Seni Silat Haqq Melayu: A Sufi Martial Art

The integral connection of religion or spirituality to Asian martial arts has long been known, as has the correlation of combative forms to the nobility. For example, in Japan the Samurai followed the code of bushido, a derivative of Buddhism and Shintoism, and in some styles of Chinese kung fu sets of movements are named “Buddha hands” and “yin yang seizing hands.” Therefore it is not surprising that religion, mysticism, and magic are embodied in Malay martial arts (silat), or that silat was once considered to be the exclusive purview of the Malay aristocracy.¹ Along with noble and spiritual connections many Asian combative forms, including silat, are also linked to medicine, art, and calligraphy, but these links and their overall assemblage have rarely received attention in the Malaysianist anthropological literature.