Tuesday 15 March 2016

Francis St. Holder - Pencak Silat

Francis St. Holder is a successful IT engineer with over two decades of experience in his field. He currently works for Information Technology Security and Consulting Inc. as the Chief Technology Officer. He is also very interested in staying fit and active through different kinds of exercise like weightlifting and martial arts. One of the types of martial arts that Francis St. Holder is interested in is pencak silat.

Pencak silat refers to a class of martial arts that was originally from the Nusantara. This full-body fighting style incorporates throwing, striking, and grappling along with the use of weaponry. Because every part of the body is used and the attacker is allowed to strike anywhere, pencak silat is used for physical defense and for psychological ends.

Offensive strategies in pencak silat includes many different techniques, even simple punches and kicks have many different variations and can be combined for different attacks. Even these basic attacks can change based on lineage, style, and regional origin. There are also techniques that can be used to add to the style and technique of the fighter, such as sweeping to knock the opponent off their feet, deceptive blows to distract the opponent, and the scissor takedown where the attacker grips their legs around their opponent.

Defense strategies can also be combined and varied to give each fighter an individual style and signature. The most basic technique is blocking or tangkisan. Others include deflecting, dodging, and countering.

Francis St. Holder enjoys practicing pencak silat to stay fit and active and to relieve stress from his hard work as a business owner and IT engineer.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencak_Silat