▁are ▁initi ated . ▁Sil at ▁is ▁still ▁an ▁integral ▁aspect ▁of ▁he aling ▁rit uals ▁such ▁as ▁main ▁put eri . ▁Through ▁this ▁connection , ▁sil at ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁method ▁of ▁spiritual ▁training ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁self - def ense . ▁Systems ▁exist ▁which ▁focus ▁exclus ively ▁on ▁the ▁internal ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁physical , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁J od uk ▁style ▁of ▁B ali . ▁ ▁Nom adic ▁boat - d well ers ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Asia ▁and ▁sout he astern ▁China ▁were ▁often ▁mis const ru ed ▁as ▁pir ates ▁for ▁political ▁reasons , ▁but ▁F ax ian ▁and ▁Z ha o ▁R ug ua ▁both ▁described ▁fier ce ▁war riors ▁armed ▁with ▁an ▁ar sen al ▁of ▁weapons ▁who ▁would ▁attack ▁passing ▁boats ▁around ▁Singapore , ▁Sum atra , ▁Java , ▁and ▁the ▁South ▁China ▁Sea . ▁Local ▁r ul ers ▁like ▁Par ames w ara ▁re lied ▁on ▁the ▁local ▁boat - people ▁to ▁maintain ▁control ▁of ▁their ▁territory , ▁and ▁they ▁played ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁region ' s ▁power ▁strugg les ▁even ▁into ▁the ▁colonial ▁era . ▁True ▁pi racy ▁saw ▁an ▁increase ▁after ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁colon ists , ▁who ▁recorded ▁Mal ay ▁pir ates ▁armed ▁with ▁sab res , ▁k ris ▁and ▁spe ars ▁across ▁the ▁arch ip el ago ▁even ▁into ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁S iam . ▁The ▁Ha ij in ▁or ▁mar itime ▁ban ▁in ▁M ing ▁China ▁further ▁sp ur red ▁the ▁migration ▁of