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If you've seen Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon, you'll know that it's garnered quite a bit of hype, especially for those of Southeast Asian descent.
After all, it's the first Southeast Asia-centric film in the animation studio's history, marking a significant opening of eyes and ears for its loyal viewers, a lot of whom have grown up watching all its films, but have never seen themselves on screen.
A lot of thought went into the little sprinkles of Southeast Asian identity scattered throughout the film, like the food, the mannerisms, and even the physical appearance of the characters. But there's one thing that stuck out the most to me: The martial arts that were featured in the film. There's quite a few worth highlighting.
Here are 4 badass Southeast Asian martial arts as seen in Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon.
1. Pencak silat.
IMAGE: Cultural Impact
Commonly practiced in places along the Malay Archipelago, i.e., Malaysia and Indonesia, silat comes in over 1,000 different forms, with most of them taking inspiration from elements of nature, like plants or animals.
Movements often imitate the respective form of silat's namesake. For instance, silat harimau (tiger) places an emphasis on moving like (you guessed it) a tiger, pouncing on the opponent and targeting vulnerable pressure points.
A keris and its sheath. IMAGE: Sword Scholar
The kind of weaponry used in silat ranges from the keris (dagger) to the parang (machete). Often times, the use of these weapons is heavily incorporated with the natural movements of the martial art, making it look seamless, almost as if the weapons themselves are an extension of the body.
It first debuted as a competitive sport at the 1979 SEA Games, which were held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since then, the martial art has grown in terms of the number and diversity of practitioners. It's a rising traditional martial art in Europe and North America too!
2. Arnis.
IMAGE: AFP / Spin
Also known as kali or eskrima, arnis is designated as the national sport and martial art of the Philippines. Like most martial arts, arnis is primarily used for self-defence, incorporating grappling, hand-to-hand combat, joint locks, and weapon disarming techniques.
From a purely entertainment standpoint, arnis is one of the more 'lively' martial arts in Southeast Asia, often making use of the art's signature baston (cane) as the primary weapon of choice. This ups the level of combat, and makes for a great spectacle in officially-sanctioned competitions. Some times the use of bolo (blades) is also permitted.
IMAGE: Legal Sports Betting PH / PhilNews
Competitive arnis comes in two different forms: Anyo (performance-based) and leban (combative). The former is judged based on the smoothness and elegance of the choreography, while the latter is scored based on agility, reactions, and number of strikes.
The martial art was officially declared a national sport on December 11, 2009, cementing its status as a national heritage and treasure.
3. Muay thai.
IMAGE: Bangarang
One of the most popular close-combat sports in the world, it's no wonder people call muay thai 'the art of eight limbs'. With fighters using their elbows, fists (for striking), knees, and legs (for kicking), the entire body is essentially one giant weapon.
Don't mistake it for Western-style boxing though, despite its English name being called 'Thai kick boxing', the only real similarity the two sports share with each other is the use of boxing gloves and colorful shorts. And that's where the similarity ends.
IMAGE: Tripcarte
Evidence of its global popularity can be seen in mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions, with a considerable amount of professional fighters employing the signature muay thai striking style to wear down and defeat their opponents.
It's also one of the most dangerous combat sports in the world, with many Thai fighters starting their careers at a very young age, essentially being bred and groomed to become expertly-skilled muay thai fighters. The results in the ring can often leave fighters heavily-bruised and bloodied. But then again, they're trained to take that kind of pain.
4. ??u v?t.
IMAGE: Vietnam Tourism / QDND
??u V?t, or traditional Vietnamese wrestling, can be seen more as a choreographed dance or performance art with combative elements. The goal is to tackle the opponent to the ground, making sure that they're belly-up, chest facing the sky. If done the other way around, it doesn't count as defeat.
What makes this martial art interesting is the fact that fighters aren't allowed to strike each other. Only grappling is allowed. In a sense, it's much like sumo wrestling, but the fighters don't have to be big people.
IMAGE: DulichVietnam
Since opponents fight based on weight classes, you don't often get to see people being lifted in the air as a means of defeat. But that's not to say it doesn't happen at all. Adding to the performative aspect of the martial art is the use of drums to match the pace of the fight, rising in intensity as defeat nears.
The sport takes place all year round, but becomes a huge spectacle during Tet, a national holiday marking the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
While Raya and the Last Dragon isn't about the types of martial arts found in Southeast Asia, it's amazing to see it showed off to a wider audience.
Watch our interview with the people behind the film, including Kelly Marie Tran (voice of Raya), Don Hall (director), Carlos López Estrada (director), Adele Lim (writer), Qui Nguyen (writer), and Osnat Shurer (producer):
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Cover image sourced from Disney.
