Pentjak Silat was developed by the native people and also heavily influenced by other martial arts and cultures since these islands were on major trade routes through the area and visited by traders, sailors, merchants of various cultures and countries who brought with them their native combat arts.
西拉的根源可被追溯到至少2000年前。考古学对这一带流行的有组织的武术格斗的最早证明是在公元前6世纪，
但由于西拉传统上通过口头传授，所以它的历史很可能更要久远。书面记载的缺失也使希腊最初是何时和如何出现的变得并不明朗。
西拉发源处的这些岛国曾经在贸易路线的主干道上，来自各个国家，带着不同风俗的贸易家、航海家、商人们经常穿梭于此，
从而也给这里留下了他们当地的格斗艺术。因此，班卡西拉在本族人民的
There are estimated to be around 800 unique styles of Pentjak Silat, many being family styles. Many styles of Silat have and still are being practiced secretly, so it is not clearly known exactly how many styles of Silat exist. Until recently, Silat was not commonly known outside of Southeast Asia.
Most styles of Pentjak Silat are much different in appearance and form than the mainstream martial arts widely known such as Karate and Kung Fu although some style may bear a slight resemblance.
班卡西拉有大约800种独特的形式，很多为家族式。很多形式的西拉曾经甚至仍然被秘密地传授着，直到现在，
东南亚以外的很多地方对它还并不熟悉。大多西拉形式与大家熟知的空手道，中国功夫迥然不同，
尽管某些形式中夹杂着略微的相似之处。
Silat training always includes the use of weapons, especially bladed weapons of various length and shapes. The most famous of all Silat weapons is the Kris which is said to possess magical powers.
There are many ground kicking, sweeping, takedowns, strikes, and others that are found only in Silat.
Our system has an interesting history. The style is from the Bugis people of Celebes (Southern Sulawesi), Indonesia's third largest island.
The Bugis were seafaring people, traders, travelers, pirates, and warriors.
The Bugis were always known for thier martial skills. So feared were they that the word bogeyman (boogeyman), some say a corrupted form of bugis man, was coined by European sailors to describe these fighters.
Legend has it that the English, Dutch, and French sailors brought the tales of Bugis pirates home and anglicized it, telling their children "If you're bad, the bugisman will come and get you!
"Beware of the Bugis men."
We sometimes jokingly refer to our style as "Boogeyman Silat".
西拉的训练包含武器的使用，特别是带刀刃的武器。由于当地的很多岛屿地处热带雨林和丛林区，
属于湿滑地带，所以西拉技巧同时适用于地面及正常站姿。致使其许多技巧外表标新立异，甚至怪异。
许多地面踢腿，扫腿，击打等其他动作只出现在西拉中。我们所教授的体系有非常有趣的历史背景。
这种形式来自西里伯斯岛的布吉思人（印度尼西亚苏拉威西岛南部，印尼的第三大岛）。
布吉斯人是海上人群，有贸易家，旅行家，海盗和勇士们。布吉斯人通常和他们的武术技艺齐名。
欧洲海员因为惧怕他们，用“夜魔”来形容这些武者。传说英国、荷兰和法国的海员们把布吉斯海盗的这个故事带回家乡，
告诉他们的孩子“如果不听话，布吉斯人会把你带走！”“小心布吉斯人。”
我们有时会开玩笑地称我们的风格为“夜魔西拉”。
The techniques of our system are taken from the Tiger, Snake, Crocodile, and Monkey. (These are not the same as Chinese gung fu animal styles).
We practice fighting from all positions, not only standing upright. In our system, some of the fighting techniques and postures were developed aboard ships and boats and to be used when the ground is unstable or at sea aboard a vessel.
We do not practice forms or katas in the same sense as other martial arts, but we heavily emphasise footwork (Langkahs). All of our forms (djurus and langkahs) that we practice are training techniques to develop combative skills, especially footwork. We also fight from a squatting or sitting position.
Our styles have very complicated and sophisticated footwork that is the foundation of all of our combat techniques. Footwork is based on geometrical shape such as the rectangle, the triangle, pentagon, circle,etc.
(Pentjak Silat Langkah (Footwork) Diagram)
The footwork includes twisting and angling movements for evasion and control as well as off balancing the opponent.
Footwork is especially important when it comes to blade and other weapons.
我们这个体系中的技巧形态取自老虎、蛇、鳄鱼和猴子（不同于中国的动物象形功夫）。
格斗姿势也不仅限于直立状态，还包括其他各种姿势。该体系中，一些格斗技巧和姿势用于登上船只，
以及当地面不稳定时或是在海上登船。西拉的训练形式和套路有别于其他武术，更注重了步法的运用。
我们训练中所运用的技巧旨在提高真正的格斗水平，特别是步法。同时学习如何以蹲或坐姿来格斗。
该体系有着复杂的步法，是我们格斗技术中的重要根基。这些步法建立在几何图形的基础上，例如矩形，
三角形，五角形和圆等等。包括扭曲，按角度移动等，以躲避或控制或使对手失去平衡。
在遇到带刀刃等的武器时，步法尤为重要。
In our style of Silat, there is a constant flow of movement, forward, circular, and angular motion. The footwork at times could seem similar to a dance or the Brazilian martial art, Capoiera, except that we do not use many high kicking techniques and prefer to kick on the low-line only. We do not telegraph strikes or pull back the hand or feet in chamber for striking.
The practitioner will learn to develop short range speed and power so that strikes can be delivered at full power from a very close range. We also use many unorthodox take-down and ground striking techniques.
Striking is done to vulnerable areas of the body such as the eyes, throat, groin, organs, and joints. We strike with all parts of the body including the head, shoulder, elbows, knees, shins. Included are joint locking and breaking techniques.
我们的西拉体系中，总是不断交替使用前后、圆形、角度等各种步法。有时看起来象是舞蹈，
尤似巴西的卡泼卫勒舞(一种源于非洲把民间舞蹈艺术和武术防身动作结合在一起的巴西舞蹈)，
但我们不用过多的高踢腿动作，而更倾向于低位腿部技巧。我们不会让对手察觉出下一步要攻击的方向。
练习者要注重提高短距离攻击的速度和力量，达到近距离内以全力发挥。我们还运用很多独特的技巧击倒对手，
及地面攻击技巧。攻击通常运用在敏感、脆弱的身体部位上，如眼部、喉部、腹股沟和关节等处。
我们用几乎每个身体部位来攻击，包括头、肩、肘、膝、胫等。有锁、断关节等技巧。
各种武器的使用也包含在我们的训练中。