Kipas : The kipas is a folding fan which people used to keep themselves cool in Southeast Asia's tropical heat. Although created in China (where it is known as tieshan), the fan is common to many Asian cultures, as can be seen in traditional Indonesian-Malay dances. As a weapon the fan should be able to open and close easily with one hand, particularly if two are being wielded at once. Usually made of bamboo, more combat-worthy kipas are constructed from harder wood or iron. Perisai / Jebang : The perisai is a shield, typically paired with a spear or javelin. Shields in silat are generally round bucklers made of rattan. However, the indigenous tribes of Malaysia and Indonesia commonly wield the jebang, a long hexagonal wooden shield. Samping / Chindai : The samping is a wearable sarong usually tied around the waist or draped across one shoulder. Related weapons include the linso or kerchief, and the chindai or Sindhi waist-sash made of silk. Students first use it for practicing hand movements but in advanced stages it is applied as a weapon. Samping techniques include locks, grabs and choke-holds. It can also be used to trap the opponent's weapon or attacking limb. The samping is particularly useful against bladed weapons since the wrapped cloth provides some protection from
Range weapons
Gandewa : The gandewa is a bow, though it is more often referred to as a busar or busur today. It was a common hunting weapon even among the region's aboriginal tribes (orang asal), but was later replaced by the senapang or rifle. The gandewa is very rarely taught in modern silat schools. Sumpitan : The sumpitan is a blowpipe, a hollow bamboo tube through which poisonous darts (damak) are shot. It is one of the oldest weapons in the region, having been used as a hunting tool by Proto-Malays since prehistoric times. The blowpipe is also the most popular long-range weapon in silat and was most often used to kill someone unawares. It typically measures 1.8m long and is made from two pieces of bamboo, one for the barrel and one for the casing. In close combat, it could be wielded as a stick. In Malaysia, the orang asli are considered the greatest masters of the blowpipe. Tribes such as the Iban of Sarawak used a hollow spear which could shoot arrows, thus combining the characteristics of a projectile and hand-to-hand weapon.
Imported weapons
Jian : The jian is a straight Chinese double-edge sword. It is one of the oldest known weapons to have been adopted from outside Southeast Asia, and is depicted on bas-reliefs in Srivijaya dating back more than one thousand years. Because it is lightweight and easily broken, the jian is hardly ever used for blocking. Instead, the fighter must rely on agility to dodge and avoid attacks. In silat, the Chinese sword can be used singly or in a pair. Katana : The katana is a Japanese sword with a slight curve and a single edge. When it was first brought to Southeast Asia is unclear but the katana became more widely adopted in the region around the time of the Japanese Occupation. Its application in silat is quite distinct, more reminiscent of krabi krabong or banshay than actual kenjutsu.
