Persatuan Gerak Badan

Persatuan Gerak Badan (PGB Bangau Putih) is a martial arts association from Indonesia that teaches pencak silat bangau putih (white crane pencak silat). The full name of the school is Perguruan Silat Persatuan Gerak Badan Bangau Putih which literally translates as "White Crane Body Movement Martial Arts Teaching Association". It has branches in Indonesia, Austria, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Spain, Canada and the United States.
History
PGB was founded by the late Suhu Subur Rahardja (known as Suhu while alive but now called Suhu Subur or Suhu Almarhum). Born in 1925 to a martial arts family in Bogor, West Java, Suhu began learning pencak silat from a very tender age. Liem Kim Bouw, his uncle and first teacher, was a respected healer and kuntao master. Later, Suhu Almarhum studied under several other martial arts masters who came to live with his uncle during times of difficulty in Asia during the 1930s and 40s. From an early age he demonstrated the talent and discipline necessary to endure the rigorous training in martial arts often taught only in monasteries. According to one of Suhu's most famous teachers, Gusti Gedeh Agung Jelanktik Baliwangsa the former King of Lombok, he had mastered the external forms by the age of twenty. Suhu Almarhum is said to have created the current style of white crane pencak silat taught by PGB through a synthesis of four martial arts with his original clan style of kuntao.
In the 1970s, young men and women from the west came to study white crane pencak silat in Bogor under Suhu Almarhum. Inspired by their commitment and interested in achieving a wider audience for his art, Suhu Almarhum began to travel to the West to teach. Soon PGB Bangau Putih branches began to crop up in Germany, France, and the United States. Enthusiastic students often traveled to Bogor to train under Suhu in Indonesia and some of Suhu Almarhum's senior students traveled to the Western countries to provide instruction.
Suhu Almarhum died in 1986 leaving the care of PGB to his son Suhu Gunawan Rahardja. As the current Suhu (Grandmaster), Gunawan has continued and expanded upon his father's work. The White Crane Pencak Silat Centre in Bogor continues to provide a high level of training. Every year an international retreat is held in a different host country and students come from around the globe to attend a week long intensive training seminar. Suhu Gunawan also continues the healing traditions of his uncle and father by providing traditional Asian healing practices to a wide variety of patients.
Symbol
The symbol of PGB is a white crane on a blue background around which is a red circle separated from the blue by a yellow circle. The red has writing in blue: Persatuan Gerak Badan at the outside are two yellow circles. within the red there are two small circles, one on the left and one on the right. Subur Rahardja chose the white crane as the symbol of the school because it is a social animal which represents balance and grace, and only fights in self defense.
Forms and movements
Although called Bangau Putih (white crane), the style has a variety of animal forms such as the tiger (machan), water buffalo (kerbau), snake (ular), leopard (machan tutul), monkey (monyet) and dragon () styles. Non-animal forms include bamboo (bambu), wind (angin), sword (pedang) and Arhat (Luohan).
Movements range from very hard and acrobatic to less strenuous movements for weaker people or movements designed especially for women. There are also internal techniques and breathing, gymnastics and movements purely for health. Movements fall under the following general categories:
*Short movements - Stances with punching and blocking, kicking, jumping, rolling and falling. All training takes place on a wooden floor without mats. The practice of throwing each other onto hard surfaces leads to the ability to avoid shock and withstand impact.
*Long movements - The animal forms have many long movements. They are choreographed combinations of short movements, with a focus on flow and the character of the animal.
*Partner exercises - One-on-one repetition of drills. Though some are martial, like punching and blocking, others are very gentle. All partner exercises are focused on the development of feeling - feeling the movement and intention of one’s partner, as well as oneself.
*Tui chu - Controlled sparring where students test the application of the moves they've been practicing by improvising combinations of Short Movements with a partner.
*Harmony movements - Health movements practiced with a focus on sensitivity and suppleness, as well as breath. Some health movements are done with a partner, but most of them are performed solo. Harmony movements are generally only taught to students who've had a few years of training.

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