From Martial Art to Stage Performance: Modern Adaptations of Kuntau Among the Dayak Iban
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33736/jbk.10592.2025Keywords:
Dayak Iban, kuntau, Sarawak, martial art, stage performanceAbstract
This study explores the transformation of kuntau, a traditional martial art of the Iban Dayak community, from its origins as a martial art skill and symbol of male courage to its present role as a stage performance. The objective is to examine changes in function, community perception, and adjustments in practice and performance. Guided by a constructivist–interpretivist philosophy, the research employed a mixed approach involving a review of research questions with 122 respondents from Kuching, Samarahan, and Sri Aman, alongside field observations and in-depth interviews with five kuntau teachers. Findings indicate that while traditional elements such as floral movements, techniques, and symbolic values are preserved, modifications for stage performances have led to changes in movement patterns, reduced ritual practices, and increased choreographic features. Despite concerns over authenticity, the Iban community continues to regard kuntau as a significant and relevant cultural heritage. The discussion highlights the need to balance tradition with adaptation to contemporary contexts to ensure sustainability. This study contributes to the discourse on intangible cultural heritage preservation by providing insights into how cultural practices can evolve without losing their core identity.
References
Burns, M., Bally, J., Burles, M., Holtslander, L., & Peacock, S. (2022). Constructivist grounded theory or interpretive phenomenology? Methodological choices within
specific study contexts. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21.
Ciembroniewicz, E. (2019). Kungfu/wǔshù in the promotion of China’s culture and image. Review of Nationalities, 9(1), 61–73. https://doi.org/10.2478/pn-2019-0005
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Davies, P. H. J. (2000). What is Kuntao? Cultural Marginality in the Indo-Malay Martial Arts
Tradition. Journal of Asian Martial Arts, 9(2) 28-47.
Ensiring, J., Salleh, R. M., Sutlive, J. V. & Sutlive Jr., V. H. (Eds.) (2016) A Comprehensive Iban-
English Dictionary. Kuching, Dayak Cultural Foundation.
Erickson, F. (2011). A history of qualitative inquiry in social and educational research. In N.K.
Facal, G. (2017). Trans-regional Continuities of Fighting Techniques in Martial Ritual Initiations
of the Malay World. Martial Art Studies 4, 46-49.
Farrer, D. S. (2006). Seni Silat Haqq. PhD Dissertation. Singapore, National University of Singapore.
Gerry, D., & Osup, C. (2021). Perubahan Fungsi dan Seni Persembahan Kuntau di Kampung
Bayur, Balai Ringin, Sarawak. KUPAS SENI: Jurnal Seni Dan Pendidikan Seni,9(1), 16-28. https://doi.org/10.37134/kupasseni.vol9.1.2.2021
Giddens, A. & Sutton, P. W. (2013). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press.
Green, T. A. (Ed.) (2001). Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, California.
Hernando, E., & Siswantoyo Siswantoyo. (2018). Martial art of Dayak Central Kalimantan (a
Study of history, philosophy, and Techniques of Traditional Martial Arts). https://doi.org/10.2991/yishpess-cois-18.2018.64
Hobsbawm, E., & Ranger, T. (Eds.). (1983). The invention of tradition. Cambridge University Press.
Kamus Dewan Edisi Ketiga (2002). Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Kamus Dewan Edisi Keempat (2008). Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Lidiantari, A., Muliati, R., Nursyirwan & Minawati, R. (2023). Kuntau Martial Ritual of
Community in The Suro Village. Eduscape: Journal of Education Insight, 1(1), 11 -24.
Ruswinarsih, S., Apriati, Y., & Malihah, E. (2023, January 8). Penguatan Karakter Melalui Seni
Bela Diri Pencak Silat Kuntau Pada Masyarakat Kalimantan Selatan, Indonesia. PADARINGAN (Jurnal Pendidikan Sosiologi Antropologi), 5(01), 50. https://doi.org/10.20527/pn.v5i01.7571
Scott, N. C. (1956). A Dictionary of Sea Dayak. London, University of London.
Skowron‑Markowska, S., & Nowakowska, M. (2021). Chinese destinations related to martial arts
tourism from the UNESCO perspective. Sustainability, 13(14), Article 7581. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147581Grafiati
UNESCO. (n.d.). What is intangible cultural heritage? United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization. https://ich.unesco.org/en/what-is-intangible-heritage-00003
UNESCO. (2020). Basic texts of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage, 2020 edition. In UNESCO (CLT-2021/WS/5). Retrieved May 28, 2024, from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379091
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jurnal Borneo-Kalimantan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
-
Copyright Transfer Statement for Journal
1) In signing this statement, the author(s) grant UNIMAS Publisher an exclusive license to publish their original research papers. The author(s) also grant UNIMAS Publisher permission to reproduce, recreate, translate, extract or summarize, and to distribute and display in any forms, formats, and media. The author(s) can reuse their papers in their future printed work without first requiring permission from UNIMAS Publisher, provided that the author(s) acknowledge and reference publication in the Journal.
2) For open access articles, the author(s) agree that their articles published under UNIMAS Publisher are distributed under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, for non-commercial purposes, provided the original work of the author(s) is properly cited.
3) For subscription articles, the author(s) agree that UNIMAS Publisher holds copyright, or an exclusive license to publish. Readers or users may view, download, print, and copy the content, for academic purposes, subject to the following conditions of use: (a) any reuse of materials is subject to permission from UNIMAS Publisher; (b) archived materials may only be used for academic research; (c) archived materials may not be used for commercial purposes, which include but not limited to monetary compensation by means of sale, resale, license, transfer of copyright, loan, etc.; and (d) archived materials may not be re-published in any part, either in print or online.
4) The author(s) is/are responsible to ensure his or her or their submitted work is original and does not infringe any existing copyright, trademark, patent, statutory right, or propriety right of others. Corresponding author(s) has (have) obtained permission from all co-authors prior to submission to the journal. Upon submission of the manuscript, the author(s) agree that no similar work has been or will be submitted or published elsewhere in any language. If submitted manuscript includes materials from others, the authors have obtained the permission from the copyright owners.
5) In signing this statement, the author(s) declare(s) that the researches in which they have conducted are in compliance with the current laws of the respective country and UNIMAS Journal Publication Ethics Policy. Any experimentation or research involving human or the use of animal samples must obtain approval from Human or Animal Ethics Committee in their respective institutions. The author(s) agree and understand that UNIMAS Publisher is not responsible for any compensational claims or failure caused by the author(s) in fulfilling the above-mentioned requirements. The author(s) must accept the responsibility for releasing their materials upon request by Chief Editor or UNIMAS Publisher.
6) The author(s) should have participated sufficiently in the work and ensured the appropriateness of the content of the article. The author(s) should also agree that he or she has no commercial attachments (e.g. patent or license arrangement, equity interest, consultancies, etc.) that might pose any conflict of interest with the submitted manuscript. The author(s) also agree to make any relevant materials and data available upon request by the editor or UNIMAS Publisher.
