Martial Arts

1. Kula kepareng ndherek latihan sepisan mawon?

   Ku-la ke-pa-reng ndhe-rek la-ti-han se-pi-san ma-won?

   May I join the training just once?

   Usage

   Java has the densest silat lineage culture in Indonesia. Central and East Java are home to large organisations such as Persaudaraan Setia Hati Terate (PSHT, based in Madiun, East Java), Setia Hati Winongo, Merpati Putih in Yogyakarta, Tapak Suci linked to Muhammadiyah, and Pagar Nusa linked to Nahdlatul Ulama. Most enrol members, so start by asking whether a single visit is possible

   Grammar Note

   Javanese has speech levels — ngoko for close relations and krama for polite address — and you should use krama with a teacher or at the front desk. "Kula" (I), "mawon" (only) and "kepareng" (may I) are all krama; their ngoko equivalents are "aku", "wae" and "oleh"

2. Kula kepareng ningali latihanipun rumiyin?

   Ku-la ke-pa-reng ni-nga-li la-ti-han-i-pun ru-mi-yin?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   Javanese silat groups are generally happy to be watched. Training runs in the evening, often starting after the maghrib prayer, and frequently takes place on an open field or a school yard, which makes it easy to observe. Always ask before photographing or filming. Group emblems and uniforms signal membership, so do not put one on without being given it

   Grammar Note

   The suffix -ipun is the krama definite marker corresponding to ngoko -e / -ne ("latihane" → "latihanipun"). "Ningali" is the krama form of ngoko "ndelok" (to look)

3. Menapa wonten sarung tangan ingkang saged disewa?

   Me-na-pa won-ten sa-rung ta-ngan ing-kang sa-ged di-se-wa?

   Are there gloves available to rent?

   Usage

   Traditional silat is trained barehanded and barefoot with no protective gear; gloves ("sarung tangan") and shin guards belong to the competitive divisions and to Muay Thai or MMA gyms. Javanese schools also have organisation-specific uniforms ("seragam") in set colours with their own emblems, and you are usually not expected to wear one until you formally enrol

   Grammar Note

   "Wonten", "saged" and "ingkang" are the krama counterparts of ngoko "ana", "isa" and "sing". Modern vocabulary such as "disewa" (to be rented) is taken straight from Indonesian and used inside Javanese sentences

4. Kula taksih enggal, nembe wiwit sinau pencak silat.

   Ku-la tak-sih eng-gal, nem-be wi-wit si-nau pen-cak si-lat.

   I am still new — I have only just started learning pencak silat.

   Usage

   Saying this up front gets you a session built around basics. Many Javanese silat organisations treat etiquette and spiritual discipline as part of the art, and a newcomer may well be asked why they want to learn. Swap "pencak silat" for "muay thai" or "MMA" as needed

   Grammar Note

   Javanese has no verb tense; adverbs such as "nembe" (just), "sampun" (already) and "badhe" (about to) carry the time relation. These are krama forms; the ngoko equivalents are "lagi", "wis" and "arep"

5. Nyuwun tulung ingkang alon kemawon.

   Nyu-wun tu-lung ing-kang a-lon ke-ma-won.

   Please take it gently.

   Usage

   Use this to bring the intensity down in partner work. Javanese culture prefers indirect requests, and simply opening with "nyuwun tulung" (I request your help) changes how the line lands. To ask for the opposite you can say "saged langkung sanget" (a bit stronger is fine)

   Grammar Note

   "Nyuwun tulung + request" is the standard krama way to ask a favour. "Kemawon" corresponds to ngoko "wae" and functions to soften the request

6. Dhengkul kula sakit, kepareng boten ndherek latihan nendhang?

   Dheng-kul ku-la sa-kit, ke-pa-reng bo-ten ndhe-rek la-ti-han nen-dhang?

   My knee hurts — may I sit out the kicking drills?

