Badik

Badik
A Badik, pre-1931.
Type	Knife, Dagger
Place of origin	Sulawesi, Indonesia
Service history
Used by	Bugis people, Makassarese people, Mandar people
Specifications
Length	20-30 cm
Blade type	Single edge, convex grind
Hilt type	Wood, horn, ivory
Scabbard/sheath	Wood, horn, ivory

The badik or badek is a knife or dagger developed by the Bugis and Makassar people of southern Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Description

The badik consists of three parts, namely the handle and blade, as well as the sheath or scabbard. It comes in great variety and sizes. The badik has a straight, curved, bulbous or wavy, single or double edge blade. The blade has a smooth or provided with hollow sections. The weapon either is pointed or rounded. Like the kris, the shape of the blade is asymmetric and often decorated with pamor (pattern welding steel commonly known as Damascus steel). However, it differs from the kris in that the badik does not a have ganja (a buffer strip steel). Some versions from Sulawesi are decorated with inlaid gold figure on the blade called jeko. The handle is made of wood, horn or ivory in a shape of a pistol grip at 45° to 90° degree angle or similar in a bent often decorated with carvings. From its native Sulawesi, the badik soon spread to neighbouring islands like Java, Borneo, Sumatra and as far as the Malay Peninsula, creating a wide variety of badik according to each region and ethic group. There are many versions made and used throughout the Indonesian archipelago alone.

• 
• 
• 

Culture

Examples of pamor found in badik blades.

As with other blades in the Malay Archipelago, traditionally-made badik are believed to be imbued with a supernatural force during the time of their forging. The pamor in particular is said to affect its owner, bringing either well-being and prosperity or misfortune and poverty. Aside from being used as a weapon and hunting tool, the badik is a symbol of cultural identity in Sulawesi. The Bugis and Makassar people still carry badik as part of their daily attire today. The badik is worn on the right side, butt end of the handle pointing to the rear; it may also be positioned at their left side providing the butt end of the handle points to the rear. When the weapon is shifted from the right to the left side, or when worn at the left, handle reversed facing forward, it is signatory of impending combat.

Duels

The traditional form of duelling among the Bugis-Makassar community was called sitobo lalang lipa in which the duellists fight in a sarong. The challenger stands with a loosened sarong around him and respectfully invites the other man to step into the sarong. The sarong itself is kept taut around both their waists. When both men are inside, an agreement to fight til death and thereafter shall be no hereditary grudge nor will any party be allowed to question the duel, shall be made. If both fighters agree, they then engage each other with badik within the confined space of a single sarong. Because avoiding injury is near-impossible even for the victor, this type of duel was considered a sign of extraordinary bravery, masculinity and the warrior mentality. Although true sitobo lalang lipa are no longer practiced, enactments of these duels are still performed at cultural shows today.

Further reading

• Donn F. Draeger (1972), Weapons & Fighting Arts of Indonesia, Tuttle Publishing, p. 9, 201, 202, ISBN 1-4629-0509-9
• Robert Cato (1996), Moro Swords, Graham Brash, p. 34, ISBN 978-981-218-059-9