Chapter 5
Stick Fighting in Lombok

The popular sport of stick fighting is an evolution of early Indonesian combat. Like many of the Olympic sports which has similar roots in true combat, the rules of stick fighting have tempered its ferocity. While the name may conger thought of savage beatings with sticks, in reality stick fighting today is a sport. It is no more violent than any other popular sport.

Over the years many customs and traditions have been added to the sport which add to the ceremony and excitement of the game. Teams are composed of young men from the various Districts of Lombok. Each man has trained with the team for many years and various offensive and defensive strategies and moves are employed.

I did not take the time to learn all the proper Indonesian terms for the game, so I will describe the sport in a layman's fashion. The playing field is an round shaped piece of flat land about 100 feet in diameter. The front rows of the crowd sits around the circle, giving it shape to the field of play.

A combatant from each team is dressed in a sarong and a headband. No shirts or protective gear are worn. Each fighter has a trainer who stands in the arena about 10 feet away. A referee also stands in the ring and commands absolute control over the fight. A drum and symbol band provides harsh music in rhythm to the pace of activity on the field. Finally an announcer gives the "play-by-play" description of the fight. The stick consists of a flexible wood rod about 3 feet long. The wood shield is about 2 ft. by 3 ft.

As explained to me, the rules sound simple. First man to draw blood on the head of his opponent is the winner. If you drop your stick 3 times, you loose. Like all sports, stick fighting also has many modifications to the basic rules. For example, the first fighter came out wildly swinging his stick in all directions at his opponent. The defender tried to block the blows with his shield but was not very effective. The referee blew his whistle and the fight was over. Over? Why?

I needed to understand the concept of black magic and white magic. In western culture, we use the terms, "God is going to get you for that". Now some people use the phase generically and others believe in the vengeance of God. White and Black magic seem to be a similar concept. Either the stick or the combatant can possess White magic which means they are especially powerful that day.

Man With White Magic

So in the case of the first fight I described, the referee determined that one fighter had White magic, thus over-powering and endangering his opponent. So the game was stopped and the man with the White magic won.

The concept of Black magic is more like a curse. A player with Black magic is skilled but his blows are diverted or misplaced. And that is all you are going to get from me about White and Black magic. Except to say the concept pervades the life of many other islanders.

Back to stick fighting. In a normal fight, players trade blows - usually to the waist or legs - which can cause some real welts! At times the players get entwined with shield and become locked together like boxers. The referee blows his whistle and the two trainers come and take away the stick and shield of their respective players. No one is allowed to take a cheap shot at this point.

Now the tenor of the games changes. The two trainers, who are usually middle aged men, prance around and phantom fight with the other trainer. Gnarling and fake gestures are made for the entertainment of the crowd. In the meantime, the fighters repair to their corners and nurse any wounds. Soon the referee blows the whistle, the players come onto the field and a second whistle indicates that the players may have their weapons back again. Players also use body language to taunt their opponent. Similar to a victory dance, the players are saying in their motions, "Come get me before I get you first"

So it goes. About 20% of the fights end with a glancing blow to the head, but enough to qualify as drawing blood. If neither fighter seems to dominate after about 10 minutes, the game is called a draw. The referee has the power to stop a fight if a fighter seems in danger. On occasion, one of the fighters may have taken several severe body blows and seems weakened. Notice the red and purple welts on this fighter's chest and waist. The fight is lost for this player and the referee will not allow him to continue fighting.

So, you see, stick fighting is no more dangerous than other contact sports. However, the action is fast and exciting, as you can see by the pictures.