Harimau Pencak Silat

The Minangkabau people of west-central Sumatra have made the Harimau ("tiger") style a very effective and dangerous fightinq form that is respected throughout Indonesia. Its technical fundamentals can be found, to a greater or lesser degree, in every other major orthodox pencak-silat style, but important reasons for differences arise from the fact that uneven and slippery ground surfaces are most common in Sumatra, and that under these conditions, the Harirnau fighter considers an upright combative posture detrimental to effective fighting since it offers him only two bases of support-i.e., his legs. He prefers to hug the ground, sometimes actually getting down on it, thus making effective use of five supports-his two legs, his two arms, and either his back, side, or belly. To assume that, while in this unusual recumbent posture, the Harimau fighter is incapable of moving quickly and effectively would be to make a gross and possibly dangerous-mistake. From the low posture he assumes, he can deliver very powerful kicks as well as make use of other cunning tactics; further, he can spring quickly and forcefully up at the enemy, clawing him with terrifying ferocity.