Bakti Negara
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| Also known as | Bhakti Negara |
|---|---|
| Focus | Striking |
| Country of origin |
 Indonesia
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| Creator | Anak Agung Rai Tokir I Bagus Made Rai Keplag Anak Agung Meranggi Sri Empu Dwi Tantra Ida Bagus Oka Dewangkara |
| Olympic sport | No |
| Official website | baktinegara.com |
| Meaning | national devotion |
Bakti Negara is a style of pencak silat from Bali. It is firmly rooted in old Balinese Hinduism and philosophies of Indonesia. The name means "national devotion", from the Sanskrit words bhakti (devotion) and nagara (country). It is the most widely practiced martial art in Bali and the most well-known style of Balinese silat, to the point that the system is commonly referred to simply as pencak Bali or kuntao Bali.
Some movements are similar to Balinese dances and performing arts like the Barong dance. Although the system is very much self-defence oriented, its practitioners also participate in modern competitions and have achieved some important victories in many regional, national and international tournaments.
Bakti Negara is a self-defense system to train cipta (thought), rasa (sense), and karsa (will), to develop complete a human being according to Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana. Skill should not be used as the tool of aggression, but as a way to develop and cultivate oneself. The school teaches four elements:
Bakti Negara was officially created on 31 January 1955 in Banjar Kaliungu Kaja of Denpasar, Bali by four freedom-fighters who were veterans in Indonesia's struggle for independence from the Dutch. They were Anak Agung Rai Tokir, I Bagus Made Rai Keplag, Anak Agung Meranggi and Sri Empu Dwi Tantra. Each was a master in one of Bali's native schools, and incorporated these techniques into the new system. Because of this, Bakti Negara was still considered a traditional Balinese art because all of its movements were taken from pre-existing disciplines indigenous to the island. The task of leading and managing Bakti Negara was given to Ida Bagus Oka Dewangkara.
After 1968 Bakti Negara underwent a period of further development during the transition from the older to the new generation. The Lembaga Dewan Pendekar Bakti Negara gave I Bagus Alit Dira the mandate to systemise the teaching structure of Bakti Negara with the help of other instructors. While the school prided itself on combat effectiveness over sport, it was felt that some form of competition was necessary to test students. A point-based sparring system was introduced, and a coloured belt system of ranking was adopted from Japan. Championships were held every three years, always tied with some Balinese ceremony.
As other Balinese silat schools chose to remain independent of politics, Bakti Negara vied for status from the education ministry with Perisai Diri, seen as a foreign style. Through a process of standardization and acculturation, Bakti Negara became an integral part of Banjar or village social organisation (seka), and entered the Balinese school system. Today it is practiced in almost every town and village in Bali.
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