Initiation to the 'Blood Circle'

Jufrizal Rajo Malano, a trainer of silek, the martial art of the Minangkabau people who are concentrated in West Sumatra, slaughtered a chicken with tiny, black-and-white spotted feathers. Nasrullah Pituan, 42, his nephew and trusted student, held the chicken and sprinkled its blood on the big toes of his three would-be pupils: Brandon Michael Paylor and Glen John Lloyd from England, and Mattias Persson from Sweden.

The blood streaming from the chicken's throat was also sprinkled around the silek arena. As soon as the 'circle of blood' was made, Nasrullah tossed the chicken into its midst. While it was still fluttering around, no one was allowed to move. Only when it died did Nasrullah perform the first move of langkah ampek (four steps). The students imitated the moves.

September 23, 2014