The Victorian pencak silat championship returned to Melbourne with 64 athletes from 11 schools. More than just a competition, the Indonesian martial art offers a sense of belonging and mental health benefits for the diaspora in Australia.
Collingwood Town Hall in Melbourne hosted the Victorian Pencak Silat Championship 2026 on Sunday, 21 June. The Australian Pencak Silat Federation (APSF) Victoria organised the annual event, drawing 64 athletes from 11 schools to compete across 9 seni (art/form) categories and 43 matches.
Event coordinator and APSF Victoria secretary Diski Naim said interest in pencak silat across the state continues to grow, with more athletes and schools joining compared to last year. The biggest jump, he noted, has come from children.
Participants are drawn to the sport for many reasons, Naim said, from curiosity about Indonesian culture and fitness goals to building discipline. But the benefits extend well beyond the physical.
Naim said many members who were once shy and lacked confidence have opened up after training. Schools that keep sessions fun, particularly for younger children, have helped make the martial art a positive experience, he added.
Referee and judge Sabrina Mohammad echoed this. Mohammad, a Singaporean Malay with Javanese heritage from her father, has practised pencak silat since the age of five in Singapore. She said the martial art has helped her both physically and mentally, and that the sense of community is strong regardless of which school or country someone comes from.
Events like the championship also play a broader social role, Naim said. They bring together people who share a common interest and build networks that cross national boundaries. This year's participants came from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Timor-Leste, Naim said.
Looking ahead, Naim said he hopes pencak silat will continue to grow in Australia, both as a way to preserve Indonesian culture and as a step towards a bigger goal: seeing the sport at the Olympic Games.
