Indonesia has many different kinds of martial arts and many different types of weapons that they have devised for ceremonial reasons as well as inflicting damage.
One of the kinds of blades that they have designed is something that the are well-known for. It’s called the kris. My brother Mike and I picked up a kris knife in Jakarta. One thing that’s neat about the kris is so many of these knives are just absolutely stunning in their Damascus. You can take a look at this amazing work they have done, folding this metal thousands of times with a hammer and a forge. It’s just absolutely incredible. From what I understand, even though they are wicked sharp, they were not used for combat nearly as much as they were for ceremony.
I’m not quite sure who made this knife. All I know, this is absolutely gorgeous.
Vibravision® was started by a gentleman named Budi Santoso Hadipuernomo, but everyone calls him Mas Budi or Mr. Budi. He was the younger of the two 11th generation heirs to the Merpati Putih knowledge. When Mike and I first met both of the 11th generation heirs here in Utah, we made kind of a bond with each one individually, Mike, with the older brother, Mas Poeng, the eldest heir, and I with Mas Budi, the younger of the two.
Mas Budi passed away in 2002, but in 2005, when Mike and I went to Indonesia for our first time to see the motherland of the martial arts that we teach, and to test and be promoted, we had a very special opportunity to meet Mas Budi’s son, who is now the 12th generation heir, and his name is Mas Hemi.
When we walked into Mas Budi’s house, Mas Hemi pulled another knife out of a rack of dozens of handmade kris knives. This one was from Yogyakarta or Central Java. Mas Hemi said to me, “‘Mas Nate, I have a present from my father for you. He told me, ‘If Mas Nate and Mas Mike ever come to Indonesia, I would like for you to give this to them.'”
I’ve never shown that knife publicly before. The Jakarta kris is nice, yes, and it’s pretty. The Yogyakarta kris is a true work of mastery. Forged the way it was from what it’s been made of, this blade is just absolutely astounding. It even has a dragon carved into the metal. I’m not sure how they do it, but they infuse it with something, some kind of water that has flower blossoms in it. I had never smelled the flower before. Just a wonderful scent.
We’ve been given many gifts through the Merpati Putih martial arts and through Vibravision® and being able to meet everything from the most amazing martial arts masters to foreign dignitaries, and government officials. But I have to say that kris knife is one of the most amazing gifts I could have ever been given.
It is one of a kind, and it was given by somebody who truly was one of a kind as well.
Apply To Join Our Full Immersion
Find Out About Our Local Program In Ogden, Utah
https://youtu.be/8hLsiE9LY0E