Incorporating a wide range of martial art forms, Mepantigan is a traditional fighting style in Bali in which young men and women, clad in sarongs, do battle on local beaches or, more popularly, in rice fields knee-deep in mud.

Despite aggressive body slams and somersaults end in the muck, rules actually do exist. Kicking, punching, leg sweeps, eye-poking, scratching, groin hits, biting ala Mike Tyson, hair pulling, spitting and profanity are all against the rules. A fight is conducted in a 5 x 5 meter arena comprised of two rounds of 5 minute's duration.

Exciting and spirited, a mepantignan match is usually accompanied by a traditional gamelan orchestra.

1st Open Mepantigan Bali Championship



Bali will host the first Mepantigan championship.

1st Open Mepantigan Bali Championship

August 15, 16 & 17, 2008

Green School at the Kul-Kul Campus

Jalan Raya Sibang Kaja, Banjar Saren, Bali, 80352

For more information:

Telephone+62-(0)361-469875 or ++62-(0)361-7805260

Mepantigan Wrestling

Dutch international and AC Milan soccer legend, Clarence Seedorf, is in Bali promoting his pet project Goal4Africa, a global funding mechanism and awareness campaign for educational and development programs and the promotion of football throughout the African continent. The program is endorsed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Prince Albert's Peace and Sport Foundation. Seedorf is Goal4Africa's first global ambassador.

In Africa, 40 million children do not go to primary school. This includes girls, disabled children, orphans and children living in rural areas. Nelson Mandela has devoted his life to develop education on the African continent. According to Mandela, education is the most powerful tool for changing the world and to fight poverty. Education has been crucial to his own personal development, hence his motto: "Education for all. All for education." Goal4Africa has been established to further Nelson Mandela's vision and to help realize his dream: create better education for the children of Africa.

Football4All, Education4All

Football stirs the emotions of millions of fans worldwide. Football matches are watched by more than 1 billion football fans throughout the world. Goal4Africa brings together two forces, education & football. By leveraging the power of international football, Goal4Africa wants to improve education and social development to create sustainable change and build a lasting legacy for the future of the continent of Africa.

How Goal4Africa Works

Goal4Africa's fund raising mechanism is based on a uniquely simple, yet powerful concept: funds are raised by the scoring of goals. Individuals, companies, organisations or a group of friends can make a contribution to the foundation whenever their favourite player or team scores a goal. It doesn't matter whether the goal is scored in a professional or amateur match or in a friendly game between friends. In this way, Goal4Africa activates millions of people worldwide to make a contributions.

Clarence Clyde Seedorf

Dutch international and AC Milan great, Clarence Seedorf is one of the most recognized football midfielders playing in Europe. Acclaimed for his highly-skilled game and exquisite ball control on the field, he is also known for his active role in humanitarian work, walk-his-talk lifestyle and for his approachability.

Football is the core of Seedorf's life as evidenced by his commitment to achieve his life-long goal of reaching 2010 World Cup in Africa with the Dutch team.

Surinamese born, Dutch national, world citizen, Seedorf also supports the larger vision of "profit for non-profit," meaning that the end goal of all business activities is to support his foundation, the Champions for Children, created as a promise to himself when young to do whatever possible help those in need. Through education there is the chance to give others a chance.

His passion for giving back to the world has lead Seedorf to join forces with Goal4Africa as the initiative’s first global ambassador. "It's an honor to be Goal4Africa’s first ambassador. Football is the most played sport in the world today. By harnessing its popularity and attaching a value to each goal scored, every person involved in football around the world can raise money and awareness in the fight against poverty in Africa," said Seedorf.

Other top football players who have joined Seedorf in supporting Goal4Africa are Kaká, Lampard, Maldini, van Persie, Buffon, Adebayor, Gatusso, Gerrard, Cannavaro, Eto'o, Drogba and Essien.

For more information on Goal4Africa [www.goal4africa.org]

Shown on balidiscovery.com is a picture of Clarence Seedorf who during his Bali visit joined a practice session of the Four Seasons Resort soccer team.

Soccer Story Photo

click image to enlarge

The Bali Post reports that a large project creating tens of villa units is underway on Kelating Beach, Kerambitan, Tabanan. According to the paper, a portion of the project rests directly on the shoreline of Kelating – an area some distance north of Bali's famed Tanah Lot Temple.

The Director of the environmental watchdog group Walhi Bali, Agung Wardana, told Bali Post he was shocked after he saw the construction site for the new villas which he see as clearly violating beach setback regulations with several of the units standing only a few meters from the beach's edge. Following the publication of his objections in the Bali Post, Tabanan's Regent N. Adi Wiryatama, moved quickly to halt the project, summoning the investor, broker and local village chief to his office for urgent consultation.

