javanese silat in the amazon?

[haumana2000]

Im in the Doctors office the other day with my son, and am reading an old favorite, National geographic. There is a story on Suriname located in the amazon basin i think of South America. Lo and behold it has numerous pictures of indonesians, muslim followers, and other familiar pics, so i read on. I talks about how during the colonial period, large numbers of Indonesians were brought in, particularly those from Java. along with African workers So my mind starts turning. wouldnt it be interesting to find out if the NAtive Amazonian, Javanese, and African cultures have produced any regional variations of the combative arts there??? Crazy!

[krys]

There is some silat in surinam... I read about it too..
Actually many malays (some filipinos too, sold by Tausug raiders) were also taken as slaves to south africa by the dutchs... there is also silat there. Their systems have probably been altered....

[haumana2000]

thanks for the feedback! it would be interesting to see how the intermixing of cultures there has affected it. especially the native amazonian since the tribes are similar in practice, climate, etc...

[krys]

I think the largest ethnic group ins surinam (37%) is from indian origin, the javanese count for 15%..... If silat there got influenced with other m.a. it would probably have been indian mas... (maybe indian stick fighting).

[haumana2000]

I have read many accounts of Amazonian martial arts, and naitve weapons, so if the two inter-bred (arts) it would make an intersting looking baby!

[krys]

Yes that's true... What kind of amazonian martial arts? I saw some wrestling practiced by some tribes on TV once. I'm sure there are also some machette arts around...

In south africa there are still some remnants of Zulu fighting systems (stick fighting...), they may also have mixed with silat, arnis and indian mas(there is also a large indian community there)...

[haumana2000]

The wrestling styles, stickfighting, and of course native weaponry is still very much in use there. There is also an old book called secret fighting arts of the world, though not sure how credible that has a chapter on Amazonian (chavante?) wrestling.

[krys]

Hello haumana2000,

do you have references on this last book (secret ...)?
by the way when will your book on polynesian martial arts be on the market?

[haumana2000]

Howzit Krys?
The book I think it's by some guy named John Gilbey Maybe??? But it's t=out on the market. My book, I have it completed, but am a cross roads of how to market it, as much of the stuff contained within it is considered "Sacred" to some and I cannot distribute it as a menas of "making money off of it" ya know. That was the stipulation of some that I interviewed. I did distribute quite a bit to several Pacific Island Orgs. who deal with at risk youth for free. I will however, keep ya updated, I should know something within the next month. thanks for your interest.