Benthik - Traditional Games

Benthik - Traditonal Games

Boys in the Java community who were born before the 1970's, would have been familiar with a game called benthic. They certainly will rememberall kinds of tools and how to play the game. Indeed, this game is also one type of traditional games often played by boys in communities past. Possible for children born in the year 2000 upwards, especially among urban, this game is no longer known, because it's not a day longer.In the past 70 years, this traditional game was already known by the Java community.Evidently, the term of this game has been recorded in Baoesastra (Dictionary) Java works WJS Poerwadarminta published in 1939 in Weltevreden Batavia (Jakarta).

On page 41 column 1 stated that the meaning of benthic, one of which is the name of the game. It is not explained in detail, but the game is kept alive in the Java community with patterns and equipment, as already mentioned above.Benthic, so called, is made from two pieces of wood sticks or cylindrical shape with different lengths. One piece of wood with a length of about 30 cm, which is only about 10 cm. Both pieces of steak are usually the same diameter, about 2-3 cm. Usually the wood pieces obtained from the branches of trees that grew around the page, such as tamarind tree, the tree mlandhing (petai China), guava trees, mango trees, and the like. Branches are usually taken from the timber resilient and not easily broken. Could be, benthic instrument made of bamboo strips are made cylinders of the same size as above.How to play can be considered easy. 

Can be done by teams or individuals. If done team, it could be a team (group) consists of 3 or 4 children. When a team plays, then the other team gets shift. Each team plays benthic alternately until all had a turn. When finished, turn the guard had a turn to play. If done individually, such as 5 children, one child had a turn to play, then the other 4 children had a turn in case. If the children who play already lost, then replaced his friend in turn. Squads or children who get the highest rates are usually considered to be the winner.Before the game begins, the children make a hole in the ground by extending the size of about 7-10 cm, 2-3 cm wide, hole was used as repulsion throwing short sticks. After that the children dohompimpah or parachute. Benthic game usually consists of three stages. 

The first stage, the child whose turn to play, put a short stick over the hole, then with the help of long sticks, short sticks thrown as hard and as far as possible. If the short benthic caught red-handed, then the kids who play are considered lost, while the capture of short sticks have value, for example, with two arms 10 points, one right-handed 25 points, 50 points of the left hand, and so on. If not caught, one of the children who so short-throw stick towards a long stick that has been placed over the hole with transverse position. If the stick-term exposure, the children who play less.If the club is not short on long sticks, children can continue playing the game to the second stage. At this stage, children who play and then throw the short stick into the air and then hit hard with a long stick that was thrown as far as possible. If the short stick that was thrown was caught by an opponent, then the kids who play are considered lost. 

He must stop the game. If not caught red-handed, then the child should keep throwing short sticks toward the hole that was created. If when thrown into the hole, hit the short stick by children who play and thrown far back in the opposite direction, then the acquisition of points earned will be many more. For the calculation of points by using a long stick, starting from the hole towards the fall of the short sticks. If the short stick is thrown toward the hole and not hit by the player, then the calculation is also carried out starting from a hole in the direction fall short stick who escaped from the second hit. If a short throw sticks into the opposite direction from the hole, then the points accumulated by a child playing deemed forfeited.If at the second stage, children who play to get points, then it could proceed to the third stage. At this stage, children are playing should put a short stick into the hole. 

One end of the stick is inserted into the hole, while the other end of the stick arise at ground level.Children who play should be able to hit the tip of the stick that arise so that the air and then beaten as far as possible. If you can not hit a second time, then he is considered lost or die and be replaced with other players. However, if successfully hit again once, twice or so, then the player is entitled to multiply the results. If thrown as far as 20 times the length of the stick and hit one more time, then he gets 20 points. If he is able to hit 2 times before it was thrown away, then he is entitled to tuck up into twice. 

Could be, the size for a successful hit two times or so, using measuring instrumentsOther objects, such as safety pins, grain, and so on. The more he is hit many times before it was thrown away, enabling it will finish first. Benthic and so on in the game. He will repeat from the beginning, when the not-dead in the game.There is a positive side of this benthic traditional game. Children will be taught to socialize with friends playing. If he can not socialize well, certainly will playmate away. Similarly, sportsmanship will be tested in this game. Any child who does not spirited sportsmanship must also eventually be abandoned by his playing. Unfortunately, the game was at present only a memory. Most documented only through his writings, VCDs, as well as documentary films, and collected by museums.