Peresean, Rattan War Tradition, Sasak Tribe, Lombok

Helloindonesia.id – Peresean is a tradition of fighting between two men from the Sasak tribe in Lombok. They use a rattan stick (braid) as a sword, and a shield made of buffalo skin called ende. Fighters are only allowed to attack the opponent’s back and shoulders. As a companion, traditional musical instruments are played, such as gongs, drums and flutes.

In the past, Peresean was held to train dexterity, toughness, and courage in competing. The Sasak also hold Peresean as a ceremony to request rain during a prolonged dry season. Now, the match sacred by the Sasak tribe was also held as a show to welcome guests or tourists visiting Lombok.

Peresean participants called pepadu were not prepared beforehand, but were taken from the audience. Viewers can submit themselves as participants. Participants can also be chosen by the referee among the audience. The referee (pekembar sedi) looks for the pair of mates from the audience, while the middle referee (pekembar teqaq) will lead the match.

Pepadu, who will compete bare-chested, wears a typical Lombok sarong and headband that has been prepared by the committee. After all preparations are complete, the fight begins.

The Peresean rule is that the pepadu should not hit the lower limb (leg / thigh). Only the upper limbs (head, shoulders and back) are allowed to be beaten.

Pepadu holds a rattan stick in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. Both pepadu will attack each other for 5 rounds. Like in boxing, winning is based on the value of the judges or wins KO / TKO. The bloody Pepadu is declared defeated, and the referee will stop the match.

Injured pepadu will be treated with spread of traditional medicine. The drug is in the form of oil that does not cause pain when applied to the wound.

The course of the match will be accompanied by traditional musical instruments typical of the Sasak tribe. The sound of the gamelan will arouse pepadu’s adrenaline to attack each other. In the middle of the fight, the pepadu sometimes dance according to the rhythm of the music while attacking each other.

After the fight, the warriors shake hands and hug, the sign there is no resentment between the two.

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