18/10/2024
An excerpt from the book Indie in beeld from 1911
The Minang Kabau knife-fencers or fence-dancers, Toekang Mantjak, should be included in the Bond’s plate, Mr. Westenenk, the sympathetic propagandist for tourist traffic on Sumatra’s West Coast, told me. I have the honor to introduce these proud Sumatrans, dressed in old Minang Kabau attire. Plate No. 63. After the fencers have brought a kind of salute, their dance begins. The razor-sharp knives are thrust as close as possible along the head and limbs, while they are parried with the feet. It is a continuous attack from both sides;
the combatants fight each other furiously; every moment we think we will see the knife disappear into the body of the fighters. It is truly a terrifying sight for the spectator; however, the fighters are bound to each other by a mutual oath, they will not exceed the boundary of the mock fight, while the certainty with which they handle the knives completely excludes accidents. This fencing dance is only practiced by a few Minangkabau young people; at annual fairs and at native festivals they give their dances, which are much appreciated by the population.
