The school
auditorium is named
after the Balinese
Martial Art -
Mepantigan. The
general purpose
space is used for
assemblies, drama
and concert
performances, and as
a dining area. The
bamboo building has
natural stone
seating and a mud
earth floor, making
every school
performance seem
extra special. Take
a look at the
Marimba performance
by Grade 7/8 (below)
which was so
compelling, the
audience
spontaneously took
to the floor and
started dancing.
It's also adjacent
to the mud pit where
the Mepantigan
performances take
place, each full
moon. Mepantigan is
a form of Balinese
martial arts that
involves similar
physical techniques
to those found in
self-defence
traditions around
the world. But
Mepantigan extends
the form by also
drawing upon
Balinese drama,
contemporary dance,
and gamelan music,
fusing fighting with
the performing arts
to create an
entirely new
cultural phenomenon.
Participants wear
uniforms consisting
of traditional
Balinese clothing,
and can compete on
the beach, in the
mud of rice fields,
or any open space.
Practitioners of Mepantigan gain physical
fitness, release stress, and learn valuable lessons in
camaraderie and sportsmanship. In addition to physical skills,
strength, and agility, both emotional and spiritual
intelligences are utilised. According to Putu Witsen Widjaya,
the founder and senior teacher of Bali Mepantigan Arts and a
martial arts champion, students of Mepantigan evolve as human
beings and avoid violence while cultivating compassion. As he
observed, "Wherever proper martial arts develop, evil will
diminish and a respect for others will grow. This is
particularly true for those who practice Mepantigan, which is a
celebration of the spirit."
