It is believe that Silat was first formulated and formalized during the Srivijayan Empire (7th Century CE), based in Sumatra Island. From the 7th century onwards, the combat art of Silat had had already spread throughout the Malay Peninsula. Centuries of tribal warfare and civil wars led to immigration of people from Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi (in present-day Indonesia) to the Malay Peninsula and throughout Southeast Asia. They brought with them Malay culture and the art of silat. Descendants of these migrants continued the Silat tradition and developed it into various and unique Malaysian Silat styles.
