Marial Arts: Sarong
By Njoli Brown
As a common accessory in the lives of many Indonesians and people of Southeast Asia, the sarong is a true “everyday carry” and in addition to all its utilitarian purposes, with training, lends itself to inclusion in the tools of self defense.
The use of flexible weapons (ie sarong, belt, messenger bag) is a true exercise of the “timbangan” (scales) concept wherein the hands work in opposition to each other in o
rder to create tension and power. It requires a coordination of the two hands, an understanding of the tool and a practice in both softening and sharpening power.
In the headline image my mentor, Tuhon Kit Acenas (of Kali Mundo), instructs me in the use of the sarong countering the knife. I’m continually amazed at the creativity and ingenuity that deep comprehension of a practice can bring.
