Martial artist’s search leads to silat
Williamsburg group heads to Southeast Asia for further study
Chris Robinson remembers the moment he was first captivated by silat — an Indonesian form of martial arts.
The owner of Williamsburg Dojo was teaching a seminar in Miami in 2014 when he watched a silat performance. He was so excited, he decided to transition from his previous practice of Japanese martial arts.
“I was immediately intrigued,” he said. “I sort of threw that all away when I found this art.”
The popularity of silat has been growing in the U.S. and especially in the Williamsburg area. Robinson said his number of students has more than doubled from about 70 before the pandemic began to more than 170 today. He believes, from his participation with the U.S. Sport Silat Association, that Williamsburg may have the largest number of silat students in the country.
Robinson and nine of his students are traveling today by invitation to Southeast Asia to be the first American school to test in a style called Pencak Silat Panglipur.
“I’m very excited to see parts of the world I haven’t traveled to,” student Holly Shelton said. “I’m just so excited to be included and be allowed to have this adventure.”
Silat for self-defense
Silat is an umbrella term for dozens of styles of the craft. In its basic form, silat focuses on quick, fluid movements of several parts of the body for self-defense. Pencak Silat Panglipur incorporates fighting with performance and dance.
“It is beautiful, and it’s very powerful,” student Carol Marley said. “Silat is so multifaceted. It is physical and mental. It’s artistic and self-defense.”
Marley said the self-defense aspect is what first drew her to silat. She said she appreciates the craft’s versatility and adaptability for people of all skill levels and sizes. It allows one to “learn to use all parts of their body to defend themselves in very powerful ways,” she said.
Now a third-degree black belt, Marley teaches women self-defense at Williamsburg Dojo. She has taught groups of domestic violence survivors, young women preparing to go to college and more.
This being her fifth visit to Southeast Asia, she said she most looks forward to learning from a culture that prioritizes teaching women self-defense.
“I get to meet a number of female gurus. For me that’s very empowering,” Marley said.
Mind, body, spirit
A self-described “knucklehead child” in need of structure, Robinson first got involved in martial arts as a teenager at the insistence of his mother. He didn’t initially love it, but said he stuck with it because it improved his self-worth.
Robinson looks back on his young adult years as sort of a spiritual martial arts journey. His pilgrimage took him across the globe where he learned from highly respected gurus. He eventually opened his own dojo, but said he still found himself searching. Discovering silat helped him hone his craft and grow his school.
He also credits silat with improving his own mental health and even helping him as he struggled with substance abuse. He said he stopped drinking in 2006.
“It helped me emotionally, and probably spiritually as well,” he said. “The mind, body, spirit to us is all about balance and making sure you’re in a good place for all three.”
Robinson relies mostly on word-of-mouth to attract new students. He does little advertising. He believes his school is growing because people need what he teaches.
He’s worked with kids who have been bullied, sex trafficked and abused. He has teens in his classes who act out and cut themselves.
“I believe that teenagers are more (troubled) today than we can imagine,” he said.
Humble art
The trip to Southeast Asia will be the third for student Ashley Vest. During previous trips, she said she was impressed by the modesty of her hosts and how they made her feel welcome. Martial arts actor and guru Cecep Rahman — who has appeared in movies such as “John Wick” and “Star Wars” — invited them to his home, where his wife cooked for them. Gestures such as that reflect her feelings about Williamsburg Dojo and the art of silat.
“He’s very humble and kind,” she said. “(Silat is) a humble art. There really is no ego.”
Robinson, who studied under Rahman, tries to emulate this atmosphere in his dojo. Although he holds 18 black belts, he doesn’t hesitate to wear a white belt with his students. He also incorporates inclusivity into his lessons. A self-described Christian, he emphasizes that students embrace the spirituality aspect with whatever faith they choose. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their beliefs, abilities, body size or personal circumstances.
“If someone comes in who’s 300 pounds, it doesn’t matter. If you can’t touch your toes, it doesn’t matter. If you come in with a black eye, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “We’re going to accept you for who you are.”