Salamat Ilmu Padi,
I cannot say anything about SEAsia, but if it is of any remote interest, I know how music is used when some Westerners and Russians practice.
In America some Aliran have adopted the idea of a kendang, and we keep a vaiety of musical instruments in the training hall. These, unfortunately, are whatever we can find- not necessarily Indonesian. People who have talent for drumming and percussion instruments play these on special occasions, but most of the time we use recorded music for everyday training.
But we are very interested in cultivating the musical aspect of Silat in a traditional way.
The recorded music we use can be traditional penca stuff, gamelan, or even some modern interpretation. My Russian students have started using Orthodox bell music to train with. You can find an example of this on our website
www.pencaksilat.ruNot all western Silat practitioners appreciate the musical dimension. Usually these are people who approach Silat only for the physical techniques- they do purely combative applications, wear western clothing, and do not practice kembagan or ibing penca, or any spiritual/energy aspects.
Those of us who do value the music consider that it is essential to the training.
My master teaches that the cultural elements, such as music, open the doors to artistry, and this artistry is an important part of what makes the training truly internal.
When the movements are beautiful, and when we are trying to do them from an artistic place, they become "programmed" for lack of a better word. And whatever spiritual lessons are to be learned from what we are doing will arise only if we approach them with a certain state of mind. The music is one element which leads to this state of mind.
This is whay I was so happy to see your post, and I will certainly reference it as you wish when I post it. Thanks, by the way, for your consent.
This is a good thread. I hope to learn more about how music is used in Indonesia.
Best Regards,
Russian Silat
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