The Regent's office told the press that the actual construction at the project site was not in conformance with the original plans submitted to his office which did not show the illegal construction on the beach front.

Alila Villas Tanah Lot

According to the website for the project, the luxury villa complex is being developed by PT Bhavana Andalan Kelating and will be managed by Alila Hotels and Resorts. That same website [Alila Villa's Tanah Lot Site Plan] show a site plan that appears very close to the shoreline while elsewhere on the website include a statement insisting the resort has been "designed, constructed and managed in accordance with Green Globe international environmental standards."

Quoted by the Bali Post, Wardana said he is very disappointed with many projects in Bali, including Tabanan which ignore environmental factors. He said that his organization will soon correspond with the Regent of Tabanan, following up his observations in the field.

Wardana, who is also a native of Tabanan, said: "We are very disappointed that such a large development is being undertaken without an explanation given to the public. We will also ask the Regional House of Representatives for Tabanan (DPRD) if they know of this construction. Let's hope our representatives have not been duped again."

The Bali Post said that during a visit to the site on Tuesday, June 16, 2008, they observe substantial construction activity at the site and the beach was being excavated with piles of soil in evidence along the beach.

According to a security guard on duty in the location, he knew that starting from about 8 months ago 35 villa units have been under construction at the site. Each unit has many room, explained the guard who hails from the local community.

The Threat of Tsunami

According to the guard, quoted by the Bali Post, he warned it is possible that the units located on the beach's edge will suffer erosion and abrasion if conditions such as those experienced a few year's back occur again. Refuting his suggestion, the developers of the villa project in their FAQ section state "in written history and in geological terms, there is no evidence that Bali has ever experienced tsunami conditions. The deep ocean conditions and the geographic location of the tectonic plates make such an event highly unlikely."

Such a claim, however, is curiously at odds with the fact that Bali's shores regularly record tsunami wave effects, fortunately mostly on a minor scale. According to Wikipedia, significant waves were generated in the Bali Sea by the 1815 Tambora volcanic eruption, and other geophysical events in 1818, 1857 and 1917. That Bali could potentially be affected by a sub sea earthquake anywhere on its wide ocean approaches is also acknowledged by the Indonesian government's installation of an extensive tsunami early warning systems to safeguard the Island's populated regions.

In the Bali Post report, a local citizen was quoted saying he regretted that the construction violates setback rules. According to the resident, the acquisition of the land has been underway since 2006. "As far as I know, there has been no socialization about the project (to the local population)," he explained.

Walhi Promises to Continue the Fight

In a page-one story in the Sunday, June 22, 2008, edition of the Bali Post the Chief of Walhi welcomed the news that the Regent had taken the firm action of stopping the errant project. At the same time he pledged that his organization would continue pursue the matter by issuing a formal "cease and desist" order (Somasi) against the regional government seeking to force officials to demolish the project and return the land to its original state.

Wardana said that the Alila Villas Tanah Lot project must not be allowed to stall and buy time while the investors seeking allowances and special considerations to allow the project to continue in its current configuration. The head of the local environmental group said the project had the potential of becoming a "colony of foreigners" who will close the access of locals to beach areas in order to preserve their privacy and enjoyment of the area.

Shown on balidiscovery.com are photos taken recently from the villa project now underway at Kelating beach.

Kelating Construction

click image to enlarge

Jetstar - the Australian budget carrier has announced their intention to operate three flights a week (four times a week during peak season) between Perth and Bali starting October 27, 2008. The new service utilizing A320 aircraft will complement a thrice-weekly service between Perth and Jakarta slated to begin on the same dates.

The announcement of the new service was made by Jetstar's Group General Manager Commercial Bruce Buchanan in a speech before the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE).

The new Perth-Bali service will replace Qantas Airways' terminated service over the same route.

Special Fares

To help celebrate the new service Jetstar offered special introductory fares of AU$179 one way between Perth to Bali. Those tickets, in limited quantities, were reportedly sold out shortly after they were put on sales.

Normal "every day low fares" on the new Perth-Bali route will start form AU$249 one way.

www.balidiscovery.com has launched a new series of comprehensive dive programs including Bali's, Nusa Lembongan's and Gili Trawangan's best dive spots.

Offering dives for every level of experience, all dive programs are operated by Bali's most experienced and professional team of insured certified dive masters and dive guides. Attractively priced, divers can pick from interest day dive trips to Pemuteran, Ahmed, Tulamben, Padang Bai, East Bali, Menjangan, Nusa Lembongan and Gili Trawangan.

