The Martial Arts of Indonesia is a heavily illustrated and well-researched work from revered martial arts scholar and teacher Donn F. Draeger. Draeger offers an expert's perspective on the story of Indonesia's martial culture, providing a comprehensive introduction to the sophisticated forms of empty-hand combat. These acrobatic fighting styles like Pencak Silat-which was granted World Cultural Heritage status by UNESCO in 2019-and Kuntao are growing in popularity around the world.

This book also has extensive information on traditional Indonesian weapons including:

Keris: A dagger with a waved blade and pistol-grip handle
Kujang: A sickle-shaped dagger with a distinctive curve
Rencong: An L-shaped knife with a slightly curved blade


Draeger shows how these unique Indonesian forms are related to their mainland cousins, provides a historical context for their development, and describes the various combat methods employed throughout Indonesia. This edition includes a new foreword by Gary Nathan Gartenberg, the world's leading expert on Indonesian martial arts, which explains the lasting importance of this classic study of an ancient martial tradition.