Abstract: Pencak silat martial art is a media of humanistic education in traditional Javanese culture.Pencak silat is Indonesian cultural preservation effort in the form of mental and physical education inorder to shape athletic people who can also comprehend and implement high moral values. The goalof martial art exercise is not only to promote physical power and technical skill, but also, moreimportantly, character building and personality building. Pencak silat is intended to shape humanbeings with high character, self-control capability and ability to apply various good actions that givepositive benefits for themselves as well as society development. The objective of this study is toanalyze the process of character building through pencak silat martial art using historical factualapproach. This research used hermeneutic reflective method including description, analysis,comparison and critical reflection. Pencak silat martial art as media for character building is in linewith the goal of Indonesian nation as spiritual and physical exercise to shape athletic human beingsthat can comprehend and implement high moral values. The characters’ values lie in pencak silat arenobility, loyalty, great heart, wisdom, tolerance, courteousness, honesty, obedience, and optimism.Pencak silat axiology contains educational material to form discipline and good human beings