Each dive spots is described together with a list of marine life often encountered at each local. Best of all, by clicking on any of the species named produces a "pop up" image of that particular underwater species. User can see several marine species photos found in the dive area. And to keep Bali's waters sports industry sustainable, Bali Discovery Diving, in collaboration with the local communities in each dive area, have adopted a code of safe practice and conservation practice.

No other website for Bali Diving offers a more comprehensive range of diving options.

Dive with us, leave only bubbles; take away only memories

What to Know More?

[Diving with Bali Discovery Diving]

The National News Agency Antara reports that Bali will play host to the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) scheduled to be held August 9-13, 2009.

Representing the meeting's organizing committee, Professor Zubairi Djoerban told the press: "The congress will take place under the auspices of the AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific. About 500 delegates from 50 countries are expected to take part in the congress,"

The theme adopted for the Bali conference is: "Empowering the People, Reinforcing Networks." The theme aims to enhance cooperation in the 20 year struggle to eradicate AIDS. "We hope participants from Asia and the Pacific will share experience, particularly those who are policy makers," Zubairi said,

While AIDS cases are on the decline across Asia, the number of new cases continues to increase in Indonesia. National health officials estimate that 400,000 Indonesian will be infected in 2010 while 100,000 Indonesian will die of the virus in that same year.

"Without adequate intervention, the virus will by 2015 have infected one million people, killed 350,000 and infected 38,500 children," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie warned.

Related Articles

[Bali Now Has 1,986 HIV/AIDS Cases]

[Working to Keep HIV/AIDS Sufferers Alive]

[The Coming Tsunami of HIV/AIDS in Bali]

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated Indonesia's largest sewage processing system in the Suwung district of Denpasar on Saturday, June 14, 2008. According to TEMPO Interaktif, the Denpasar Sewerage Development Project (DSDP) is targeted to support Bali's role as a world tourism center.

At the Bali inauguration ceremony President Yudhoyono said: "Many tourists visiting natural places like Bali insist that the destination be clean and healthy." In addition the project is hoped to improve the health of the local population while echoing the United Nation's "International Year of Sanitation."

The Indonesian President told the audience attending the ceremony that many countries envied Bali. The President revealed that a certain country in the Middle East has attempted to build an area resembling Bali, even to the point of duplicating beaches and the local flora. Nonetheless, said President Yudhoyono, no place can compare to Bali if the people of the Island maintain a commitment to keeping the island paradise clean.

The inauguration held on June 14th marks the completion of the first-phase of a three-phase program. The first phase was funded by the Central Government, the Provincial Government, the City of Denpasar and locals from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) at a total cost of Rp. 600 billion (US$64.5 million).

The new sewerage system is able to serve 250,000 people in the Seminyak, Legian, Kuta and Sanur areas of South Bali along a piping system running 129 kilometers. The second phase is scheduled to be built in 2009 with an equivalent amount of funding required. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2014.

The Minister of Public Works, Djoko Kirmanto, said sewage handling systems are currently being built in Medan, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Solo and Cirebon.

Tempo Interaktif estimates that as much as 25% of Bali's shorelines have suffered significant erosion caused by sea waves. Of the total shorelines abraded by high waves, the government of Bali has only been able to take remedial steps on 53% of the affected beaches.

The Minister for Public Works, Djoko Kirmanto, estimates not less than Rp. 400 billion (US$43.01 million) is needed to build shore defenses for Sanur, Nusa Dua and Padang Galak. "In Sanur Rp. 116 billion (US$12.47 million), Nusa Dua Rp. 142 billion (US$15.27 million) and Padang Galak Rp. 152 billion (US$16.34 million) are needed," said the Minister in his address at the inauguration of the Denpasar Sewerage Project in Suwung, Denpasar on Saturday, June 14, 2008.

The District head for the Department of Public Works in Bali, I Nyoman Ray Yusha, admitted that the government is only able to repair 53% of the eroded shorelines. "From 91 kilometers, only 50 kilometers (have been repaired)," said Yusha.

Repairs on eroded shorelines include sand filling and breakwater construction. In addition, Yusha continued, the government is also undertaking the construction of artificial reefs at Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Tanah Lot. The beaches currently undergoing rehabilitation are at Kuta, Buleleng, Klungkung and Padang Galak.

The total amount of funds spent to date by the government to address eroding shorelines equals Rp. 900 billion (US$96.8 million). According to Nyoman, the government has allocated an additional Rp. 200 billion (US$21.5 million) to address Bali's continuing erosion problems combined with funds from the Central Government, provincial sources and loans.

