Badik
A dagger of the Bugis and Makassar peoples of southern Sulawesi, with a single-edged blade and a handle angled at 45-90°, wielded in silat mainly with the point.
Quick Facts
IndonesiaAbout the weapon
The badik is a dagger developed by the Bugis and Makassar peoples of southern Sulawesi in Indonesia. From there it spread to neighbouring islands, to Java, Borneo and Sumatra, and even to the Malay Peninsula, where it took on local forms. We have not been able to establish its time of origin in the sources. The badik measures 20 to 30 centimetres and has a single-edged convex blade, often with a pamor pattern of welded steel. It differs from the keris in lacking the part called ganja. Handles of wood, horn or ivory are usually bent at an angle of 45 to 90 degrees. In pencak silat the badik is used to attack mainly with the point; Bugis fighters grip it close to the base of the blade to keep the thrust under control. The ritualised duel sigajang laleng lipa put two fighters into the space of a single sarong. The badik is a symbol of Sulawesi's cultural identity. The pamor pattern was believed to exert a supernatural influence on the owner's fortune or misfortune, and it was considered regrettable for a man to die without his badik. It was still commonly worn as late as the 1960s; today it appears on ceremonial occasions.