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Pencak silat was chosen in 1948 as a unifying term for the Indonesian fighting styles. It was a compound of the two most commonly used words for martial arts in Indonesia. Pencak was the term used in central and east Java, while silat was used in Sumatra. In modern usage, pencak and silat are seen as being two aspects of the same practice. Pencak is the performance aspects of the martial art, while silat is the essence of the fighting and self-defense.
It is often said by practitioners that there can be no silat without pencak, on the other hand pencak without silat skills is purposeless. Pencak silat was developed in a region where tribal warfare and hunting were common activities. Tribes fought over property, natural resources and trade routes, and they also fought invading outsiders. Throughout their history, there were many wars between various indigenous tribes and kingdoms. The pencak silat tradition is mostly oral, having been passed down almost entirely by word of mouth. In the absence of written records, much of its history is known only through myth and archaeological evidence. The primary weapons of Indonesia's tribal peoples were the single-edge sword, shield and javelin. The inhabitants of Nias Island had until the 20th century remained largely untouched by the outside world, however, they are culturally similar to the Himalayan Naga tribe. Neighbouring Sumatrans are said to have left the Nias people alone because they were fearless warriors. Balinese warriors armed with kris in the 1880s.