While the Bali Art's Festival is in full swing, a Professor at Bali's Udayana University, I Nyoman Darma Putra, contributed his thoughts on the state of Bali's Art Centre to the Bali Post. With Professor Putra's kind permission, we are presenting a free translation of his comments below:

The Cultural Congress and the Fate of the Art Center

The Cultural Congress which was held for the first time on June 14th may discuss various issues connected with Bali's culture, but it can't ignore the fate of Bali's Art Centre. Now more than 3 decades old, the glamour of the Art Centre and home to the Bali Arts Center has faded and in some way resembles some sort of prehistoric site.

In its current fragile state, Bali's Art Centre stands as a paradox on an island that is very proud of its cultural performing arts but is without a representative stage on which to present them.

Seen from the perspective street and stage culture (Kadir H. Din 1999), it can be said that Bali is rich in street culture, but poor in stage culture.

Street culture is defined as culture that can be enjoyed on public streets, not on a formal stage. This type of culture flourishes among the common people and is performed by those same people as a part of their traditional lives. To cite several examples of street culture in Bali: ogoh-ogoh, ngelawang and various traditional processions. Visitors to Bali often encounter parades and processions as they travel through the Island's cities and villages.

Stage culture is, as its name implies, presented on a stage. While street culture operates independently of any stage, stage culture demands a stage and a performance venue.

In the past there were several formal, quality stages dedicated to Bali's performance, such as Batubulan, Singapadu and the Denpasar Arts Centre for the presentation of kecak dances and barong performances. These venues hosted not only tourists but also State visitors who were all proudly invited to witness Balinese cultural performances.

These stages still exist, but have lost their shine due to a lack of tourist visitors and unprofessional management. Meanwhile, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park which was built 10 years ago remains uncompleted due to financial difficulties and internal conflicts between management and the owners.

With the exception of entertainment venues managed by hotels of private entrepreneurs, or palaces such as that found in Ubud, Bali is almost devoid of permanent performance stages of which the Balinese can be proud. If we Balinese or tourist wish to view a traditional arts performance, where do we go?

Renovation of the Art Centre

The renovation of the Bali Arts Centre is one solution that will address the dearth of suitable venues for Bali's stage culture. Now more than 30 years old, the Art Centre can once again become a cultural landmark of which we can all be proud. The Ardha Chandra open stage with its tall ceremonial door still looks good in photographs. But, as the years have taken their toll the condition of the Art Centre is increasingly sad. Many buildings are in disrepair, roofs are damaged and leaking, walls are crumbling, temples are pock marked, and the stages are covered with dust and mold.

What does the Art Centre look like today? A trip to the Art Centre is like visiting a local bird market. There is no initial impression worthy of our admiration; there is no vibration of beauty from what should be a cultural landmark. We do not stand in awe but only shake our heads in disbelief. Is this it? The center of Balinese culture?While we may be proud that foreign artists, including gamelan groups from Japan and America, desire to perform at the Art Center during the Bali Arts Festival, we are compelled to ask: Is this a suitable stage for their performance?

Have we seen our artists perform at the Art Center under a roof made of coconut leaves, only to watch the performance abruptly end when it starts to rain? Ask the Balinese artists who have performed abroad and they will speak in praise of the quality of the foreign stages.

Therefore, there is little choice but for Bali to renovate the Art Center. In that renovation performance stages must be repaired and performance venues brought up to date. The Ksiranawa theatre needs new lighting, a new stage design and a modern sound system. Exhibition buildings must also be upgraded to an international standard and made suitable for the display of valuable paintings.

The renovation of the Ardha Chandra must not only be made beautiful but structurally sound. Use stones and good construction materials like those found in Japanese temples that are elegant and able to withstand weather and earthquakes. Let's stop using inexpensive stone material (paras) that look good only at the grand opening but quickly deteriorate thereafter.

If three decades ago, under the command of the Director General of Culture and later Governor of Bali Professor Ida Bagus Mantra, Bali was able to build the then impressive Art Center with the Ardha Chandra stage, we must certainly be able to rebuild an even more remarkable facility today. Traditional Balinese architects (Undagi) working with modern architects and foreign consultants can work together to create a master plan for the renovation of the Bali Arts Center.

What matters is that the Art Center can become a cultural performance stage for the future, reflecting that Bali is not only a home to street culture but also to an impressive stage culture.

Any renovation must be accompanies by professional management. Performances and exhibitions can be held on a regular schedule in order to stimulate creativity. When a State visitor comes to Bali, they can be invited to the Art Centre, shown quality Balinese performances, exposed to fine Balinese paintings and be overwhelmed with the magnificence of Bali's traditional culture. In this way the image of Balinese culture which has been developed since colonial times can be revitalized.

