Peresean, Art of Agility and Entertainment in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

The present turned out to be not merely entertainment. Peresean in his time part of the ritual asking for rain.

INDEPHEDIA.com - Peresean or Rattan Thump War is one of the performing arts that comes from the Sasak Tribe, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Indonesia. Sasak men, especially those who live in the village, at least have felt the tension of peresean, a traditional Lombok sport that pits the agility of hitting and holding opponents' punches.

Children in Lombok, this kind of game is like a war game using a toy gun. The risk of injury is normal. For adults, the presentation becomes a means of proving courage, catching up in the arena of reporting.

For children to teens, peresean usually done during the harvest season. In the rice fields after harvest, at the grave when playing kites sometimes interspersed with peresean. Usually, the more mature person becomes a referee, choosing who is against whom, and at the same time separating when the atmosphere gets hot. There are unwritten rules, in making a grudge, and not a fight.

Beaters for children usually use dried banana fronds, sometimes also wet banana fronds. Quite painful if it completely hits the body. While the use of rattan, conducted in "professional" peresean activities, official championships, and adults.

Rules for reporting to children and adults are the same. You can't hit your limbs below the waist. The rest is allowed. In addition, when perise the opponent falls, then it is not allowed to hit. Embarrassing hitting an opponent who doesn't hold his shield. Likewise hitting a falling opponent, or hitting from behind is considered as an act of not male.

In adults, the presentation is usually contested officially. If the children are just playing games in the village, when adults are usually held between villages, between villages, sub-districts, even now it is contested between districts.

For adult peresean, usually called pepadu (whiz). The pepadu usually use fierce names or hero names in silat stories. Not just the names are used. Usually these pepadu are champions in their villages. They do not just have the guts in the making. But also able to play peresean like battles in action films.

In this game they set the strategy, not the origin of the thump. This is what always makes me amazed; these pepadu don't seem to have pain. Dozens of wounds on the back, waist, stomach they seem not to care about. There are also pepadu that are not scratched in the slightest, even though the weaver has landed on their bodies several times. They have invulnerable knowledge, there are special spells, talismans (bebadong).

The present turned out to be not merely entertainment. Peresean in his time part of the ritual asking for rain. In an area with a long drought, a memento event was held. The youth in their village showed their dexterity. Blood that comes out of the head due to wounds, blood that drops from a torn body is considered an offering to the earth. It is a symbol of water.

Peresean is also a symbol of male virility. In the Sasak tradition, a man when he marries by carrying off someone's daughter (drawing), he must be prepared to mess with (fight). That said, the mesiat way is by presees.

Mesiat with this method there is also a fairy tale, the Cupak-Gurantang story. Once upon a time, the two brothers were sent by the king to save the princess who was kidnapped by a giant. For those who find will marry the princess. Long story short, Gurantang (younger brother) managed to defeat the giant, while Cupak was only hiding.

Later on the way home, Cupak trapped Gurantang. Then he is the one who brought the princess. However, Gurantang made it out of the trap, and he returned to the kingdom. To prove who the real hero, who really defeated a giant, the two brothers pitted peresean.

Gurantang who was drawn with a handsome figure, small in stature, while greedy and fat Cupak held a battle of witnesses witnessed by all the people. Gurantang wins.

Peresean as a ritual asking for rain, or even a symbol of virility turned into a people's entertainment. Now, the memesean event is an exciting experience. Officially contested by the government. Usually the Peresean is held to celebrate Indonesia's independence day to a cultural festival. (BD.IN/ENG/*)