It could be that some see presean as sadistic because the two fighters involved, called pepadu, surrender their bodies for a regular beating with their opponent's penyalin, a stick made of rattan with a steel point.

Admittedly, it does seem somewhat gory when the head of one of a pepadu recieves a blow from the penyalin, causing blood to flow from his scalp and stream down his face. This not infrequent occurrence tends to cause the audience to erupt into a collective cheer.

But to the Sasaks of Lombok, presean is neither inhumane, sadistic, nor comparable to the blood sports of Roman gladiators. To them, it represents an expression of joy and wellbeing, and it is part of a number of rituals to give thanks to the gods. Presean matches take place during traditional religious rituals, such as circumcision rites (nyunatang), weddings (kawin), the celebration of the birth of Muhammad (muladan), harvest festivals (mata), or rituals to ensure the fertility of the earth (pujawali). In some cases, a presean match may even be held following the celebration of Indonesian Independence Day on August 17.

The origins of presean, and how it came to be so integral to the Sasak religious system, remain unclear. Several Sasak religious leaders, or pemangku, say that presean has existed since the initiation of the above mentioned pujawali, which is sometimes also known as the perang topat festival. That would date presean back to as early as the mid sixteenth century. Other sources have claimed that presean matches were traditionally held as forms of entertainment at royal nyunatang and kawinan ceremonies.

Sasaks see the presean as proof of their inherent and inbred courage. When a referee or pakembar nominates two pepadu to fight in the presean arena, they have no choice but to agree to do so and must begin the fight immediately. If one of the pepadu refuses to take part, or show fear of his opponent, he will be scorned by the audience, who cry out "Hu...hu...hu..." This sound is directed at any one who is considered fearful or lacking in courage, a quality held in extremely low esteem by the Sasak people.

Presean matches only take place in the evening, between four and six o'clock. Each match includes a musical accompaniment of the Sasak gamelan, which consists of a gong beleg, a gendang, a terompong, a kemong, and a rancek. The audience occupy a space around the arena of about 10

Above :
a. Prior to a fight, a contestant rubs his hands with dirt to strengthen his grip       on the penyalin.
b. The pekembar, or referee, signals the beginning of the fight by beating a        shield, or ende with a fighting stick, a penyalin.
c. The audience is spellbound during a fight.

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