The Javanese pencak silat tradition

The Javanese pencak silat tradition were developed by several perguruan (schools). The notable school among others are Merpati Putih and Inti Ombak from Yogyakarta, and Perisai Diri from Surabaya. PPS Betako Merpati Putih stands for Perguruan Pencak Silat Beladiri Tangan Kosong Merpati Putih or "Empty Handed Pencak Silat Martial Art School of Merpati Putih". Officially established on 2 April 1963 in Yogyakarta, Merpati Putih is rooted in the Javanese beliefs and philosophies based on Javanese keraton (court) tradition, and can trace its origin to the martial art tradition of the 17th century Mataram Sultanate.[17] The name in Indonesian literary means "white dove". Although Merpati Putih literary means "white dove" in Indonesian language, and the bird become the symbol of the school, the name is actually an abbreviation of a Javanese proverb: Mersudi Patitising Tindak Pusakane Titising Hening which means "Always searching for the truth with inner peace". The school also has a motto: Sumbangsihku tak berharga, namun Keikhlasanku nyata, which means "My contribution is humble, but my sincerity is real".[18]

Merpati Putih focused heavily on empty-handed self defense and tenaga dalam ("inner strength") developed through intense breathing technique trainings.[18] Although the style is very much self-defence oriented, its practitioners also participate in modern competitions and have achieved some important victories in many regional, national and international tournaments. Today, the school of Merpati Putih is one of the most widely distributed and has large numbers of practitioner in Indonesia and abroad. The school of Merpati Putih has numbers branches established in schools and universities in Indonesia to attract students to learn pencak silat as an extra curricular activity. The Merpati Putih self-defense system is also adopted and practiced by Indonesian Military.[10] Merpati Putih has established its overseas schools, in United States,[19] Japan[20] and the Netherlands.[21]