Pencak Silat, considered by aficionados as “the mother of all martial arts” and a mass base sport, is gaining headway with more than 170 participants in the Philippine National Games being held in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental.

Celia Kiram, secretary-general of the Philippine Pencak Silat Association, said the sport was introduced in the country even before the coming of the Spaniards in the 13th century, but was unpopular because it was perceived as a Muslim sport.

Kiram said there is no discrimination on creed or religion in Pencak Silat, played using a combination of all martial arts techniques like catching, sweeping, kicking, and punching.

This is the second participation of the Pencak Silat association in the PNG even as more than 37 countries in Europe and Southeast Asia have been playing it since it was declared a regular sport in the South East Asian Games in 1991, she added.

Kiram said anybody can participate in the competition, adding that several former street children are listed as their athletes. “Most members of the national team are coming from the out-of-school youths or street children and now employed with the military”, she added.

The Pencak Silat national team garnered six gold medals in the French Open last year in spite of the meager support coming from the Philippine government, she added.*JG

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