Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, comprised of over 13,000 islands. Today, Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, but it has seen many cultural and religious influences over the years, ranging from Hindu and Buddhist settlers from India and China, to the Christian Portuguese and Dutch colonists. All of these things have left their mark on the martial arts of Indonesia.
The Dutch maintained control of much of Indonesia from the 17th century, until 1942, when Japan invaded. The Dutch continued to struggle for control, until 1949, when Indonesia finally gained independence. During the war for independence, there were many developments in the fighting styles of Indonesia. It was from this time of rapid growth that Mande Muda was born.
