National Olympic Committee registers new type of martial arts Pencak Silat

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – Saken Musaibekov, General Secretary of the National Olympic Committee, has bestowed Gadgy Gadgiyev, President of Pencak Silat Association, a certificate of recongnition, Kazinform correspondent reports.

Pencak Silat is a type of martial arts practiced by the native peoples of the Malay Archipelago which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. It is a full-body fighting form incorporating strikes, grappling and throwing in addition to weaponry. Every part of the body is used and subject to attack. Pencak silat plays important role in the history of the indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago.

It should be noted that over the past years Pencak Silat has gone beyond the bounds of the Malay Archipelago. Thus, it is widespread in Holland, Germany, Italy, USA and Japan. Nowadays more than 70 countries across the world practice Sports Silat while traditional Pencak Silat is used by about 140 states as a basis for self-defense.

According to Mr. Gadgiyev there are several branches in Kazakhstan including in the cities of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktobe, Pavlodar, Karaganda, Kostanay, Atyrau, Zhambyl and Almaty regions.

Additionally it is planned to open branches in 5 more regions of the country.

He noted that the Association plans to carry out the first Republican Pencak Silat tournament in November the current year.