Kemayoran popular artist associated with Kemayoran theater is Benyamin Sueb. Pencak silat, a martial art of the Betawi people, also flourished in Kemayoran. Styles of pencak silat developed in Kemayoran area are "Beksi", "Cingkrik", "Si tembak", "Sin lam ba", and "Kolong meja". Until late 80's, it is a common routine for children to practice pencak silat after the Isha prayers. During the 1990s, many of the traditional art and culture of Betawi characteristic of Kemayoran slowly disappeared. There are many folklore associated with Kemayoran area, usually involving the conflict between the indigenous people of Kemayoran and the Dutch "kompeni" (local term
Pencak Silat schools often exchange students so cross-training between the styles is common. All Balinese pencak schools traditionally keep sportive contests and performance to a minimum in order to emphasise combat effectiveness. The Bugis ("Ugi") and Makassar people ("Mangkasara") are two related maritime groups from Sulawesi. The Bugis in particular were renowned navigators and shipbuilders, but also feared as corsairs and slave-traders. Both the Bugis and Makassarese were famous for piracy, though this was more common among the former than the latter. As sailors for whom the knife is a vital tool, Bugis and Makassar combatives (known locally as silat) favour blades.