   Usage

   Say this before training begins — there is no intake form, so speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap the body part for "pundhak" (shoulder), "geger" (back) or "tangan" (hand/arm). Javanese silat includes long holds in low stances (kuda-kuda), which is demanding on the knees

   Grammar Note

   "Boten" is the krama negator, corresponding to ngoko "ora". Possession is formed by placing the pronoun after the noun ("dhengkul kula" = my knee). "Dhengkul" is the everyday word for knee and is acceptable in polite contexts

7. Ragadipun saben wulan pinten?

   Ra-ga-di-pun sa-ben wu-lan pin-ten?

   How much is the monthly cost?

   Usage

   Traditional Javanese silat groups function much like community mutual-aid associations, so dues can be very small or amount only to a share of equipment and venue costs. Commercial city gyms sit in an entirely different bracket. Asking about money is not impolite, but do it in krama

   Grammar Note

   "Pinten" is the krama question word for "how much / how many", corresponding to ngoko "pira". "Wulan" is krama for month; the ngoko word is "sasi"

8. Sepisan latihan ragadipun pinten?

   Se-pi-san la-ti-han ra-ga-di-pun pin-ten?

   How much is one training session?

   Usage

   The way to ask a per-visit cost. Traditional groups may say there is no set amount, or leave it to you; in that case putting something in an envelope towards equipment or drinks fits Javanese etiquette. Handing money over in an envelope rather than openly is the preferred gesture

   Grammar Note

   The prefix se- means "one" ("sepisan" = once, "sedina" = one day). Javanese questions keep statement word order and put the question word where the answer belongs

9. Menapa wonten kelas mligi kangge putri?

   Me-na-pa won-ten ke-las mli-gi kang-ge pu-tri?

   Is there a class specifically for women?

   Usage

   Women train in Javanese silat as a matter of course, often in hijab. Islamic-affiliated organisations such as Tapak Suci or Pagar Nusa sometimes train men and women separately. If you would rather not do mixed-gender partner work, check in advance

   Grammar Note

   "Kangge" is the krama form of ngoko "kanggo". "Putri" and "putra" originally mean daughter and son and are widely used in formal contexts to designate female and male categories

10. Jadwal latihan dinten menika jam pinten?

    Jad-wal la-ti-han din-ten me-ni-ka jam pin-ten?

    What time is today's training?

    Usage

    Traditional groups train two or three evenings a week. During Ramadan the session may shift to after the tarawih prayer or pause entirely. Java also keeps a five-day traditional cycle (pasaran: Legi, Pahing, Pon, Wage, Kliwon), and some organisations set their training nights by combining it with the week, as in "the night of Selasa Kliwon"

    Grammar Note

    "Dinten menika" is krama for "today", corresponding to ngoko "dina iki". "Menika" is the krama demonstrative, standing in for ngoko "iki" and "kuwi"

11. Nyuwun tulung diwulang jurus menika alon-alon.

    Nyu-wun tu-lung di-wu-lang ju-rus me-ni-ka a-lon-a-lon.

    Please teach me this technique slowly.

    Usage

    Silat techniques and forms are called "jurus". Related terms are "kuda-kuda" (basic stance), "langkah" (footwork), "tangkisan" (block), "pukulan" (strike) and "tendangan" (kick). Javanese schools teach by long repetition of the fundamental forms, and asking what each movement means speeds up your understanding

    Grammar Note

    As in Indonesian, the di- prefix forms the passive ("wulang" = to teach → "diwulang" = to be taught), and framing a request passively avoids putting the other person in the subject slot, which sounds more polite. "Alon-alon" also appears in the well-known Javanese maxim "alon-alon waton kelakon" — slowly, as long as it gets done

12. Sepinten dangunipun ngantos kula saged ndherek sparring?

    Se-pin-ten da-ngu-ni-pun ngan-tos ku-la sa-ged ndhe-rek spar-ring?

    How long until I can take part in sparring?

