Exploring the Art Of Knife

The dojo is on the second floor of a small structure behind the Tetra Pak Building in South Jakarta. The floor is covered with black mattresses, arranged like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle; standing against the white walls are assorted martial arts equipment, from weapons to punching bags.

The Combined Martial Arts Academy, established by Glen Gardiner, a retired Australian Army captain, is a training spot for various martial arts, including karate, Brazilian jujitsu and arnis eskrima, a weapons-based martial art from the Philippines.

The academy also houses a club called Belati, or dagger in Indonesian, which focuses on the tactical use of knives in battle.

“From the ancient Sumerian army up to the Green Berets, the knife has always been considered an important fighting instrument,” said Dodit T. Setyohadi, a Belati member. “That’s because knives are dangerously practical. As for guns, once you’re out of bullets, that’s it. You’re done.”
Belati also makes defense against knife attacks an important part of training.

The club was formed in January 2008 by three martial artists who collected knives as a hobby. Wanting to learn specific martial knife skills, they gathered techniques from various martial art forms, mostly from the Philippines, and started a weekly practice.

Not just anyone is allowed to participate, and full membership is exclusive. Today, the academy has only six full members from various martial arts backgrounds.

“A participant can become a member if he is recommended by another member, and the rest of the members will decide if the participant has what it takes to be trained further,” said Dodit, 44, who is a television producer. “And to be a participant, you have to convince us that you have the right attitude.”

Dodit said one person wanted to take part in the weekly practice because in his city, Manado in North Sulawesi Province, a lot of men walked around carrying knives to intimidate others. He was rejected.

What Belati is looking for are members and participants who are responsible enough to avoid clashes and put defense over assault.

“We have been asked to train groups known for their violence. We haven’t given them our answer yet, simply because we don’t want to have enemies,” said Adinur Budiono, a Belati member.

Dedy Dwi Putra, another member, said: “We also don’t accept high school students because of the high rate of school fights.”

But Belati acknowledges that there are certain groups of people who need to know how to use knives as weapons. It has trained members of several security companies, as well as military and police officers.

Dedy, who is a doctor, said: “In the news, you hear about people getting stabbed several times before dying from blood loss. That actually shows that the stabber doesn’t know how to use a knife properly. In Belati, you learn how to immobilize your enemy in one quick move.”

Dodit said: “We don’t appreciate our members and participants carrying knives around. They should only use their training to defend against knife attacks.”

With those who fear coming face-to-face with a knife threat, the Belati members have some tips: “Escape is your number one option. Otherwise, do anything you can to buy time — like throwing rocks — before you find an effective weapon, something longer than a knife, such as a pole, to fight back. The overall key is to be completely aware of what you’re doing.”