Followup Discussion

By Dr. Ian Wilson
School of Asian Studies
Murdoch University
Western Australia

Firstly let me clarify that what I wrote was 'a' rather than 'the' view of Cimande, according to one publicly recognized teacher. That's why I mentioned Pak Ace's name in the first place, something I now regret. 'Official' versions of history aren't presented as an individuals opinion. They seek to make themselves unproblematic by speaking in the first person, the narrator as God. Within the Cimande region, as I am sure you know if you have visited, there are numerous teachers. Each in their own way have a genuine claim. As far as I know there is no 'official' view of Cimande, due as much to the fact that it is a style that has had such a great influence throughout West Java and beyond. To assert there is 'one' real history is always fraught with political connotations. 32 years under the Suharto regime have made Indonesians acutely aware of this. Everywhere you find Cimande elements, you find a different account of its origins and its technique. The Cimande found in Bandung and Cianjur is certainly very different to that common in Serang. Despite this each is still undoubtedly 'Cimande'.

What I wrote at the time was brief and not intended to be taken as a 'complete' picture of anything. I don't recall using either the word 'complete' or 'official'. I have a professional allergy to both. The material published in my thesis is far more substantial and nuanced, for as you say there is a complex intersecting of issues. I do agree that there a number of strains/lineages of Cimande, each with its own particular emphasis (i.e. the internal-magical) such as in Banten.

As to the issues between the 'camps' in the US, its unfortunate for a start, and its certainly not something I would want to get drawn into in anyway whatsoever. I had no idea the addition of a 'k' (to Sera) could be of such significance to so many people! You are right that it is spelt Sera in Indonesia. I didn't intend to infer anything from my 'k', and was oblivious to the political implications within the US Silat community.

Regarding lineages and history etc the situation that I have observed is that no one in Indonesia ever agrees about these things, not just for silat, but all aspects of Indonesian life. Unity in diversity. History is not separate from politics and a multitude of vested interests. That why my thesis is titled the 'politics of inner power' as I try to outline the complex dynamics of cultural politics within one particular cultural practice, including the discourses of 'authenticity' and 'lineage'. I have no vested interest or 'belief' in any particular view or account of Cimande, or any other style for that matter.

To me, its all potentially interesting.