The machete is one of the most-used sharp weapons in Indonesia.
Steel or iron machetes, which look like knives but are bigger, are often used in silat.
Silat is another type of martial art that started in Indonesia and is popular in other Southeast Asian countries.
A machete is a sharp tool used in silat, but it is also a common gardening tool.
Even though it is sometimes compared to a machete, it is not the same. A machete is heavier and shorter.
The machete is also known as the signature weapon of the Betawi warriors, so each tribe has its own machete.
There are three types of Betawi machetes that you should know about. They can be used to kill animals, work in the fields and gardens, or protect yourself.
1. Betok Machete
Betok machete is a kind of machete used by the Betawi people. It is short, like a gobag machete.
The betok machete’s main purpose is as a weapon, and Betawi people usually use it as a drawstring knife.
Most of the time, they will use the betok machete to sharpen or sharpen the tip-down machete.
This is also because most people carry the betok cleaver and the tip-down cleaver together.
2. Gobag Machete
Gobag machete is a type of machete made by the Betawi people. It is made of copper.
The gobag machete is about the same length as the betok machete, meaning they are both short.
But the gobag machete has a flat tip, but the back looks like a curve.
Gagang jantuk is what the Betawi people call the handle of a machete made of rengas wood.
Even though the gobag machete is made of wood, there are no carvings on the handle.
3. Ujung Turun Machete
The gobag and betok machetes are shorter than the olok ujung turun machete.
This type of machete has a pointy tip, and a blade carved up to the handle.
On the hilt are carvings of animals, which are sacred to the Betawi people because of their beliefs.
The tiger is the most common animal to be carved on the handle of the lower end of a machete.
Betawi swordsmen or champions usually carry a tip-down machete by putting it in a sarong.
So, this kind of machete is also usually used for fighting. When fighting, the person using the machete will usually use a tandung to make it easier to carry.
These are some types of Betawi machetes that the Banten and West Java cultures have influenced. However, Betawi machetes are still very different from Banten and West Java machetes in their appearance.