Is money a problem? Perhaps this is not really the issue. Every year Bali spends billions of rupiahs on the Bali Arts Festival, why are we unable to find the funds to renovate the Art Centre? If the Art Centre is allowed to fall into ruin we will have lost a source of Balinese pride in our native culture. Can the participants at the Cultural Congress prevent the ruin of the Art Centre?

Bali Post reports that the Island's tourism economy did well during Q1 of 2008 attracting 446,553 foreign visitors, an improvement of 24.48% over the same quarter the previous year.

However, while Bali's tourism business is increasingly buoyant, exports from the island are down.

According to a quarterly report form Bank Indonesia, the sheer increase in foreign visitors to Bali testifies to the growing faith in the destination, while the average length of stay in Bali of just 3.65 days points to Bali tourism's growing dependence on regional markets.

Bali's Declining Exports

Bank Indonesia’s statisticians have issued warning signals that economic slow downs in developed countries, such as the United States, are raising fears that Bali's export markets may be adversely affected by the ailing world economy. Further suggesting that Bali’s exports may be under threat are export figures covering the first two months of 2008 showing total exports of US$47.5 million, a decline of 10.37% over the same period last year. The biggest decline in exports were tracked to declining purchases by two of Bali's largest export markets, Japan and the United States.

Positive Balance of Trade

Despite declining exports, Bali continues to log a very positive balance of trade. During the first two months of 2008 Bali imported US$7.42 million resulting in a positive trade balance of US$40.08 million for that period.

The Oregonian reports that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has provided US$19.4 million in funding towards the US$33 million purchase of an ailing Bali bank by the Portland-based Mercy Corps.A nonprofit foundation, Mercy Corps will acquire Sri Partha Banks and its operating licenses to establish an institution specializing in micro-finance programs to assist small entrepreneurs, typically unable to access loan money from other sources.

Provisionally renamed as the Bank of Banks (BoB), the acquisition and start-up funding will come from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank and Dutch sources. The new bank will strive to move away from the "hand-out" format of assistance to the poor to a more sustainable institutional format that can offer micro loans and savings accounts, provide insurance, mortgage finance, remittance services and mobile banking.

Aiming to eventually serve 16 million Indonesians by 2011, BoB is said to be seeking to serve their clients via cell phones, ATMs and the Internet. Observers laud the project, saying that the model can be quickly expanded to other countries in the region and is capable of permanently lifting 45 million people out of poverty over the next decade.

"Bank of Banks is expected to revolutionize the way microfinance works in Indonesia and beyond," said Neal Keny-Guyer, chief executive of Mercy Corps.

PT Bank Sri Partha has two dozen branch offices. The new owners plan to move the headquarters to Jakarta.

Some would argue that smoking in Indonesia is more than simple an institution; it's a long-standing cultural tradition. The smell that greets locals and visitors across the archipelago is the all-pervasive sweet smell of the cloves that combine in almost equal measure with tobacco in Indonesian cigarettes.

Reuters report that at least four Indonesian NGOs (non-government organizations) attempting to curb the high rates smoking in Indonesia have filed a lawsuit against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and national parliamentarians for their failure to ratify an international treaty against tobacco.

The four NGOs, including the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), accuse the Government of failing to take adequate steps to discourage smoking, a habit that they insist places an onerous burden on the national economy and forces millions into poverty.

Ranked as the fifth largest cigarette market in the world, Indonesian cigarettes generate US$ 8 billion in sales each year, employ millions and pay a tax of around 10% on total sales to the national coffers.

The NGOs are calling on the Government to increase cigarette prices to discourage smoking. A pack of cigarettes in Indonesia can cost less than US$1.00.

In what as seen as a concession to the powerful national tobacco industry, Indonesia has refused to sign the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). By contrast, China, considered the largest cigarette producer in the world, is among the 168 signatories to the treaty.

The FCTC presents an entire range of measures to curb tobacco consumption including high tax regimes, and bans on promotion and advertising.

"We demand the Indonesian president ratify FCTC because it can protect people from the bad impact of tobacco," said Tulus Abadi, an anti-tobacco advocate at YLKI, who attended the formal filing of the complaint in a Jakarta court. “The majority of smokers are poor people who allocate more money for cigarettes than for education and food," added Tulus.

Indonesia remains a smokers paradise with cheap tobacco and only limited bans prohibiting smoking in public places. And, despite rules prohibiting cigarette advertising, cigarette producers remain among the most lucrative source of advertising revenues for Indonesian television stations.