▁The ▁hand sign ▁used ▁is ▁dependent ▁on ▁style ▁and ▁line age . ▁The ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁sil at ▁ex ponents ▁use ▁the ▁H indu - B ud dh ist ▁nam aste ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁pal ms ▁are ▁pressed ▁together ▁at ▁ch est ▁level ▁and ▁often ▁accompanied ▁by ▁a ▁bow ▁of ▁the ▁head . ▁This ▁represents ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁two ▁oppos ing ▁forces ▁represented ▁either ▁by ▁the ▁har im au ▁( t iger , ▁male ▁aspect ) ▁and ▁bu aya ▁( c roc od ile , ▁female ▁aspect ) ▁or ▁by ▁the ▁n ā ga ▁( drag on ) ▁and ▁gar uda ▁( gi ant ▁e agle ). ▁This ▁concept ▁is ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁j ant an ▁bet ina ▁( male - f em ale ) ▁and ▁is ▁equivalent ▁to ▁the ▁and rog yn ous ▁Indian ▁Ar d han ar ish var a ▁or ▁the ▁Chinese ▁y in ▁and ▁y ang . ▁The ▁head ▁or ▁upper ▁body ▁is ▁usually ▁bow ed ▁as ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁hum ility . ▁This ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁gre eting ▁in ▁ancient ▁times , ▁as ▁can ▁still ▁be ▁seen ▁throughout ▁much ▁of ▁Ind och ina , ▁and ▁until ▁recent ▁dec ades ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁ap ology ▁among ▁Malays . ▁The ▁practical ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁sal ute ▁is ▁to ▁trigger ▁the ▁proper ▁state ▁of ▁mind ▁for ▁training ▁or ▁fighting . ▁Additionally , ▁it ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁technique ▁in ▁itself ▁to ▁block ▁attacks ▁aim ed ▁at ▁the ▁face . ▁ ▁Some ▁traditional ▁J avan ese ▁schools ▁use ▁another