Worry not, you do not need to actually practice pencak silat or head to the library to appreciate its significance in the country's cultural history. In recent years, pencak silat has gained new popularity thanks to its appearance in several movies -- both local and Hollywood flicks.

Read also: 'Tears of happiness': Pencak silat communities celebrate UNESCO recognition

Here are some movies that feature pencak silat:

The Raid series

When it was released in Indonesia in 2012, The Raid was an instant hit due to its action-packed and fast-paced scenes. The plot is as straightforward as it gets: An elite police squad raids an apartment block in Jakarta's slums and fighting ensues. Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian present a performance unlike any others, propelling their status to action stardom.

A sequel, The Raid 2, came out in 2014 and enjoyed similar commercial success. Compared to the first movie, the sequel has a more dramatic storyline and features various parts of Jakarta. The Raid 2 marked the debut of Cecep Arif Rahman, an internationally renowned pencak silat practitioner.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Keanu Reeves might be the actor for the titular character John Wick. However, for many Indonesians, the appearances of Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman were the highlight of the movie. Despite their characters' nickname "the Shinobi" (ninja), Yayan and Cecep do a good job of bringing pencak silat to Hollywood.

Wiro Sableng

Wiro Sableng: Pendekar Kapak Maut Naga Geni 212 is undoubtedly a very pencak silat movie. The movie is based on Bastian Tito's classic serial novel that gained massive popularity in the 80s. Even though there was a television adaptation that aired in the 90s, the movie is its most recent, if not most ambitious homage to date with a budget far exceeding other Indonesian movies at US$2 million.

The movie stars Vino G. Bastian, who is Tito's son, as Wiro Sableng, as well as Sherina Munaf, who was initially trained in Wushu. Both actors had to undergo extensive silat training for the movie, which also stars Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman.

Merantau

The 2009 movie launched Iko to fame. Directed by Gareth Evans, who later directed The Raid, the movie heavily relies on pencak silat in its fighting scenes. However, as the main character Yuda (Iko) comes from Minangkabau, West Sumatra, the type of silat shown in the movie is silek harimau (tiger silat), a discipline specific to the region.

The term merantau denotes a traditional rite of passage for men in Minangkabau, in which they leave home in search of a better life.

The Night Comes For Us

Starring Joe and Iko, the movie might sound like another version of The Raid. However, the influence of silat in The Night Comes For Us is subtler, and the movie is said to be a lot more violent than The Raid. 

The Night Comes For Us follows Ito (Joe), a former Triad enforcer who saves a girl named Reina from a massacre in her village. Ito is later pursued by assassins, including Arian (Iko), who are tasked with killing him.

The movie is directed by Timo Tjahjanto, who, together with Kimo Stamboel as The Mo Brothers, directed another martial arts movie starring Iko, Headshot. (kes)