Review : Pencak Silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa

Pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa is a specific system of martial arts originating in West Java, Indonesia. It is characterized by a low solid base, conservative hand positions close to the body, powerful elbow strikes, intercepting/grabbing the attacking hands and elbows, joint locks, and counter-lock evasion. The preferred weapon is the golok and is atypically held backwards along the forearm to accentuate the elbow strikes. It is a village-based system originating in Garut, West Java, near Bandung. The most recent head of the system was Grand Maha Guru Bapak A. Wajihadin - he died in April 2012 and the successor to the system has not yet been named. The system is relatively rare outside of Indonesia with instructors in Canada, the USA, and Venezuela. Pencak silat is an Indonesian term used to refer to many different schools, systems, and styles of martial art found throughout Indonesia. Other similar martial arts, also referred to as silat, can be found in Malaysia, southern Thailand, the Philippines, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Various styles of pencak silat can differ widely from region to region. Some styles of pencak silat are blended systems with many different origins. Others are specific to a region, a village, or even a family. Pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa is a village-based system that originates in Garut, near Bandung in West Java, Indonesia. It derives from the Sundanese ethnic culture predominant in that area.