Invulnerability and Masculinity in Pencak Silat

Paradigms and Symbols of Martial Arts Practices in the Malay Mystical World

von Massimiliano Morandini

178 Seiten, Taschenbuch

Kurzbeschreibung des Verlags

This second volume continues and expands upon the research begun in the first title of the series. Whereas the first book outlined fundamental themes and issues, here I develop them in greater detail, reconstructing historical contexts, ritual practices, and paths of transmission. The island of Java is at the heart of the study: not only as a geographical space, but as a cultural crossroads where ascetic and martial practices converge around the concept of 'invulnerability', intertwining physicality, symbols and esoteric knowledge.In the region, a syncretic dynamic - fuelled by trade, proselytism and domination - has produced ancestral rituals and techniques of power in which the body becomes a vehicle of status and authority. Through processes of reinforcement and purification, body, mind and soul intertwine to awaken forces that transcend the visible.The choice of Java is based on the presence of cultural elements that elevate bodily power as a factor of social position and on my personal experience: twenty years of martial arts research and participation in the area have allowed me to directly observe and participate in practices that elsewhere remain only documented.The research also extends to areas of the Malay world - Kalimantan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Sumatra - offering comparisons that highlight continuities and differences in techniques and symbolic meanings. The chapters present ethnographic descriptions, source analyses and comparative readings that show how practical and spiritual dimensions feed into each other.For the reader's convenience, I refer repeatedly to the first volume for basic references; those who want an introductory overview will find the preliminary tools there. This book therefore offers a window onto a world in which spirituality is intertwined with discipline: every martial practice becomes an inner journey and every ceremony a dialogue between the visible and the invisible.An essential contribution for scholars, practitioners and readers interested in the physical and spiritual paths of the Malay world.:: contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

• Reihe: Invulnerability and Masculinity in Pencak Silat
• ISBN: 9791220085038
• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 15.09.2026
• Größe: 229 x 152 mm
• Verlag: Independently published