chintya candranaya, la reina del silat

Generalizations in pencak silat technique are very difficult; styles and movements are as diverse as the Indonesian archipelago itself. Individual disciplines can be offensive as in Aceh, evasive as in Bali, or somewhere in between. They may focus on strikes (pukulan), kicks (tendangan), locks (kuncian), weapons (senjata), or even on spiritual development rather than physical fighting techniques. Most styles specialize in one or two of these, but still make use of them all to some degree. Certain characteristics tend to prevail in particular geographical regions, as follows:

Kicks - West Sumatra, North Sumatra
Hands/Arms - West Java, Sulawesi, Kalimantan
Grappling - East Java, Sumatra
Strikes (hands and feet) - Bali, Central Java, Madura