    Usage

    Javanese traditional groups hold you back from partner work until your kuda-kuda and basic jurus are solid, and the call is the instructor's. Progression through the grades is often strictly defined by the lineage, and an outside visitor rarely reaches sparring. Ask rather than push

    Grammar Note

    "Dangu" is krama for "long (in time)", nominalised here with -ipun; the ngoko equivalent is "suwene". "Ngantos" corresponds to ngoko "nganti"

13. Perguruan menika mulang aliran menapa?

    Per-gu-ru-an me-ni-ka mu-lang a-li-ran me-na-pa?

    Which lineage does this school teach?

    Usage

    "Perguruan" is the organisation or school and "aliran" the style or lineage. Java hosts large bodies such as the Setia Hati lineages (PSHT, Setia Hati Winongo), Merpati Putih, Tapak Suci and Pagar Nusa, each with its own curriculum and social background. Relations between organisations are sometimes entangled with local politics, so avoid asking which one is stronger

    Grammar Note

    "Menapa" works as a yes/no question marker at the head of a sentence and as the question word "what / which" after a noun. In ngoko, "apa" fills both roles

14. Wonten pundi kula saged ningali pertandingan pencak silat?

    Won-ten pun-di ku-la sa-ged ni-nga-li per-tan-di-ngan pen-cak si-lat?

    Where can I watch a pencak silat competition?

    Usage

    Competitive silat splits into "tanding", scored on strikes and takedowns, and "seni", judged on the accuracy and presentation of forms (solo "tunggal", pairs "ganda", teams of three "regu"). Tournaments are run by the provincial branches of IPSI, the national federation. In Java, demonstrations also appear at village festivals, weddings and organisational anniversaries, sometimes accompanied by gamelan

    Grammar Note

    "Wonten pundi" is the krama way to ask where something is, corresponding to ngoko "ana ngendi". Because krama and ngoko swap the vocabulary itself, the same meaning can look completely different

15. Kuda-kuda sing kenceng, deloken mripate lawan!

    Ku-da-ku-da sing ken-ceng, de-lok-en mri-pa-te la-wan!

    Hold your stance firm, look at your opponent's eyes!

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. In-class commands come in ngoko rather than krama, which reflects the teacher-to-student relationship and carries no rudeness whatsoever. "Kuda-kuda" literally means "horse-like" and denotes the fundamental stance and weight distribution in silat

    Grammar Note

    Ngoko imperatives are formed by suffixing -a or -en to the verb ("delok" = to look → "deloken" = look at it). "Sing" is the ngoko relativiser and also introduces adverbial phrases of manner

16. Nendhang sing banter, aja ragu!

    Nen-dhang sing ban-ter, a-ja ra-gu!

    Kick hard, do not hesitate!

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. The standard call from whoever holds the pads, and also a signal that full contact is welcome. The reasoning is that half-committed strikes are the ones that injure your own foot

    Grammar Note

    A prohibition needs only "aja" before the verb; the krama equivalent is "sampun". "Sing + adjective" expresses manner and is common in commands

17. Ngaso limang menit, ngombe banyu dhisik.

    Nga-so li-mang me-nit, ngom-be ba-nyu dhi-sik.

    Rest five minutes, drink some water first.

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. Javanese sessions often take place outdoors or under an open-sided roof, and the repetitive drilling happens in real heat and humidity, so water breaks are part of the routine. Bring your own bottle, or buy one at a nearby warung

    Grammar Note

    Numbers take the linker -ng before a noun ("lima" + ng + "menit" = five minutes). "Dhisik" is the ngoko word for "first"; the krama form is "rumiyin"

18. Wis cukup semene wae dina iki. Apik banget!

    Wis cu-kup se-me-ne wa-e di-na i-ki. A-pik ba-nget!

    That is enough for today. Very good!

    Usage

    The instructor's closing line. Javanese silat sessions end with a salute to the teacher, and each organisation has its own form. Towards an older teacher, pressing the palms together with a slight bow, or shaking with the right hand and touching that hand to your chest, conveys respect. Reply in krama with "Matur nuwun" (thank you)

    Grammar Note

    "Wis" is the ngoko completive adverb, corresponding to krama "sampun". "Banget" follows an adjective to mean "very"; the krama form is "sanget"

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