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WABUKAN Arsenal · Knives and blades · Southeast Asia

Golok

A heavy machete-like blade from Indonesia and Malaysia, a farm tool and a silat weapon.

Golok
Golok WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

parang (related); bendo

Origin and history

The golok is the Indonesian and Malay machete-like chopper, a farm and jungle tool that is also a classic weapon of pencak silat and Betawi silat. Each region has its own shape and name.

Martial arts that use it

Pencak Silat

Construction

A heavy, single-edged blade of about 25–50 cm, thicker and shorter than a Latin American machete, with a wooden or horn handle and a wooden sheath.

Basic techniques

Training

Short-blade training starts with trainers made of wood, aluminium or rubber. Students drill angles of attack, grips (forward and reverse), checking the opponent’s arm and footwork, then flow drills with a partner. Live blades are kept for solo forms by experienced practitioners, if at all.

Safety

Use training knives for all partner work and eye protection for fast drills. Never mix live and training blades in the same session, store blades sheathed and out of reach of children.

Legality (general information)

Swords, knives and other edged weapons are regulated very differently from country to country (and sometimes from region to region): owning one at home is often allowed, while carrying it in public, buying it under a certain age or importing it may be restricted or banned. Practitioners usually transport them cased, out of reach and straight between home and dojo. This is general information, not legal advice: check the law where you live.

Did you know?

In Indonesia the golok is still an ordinary household and farming tool, which is why it appears so often in silat forms.

More weapons

Balisong Bolo Katar Khanjar Tanto Sai

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Golok
  2. Wikipedia — Pencak silat