Green spirit of learning and self-discipline
Martial arts black belt Wayan Sumerta is the centre of attention as he takes on three of his teammates during a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of The Green School in Bali.
The Mepantigan Arts team, led by Putu Witsen Widjaya, was preparing for the opening day of the all- bamboo eco-school last week.
Black belt Widjaya, a taekwondo champion and with more than 20 years' experience as a martial arts fighter, developed Mepantigan - a blend of international and Indonesian fighting, dancing and performance skills - in 2003.
He said Mepantigan, based on Balinese principles of the 'three harmonies', shared a philosophy with the school and aimed to help pupils develop in an all-round spiritual, emotional and academic way.
Although an extra-curricular activity, pupils' progress was assessed every three months and the school considered it to be as important as mainstream subjects.
'Levels range from white to black belt and it would take around three years for a good, committed student to reach the highest level,' he said, adding very few students could expect to get that far. 'To do that you must go to the temple and know about Hindu Bali. You have to develop a good spiritual side and be able to balance good and evil.'
Widjaya said Mepantigan, with an annual championships held in Bali, was gaining in worldwide popularity but so far the only members outside Indonesia were in Denmark.
'But if my dreams come true it will become an international art.'
