More on Pendekar Banten

Gorka Echarri with Pak Rusdi


Now that our Brother Gorka Echarri has returned from yet another successful journey to West Java - including Banten and Tari Kolot - we are grateful to him for taking the time and effort to translate some history of the Pendekar Banten organization and its esteemed founder Pendekar Hassan. - JD

The PPPSBBI (Persatuan Pendekar Persilatan Seni Budaya Banten Indonesia) is a regional organization created in 1971 by Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid. This organization has been created to unify all the old schools from the Banten area including Cimande Macan Guling, Jalak Rawi, Macan Paku banten, Satri Muda Indonesia, Terumbu, Bandrong, Gabak Lumayung.
Before the PPPSBBI, in Banten, there were Jago (or jawara) that were some kind of strong fighters, with also often strong ilmu and they were working for their district, for a group of villages. They were assuming the security of their group, sometimes by fights with
other jago or sometime by playing the bully with citizens from an other district. Pendekar H. Tubagus
Chasan Sochid succeeded in joining most of this jagos under one single organisation, under his authority for the benefit of everyone. That's why some people are calling Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid, Jawara of the jawaras. Their action became the promotion of their specific style of Pencak Silat, also assuming the security in some gatherings, some city parties, for the youngest, working as security in supermarkets, assuming the security of the political party "Golkar"... The PPPSBBI, is officially recognized by the Indonesian governement.
There are actually 90 different styles under the supervision of the PPPSBBI,
500 000 silat players under this organization in the Banten area. Some students came from Malaysia and from Australia to learn Pencak Silat under the PPPSBBI. Gorka Echarri is officially the PPPSBBI "ambassador" for international promotion of the PPPSBBI and has the official right to support any schools that want to learn traditional Pencak Silat styles from Banten (Cimande Macan Guling and Terumbu Gajah Putih). This organization has a very strong influence in Banten and you can feel its influence in the everyday living in the streets of Serang and surrounding areas.

Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid was born in 1930 in the village of Kadu Berem, Pabuaran in the district of Serang, Banten area. He sudied in a dutch school (Ver Volk), Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid then continued his studies of the muslim religion in the
Pondok Pesantren Pani school were he became a famous muslim scholar. Kyai Cholil recognized Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid bravery and intelligence. Pendekar H.
Tubagus Chasan Sochid then started to be renowned in the business world in his area.

In addition to academic studies, Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid also studied different spiritual schools from Banten (for healing and Pencak Silat) and gained a high level in
them. He has been recognized as a true Jawara (strong man from inside and outside).

As a regional organisation, the PPPSBBI is renowed and has a strong reputation. The organization is promoting all the traditionnal schools and help their improvements. For competitions, each school within the PPPSBBI is free to join the competition or not.
Some schools play in this IPSI competitions by joining in Sumatra, other parts of Java.
The schools are free to join or not and there is no judgment from the ones who joined to the ones who
doesn't want t join. They live all together in a good
intelligence.