By being aware of this, the silat practitioner can harmonise their movements with the cakera, thereby increasing the power and effectiveness of attacks. Energy could also be used for healing or focused into a single point when applied to sentuhan, the art of attacking an opponent's pressure points. The movements of silat are often performed as a dance during festivities such as weddings or a royal installation. These performances can be done either solo or with a partner and are accompanied by music played by a live band. Several traditional dances were influenced by silat, such as the inai dance from northern Malaysia. In the Minangkabau area silat is one of the main components in the men's folk dance called randai, besides bakaba (storytelling) and saluang jo dendang (song-and-flute).
The music played during silat performances is known as tanji silat baku or gendang baku in Malay Peninsula, and gendang pencha among the Sunda people of West Java in Indonesia. The instruments vary from one region to another but the gamelan (Javanese orchestra), kendang (drum), suling (flute) and gong are common throughout Southeast Asia.
The Minangkabau of west Sumatra play a set of gongs known as talempong and sometimes use a type of flute called saluang. The most common instruments in Malaysia are the gendang (drums) and serunai (oboe). Music from the northern Malay Peninsula more closely resembles Thai music.
Types of silat drums include the gendang ibu or "mother drum" and the gendang anak or "child drum". The serunai, which also comes in long and short variations, is what gives silat music its distinct sound.
In Indonesia, anyone who teaches silat is addressed as Guru or teacher. In Malaysia, instructors who are qualified to teach but haven't yet achieved full mastery are addressed as Cikgu or Chegu, a contraction of encik and guru. Masters are called Guru while grandmasters are called Guru Agong or Mahaguru meaning supreme teacher.
The terms cikgu and guru are often interchangeable. An elderly male master may be addressed as Tok Guru or Tuk Guru (lit."teacher-grandfather"), often abbreviated to Tok. In both countries, the honorary title of Pendekar may be officially bestowed onto a master by royalty or unofficially by commoners.
