Several international students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) had the opportunity to showcase pencak silat, a traditional Indonesian martial art, at Yogyakarta’s Kilometer Zero on Saturday, October 26th, 2024.
Held over four hours, this pencak silat performance was the main event of Pencak Wisata Budaya 2024, organized by the Paseduluran Angkringan Silat Community.
The international students, who came from countries including Japan, Malaysia, Italy, the Netherlands, Malawi, Rwanda, and the Philippines, first spent two days learning pencak silat before demonstrating their skills in front of the public.
In addition to learning and practicing pencak silat, they were introduced to other aspects of Indonesian culture, such as making batik, playing gamelan, and crafting blangkon, a traditional headdress.
Pencak Wisata Budaya is an annual festival that aims to introduce various styles of pencak silat to both Indonesian and international communities. The event hopes to preserve pencak silat and strengthen Indonesian cultural values in the modern era.
The UGM international students who participated in Pencak Wisata Budaya expressed their joy in learning about Indonesian culture. One of them is Chiharu Soejima, an exchange student from Japan currently studying in UGM’s Faculty of Agriculture. “It was so nice to meet new friends and learn Indonesian traditional things together. This experience is definitely one of my best memories in Yogyakarta,” she said.
Similar sentiments were shared by Joas Iradukunda from Rwanda. “It was truly enjoyable,” said Joas, a master’s student who is also studying in the Faculty of Agriculture. “I want to sincerely thank everyone who participated in this event. Thank you for the management team, trainers, and our fellow translators for making this pencak silat camp a success in such a harmonious way!” he added.
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