Tekpi
Also known as: cabang, chabang, tjabang, trisul
Short metal silat weapon with a long central prong and two curved side prongs, carried in pairs; Indonesian cabang, a counterpart to the Okinawan sai.
Quick Facts
About the weapon
Tekpi is a short metal weapon of Southeast Asia with a long central prong and two shorter side ones. In Malay it is called tekpi, in Indonesian cabang (Dutch spelling tjabang), meaning branch; the Thai trisul means trident. Its place of origin is uncertain. Some researchers trace it to the Indian trishula, and the earliest evidence is placed in the Srivijaya empire, where palace nobility used it for defense. The Black Triangle school places its origin in Java, but relies mainly on depictions in Javanese art. It consists of a metal main prong, two shorter curved side prongs, a one-handed grip, and a blunt metal pommel. It is made of iron or steel and measures 30 to 49 cm. It is usually carried in pairs. The main prong is used for quick thrusting and attacks similar to a knife or kris, while the curved side prongs catch an opponent's weapon and help disarm them. In a reverse grip, the prong points toward the elbow and the pommel is used to strike. In pencak silat, cabang is a distinctive weapon of the Sundanese and Moluccan traditions; in Indonesia, practitioners of Kwitang silat are considered the finest fighters with it. Tekpi resembles the Okinawan sai. The Black Triangle school regards them as one weapon under three names: cabang in Indonesia, tekpi in Malaysia, and sai in Okinawa.
Parts of the weapon
- Point
- Grip
- Pommel
Related weapons
- Equivalent in another culture: Sai