th ▁and ▁ 1 4 th ▁centuries , ▁sil at ▁reached ▁its ▁peak ▁under ▁Maj ap ah it . ▁F ounded ▁by ▁R aden ▁W ij aya ▁after ▁rep elling ▁the ▁Mong ols , ▁the ▁emp ire ▁un ited ▁all ▁of ▁Indones ia ' s ▁islands ▁and ▁extended ▁its ▁influence ▁into ▁pen ins ular ▁Malays ia . ▁Sil at ▁was ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁still ▁is ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁defence ▁forces ▁of ▁various ▁S out heast ▁Asian ▁kingdom s ▁and ▁states ▁in ▁what ▁are ▁now ▁Indones ia , ▁Malays ia , ▁Singapore , ▁Vietnam , ▁Th ailand ▁and ▁Br une i . ▁ ▁Fol kl ore ▁commonly ▁cred its ▁the ▁prom ul g ation ▁of ▁sil at ▁to ▁p end eta ▁or ▁H indu - B ud dh ist ▁s ages , ▁often ▁through ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁animals ▁and ▁the ▁natural ▁world . ▁The ▁pri ests ▁were ▁said ▁to ▁combine ▁the ▁animal ▁movements ▁with ▁med itative ▁post ures ▁( sem adi ) ▁and ▁myst ic ▁hand ▁positions ▁( m ud ra ), ▁much ▁like ▁the ▁k u ji - in ▁of ▁nin j ut su . ▁The ▁animal - based ▁concept ▁was ▁most ▁likely ▁adopted ▁from ▁Indian ▁mart ial ▁arts . ▁The ▁village ▁sh am ans ▁or ▁du k un ▁would ▁often ▁learn ▁sil at ▁both ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁craft ▁and ▁for ▁def ending ▁themselves ▁while ▁trav elling . ▁Bom oh ▁in ▁some ▁communities ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁K ad ay an ▁are ▁required ▁to ▁complete ▁their ▁training ▁in ▁sil at ▁before ▁they