Pencak Silat around the World

Pencak Silat around the world

The organisation of Pencak Silat around the world consists of individual countries that have their own national federations incorporating individual schools/clubs, and an international federation, Persekutuan Pencak Silat Antarabangsa (PERSILAT), that is the ultimate authority on Pencak Silat and is responsible for the promotion and development of Silat around the world.

Most countries in which Silat is practised will have one organising body (national federation) that will encourage the development of genuine Silat in that country and will be a member of and be recognised by PERSILAT as the official Silat organisation for that country.

The International Pencak Silat Federation (PERSILAT) was established on 11 March 1980 as a result of a conference in Jakarta, which was attended by the Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (IPSI), the Singaporean Pencak Silat Federation (PERSISI), a representative of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of Malaysia and observers from Brunei Darussalam.

The founder members of PERSILAT are:

Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia (IPSI)
Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan Malaysia (PESAKA)
Persekutuan Silat Singapura (PERSISI)
Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan Brunei Darrusalam (PERSIB)

In addition to the four founding members there are national level Pencak Silat organisations/associations/federations that are recognised by PERSILAT in countries around the world.

Pencak Silat in the UK

The Pencak Silat Federation of the UK (PSF UK) is the only national organisation for Silat in the UK that is approved and officially recognised by the world governing body 'PERSILAT'

The PSF UK was founded by the teachers of two Silat schools based in London: Silat Gerak Ilham Bugis-Makassar (GI) from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (Makassar), and Silat Perisai Diri (PD), a style based in Java. The teachers, Bapak Aidinal Alrashid of GI and Bapak Otto Soeharjono of PD are recognised teachers/instructors of their respective Silat styles and have been teaching Silat in the UK for many years.

In June 1994, Bapak Aidinal Alrashid of Silat Gerak Ilham Bugis-Makassar was appointed representatives of PERSILAT for the whole of of the United Kingdom.

Following this recognition, the PSF UK was formed, and officially inaugurated on 16 September 1994 at the Indonesian Embassy in London by the President of PERSILAT, Bapak Eddie Nalapraya, and the then Ambassador of Indonesia in the UK, His Excellency Bapak J E Habibie.

The Federation has been established to encourage, promote and develop the genuine, traditional Pencak Silat martial arts the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). It monitors and checks bona fide Silat organisations in the UK and acts as a general enquiry point about Silat to the British public.

The PSF UK will consider for membership any properly trained and qualified instructor based in the UK, whose club/school has been in existence for at least one year and who can provide written verification from the national body where their Silat style is from.

The PSF UK has also played a leading role in the establishment of the European Pencak Silat Federation (EPSF), which consists of the recognised European Silat member organisations of PERSILAT.

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