Practicing Jemparingan in Jogjakarta

By Edgar Freire (Ecuador)


Sooner or later if you are a consistent searcher you will find what you were looking for. After asking and walking around Jogjakarta I easily found jemparingan communities all around the city. In Tamantirto, at Sasana Wisangeni I started to practice it. When I moved out to other neighborhood, I found another place (sasana): Sasana Marto (Manunggal Rasa Tamtama). If you are wondering how can you join to these communities, it is indeed quite easy: you only need to come to a practice place and talk with the person in charge. Sometimes you do not even have to pay a little amount for registration, and if you do, it is only once time payment. Members of the community will teach you the technique and provide you with a bow and arrows for you to practice. If you are engaged to this activity and start enjoying it, you can acquire your own gendewo (bow) and anak panah (arrows). They will help you to get them at a reasonable prize: around 700 thousand rupias for the bow, and 300 thousand rupias for a set of 6 arrows. Each sasana has its own practice day and schedule. Usually it is done around 4 pm, when you can practice and have a little context with other attendants.

Now, I try to practice as often as I can, depending on my free time. The people are quite friendly and the activity itself is funny and relaxing. 

For you to have an idea, this is a short video of the practice. Feel free to leave comments. See you on the next post!




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