Lock #1

I'm having problem trying to update this blog again. I can't access the Internet from home through my broadband that I have just subscribed recently.

However, I'm quite determined to update this blog more regularly this year. So, I am now typing with two fingers on my 10 days old iPhone4. Quite a daunting task I would say.

Let me share with you a sketching that I made during times like this. It is a sketching of a particular locking posture that would be key in helping me remember the entire first Buah. Please excuse my poor sketching skills :-)






These sketches look painful aren't they? Let me assure you that they are. I have been a frequent recipient of these locks. :-)

Salam.

Excuses, Excuses

I put up that video above because earlier, I just gave myself an excuse to skip silat class tonight. "My knee is making creaking sounds". Yeah, well maybe the real reason was .. well, nevermind, it will just be another excuse.. :)

It has been .. Wow! More than six months since I last posted on this blog. This is so bad. I must remind myself that the real reason for me to have this blog is so that I will be able to remember what I learn in Silat class and so that one day I may pass this knowledge to the younger generation, my own younger generation especially, if God allows that to happen. I must try to do much better than this. No more excuses, although I do have doubts that I will consistently update this blog regularly. I will try.

In case you want to know what's up with me and my Silat training, I have a Silat competition coming up, up north in the state of Perak, in the middle of May this year. Seni Silat Warisan Mahaguru Championship 2011. (Now I feel bad for skipping class). Me and my silat partner will be demonstrating weapons duel using Tongkat, a long staff,  that measures up to my shoulder, not a very long staff indeed considering I am not a tall person. Then, I will be using the Sauh, or Tekpi against a sword, and lastly we probably use short bladed weapons too, at least, the Belati, not sure if I heard that we will be demonstrating with Kerambits though.

To prepare for this competition, Guru Jak asked me to shed 5 kg (I think I should lose more as I have gained more than 10 kg in the past 1 year) so that I will have more stamina and be able to move faster. I think the fight demonstration will last for 2 minutes for each team. So, besides doing Silat training, I joined a 12 weeks combat boot camp which is conducted on the office rooftop immediately after working hour, and, at home by myself, I do the TRX Military Fitness workout, a program which is also suppose to last for 12 weeks too. I enjoy the boot camp for the fitness and social benefit, as I don't really get to meet or know people outside my department, while, the TRX, I just have lots of love for this simple nylon straps that really make me sweat and suffer the first few weeks trying to use this body suspension workout tool.

I'm very excited about this championship. Even though we do not expect to win anything, it is a great opportunity to meet other pesilat from more than 100 silat groups and schools in Malaysia. I think you should be there too.

Bidayuh Headhunting Songs

Yesterday, a good friend, the person who was responsible to introduce me to Guru Jak, lend me a book called Malaysia At Random (At Random Series). In it, there's a page on a really interesting subject, a subject about songs that the Bidayuh tribe sung prior to a headhunting mission.
 
Before a group of male members of the Bidayuh tribe of Sarawak leave on a headhunting trip, a traditional prayer song will be performed by them. The translation of the song goes like this;

A normal character in ordinary time,
He can make himself a brave fighter,
And a hero when the time comes for revenge against his enemies.
We have kept the skulls for to long,
It is now time to go and get new ones,
Now we are on a headhunting expedition,
Let us say farewell to the spirits of our ancestors,
Let us give them the gifts of these rice grains,
And the heads of the beheadide enemies.

On the other hand, they will then sing another traditional song sung to those male members of the Bidayuh tribe who did not wish to join a headhunting trip which goes;

It is a pity you do not join us in the headhunting venture,
But all you can do is look after the Baruk*,
You are not brave enough,
You have no idea what the spirits of our ancestors told us,
This is because you did not join us in the katang*.
As you had joined me in this successful headhunting expedition,
I gave you the chin part of the skull for you to show to your people.
But as the dog had grabbed it from your hand, you had nothing to show.
Because you are a drunkard
You never realised
That your wife
Was having an affair with another man

* baruk - traditional structure used for ceremonial gatherings and for the storage of skulls.
* katang - a ceremony to appease the spirits of people who were headhunted.

I remember hearing my Guru asking a particular kickboxing student of his, who is affectionately known to many as Captain, if she can ask around, especially the elders from Sarawak, the land where she came from, stories of headhunting adventures and more specifically, to find out more about their fighting system. That would be a very interesting subject to research. The headhunting tribes' martial arts. I myself have been very curious about this for a long time. Hopefully, there will be a documentation of this subject soon, before anything about it will be lost forever in time.

Salam.

Silat Tomoi

I just had an AHA moment. Nothing big, but it is related to the video in the previous post. I just realized where I saw Guru Ed demonstrated a counter that looks similar to the Filipino combat knife fighting moves shown in the video from the previous post. Yeah. You can see him demonstrating it in the video above at 1:09. I gave up trying to count how many hits he delivered in that one single move.

The video above is a little trailer for a DVD on Silat Tomoi, a collaboration between Guru Jak and Antonio Graceffo, The Brooklyn Monk. which is coming out soon. Hopefully very soon, I can't wait. This video shows the many elbow applications in Muay Thai roots back to the ancient art of Silat Tomoi. Well, I might not explain it 100% accurately, I just say it as how I understood it from talking to Guru Jak. The only way is to get the DVD and watch it for yourself.

Besides the elbow devastating moves, what excites me the most would be the weapons part. The weapons that will be featured in it are the kapak kecil (small axe), Sakti Pencawangan (bladed mai sok), and I'm pretty sure I remember some kerambit demonstrations were shot during production too.

I'll give you an update when I get news about the release of the DVD and where you can get it.

Salam.

How Many Blades?

Found this video on Youtube while I was taking a short break from work in the office. I was not sure how I found it because I was sure I was not looking for it, but, I did get into trouble as soon as I shared this on my Facebook. Don't worry, it was not silat related, I did not offend any silat or any other martial art guys. However, I do regret that accidentally hurt someone's feelings that afternoon.

Actually, I wanted to say that this video kept me glued on it for a while for several reasons. First, was for the number of blades the guy was carrying on his body. Second, was for the speed of his counter attacks without causing hurt to the other guy. And third was for the moves that were demonstrated. I was very sure that the moves shown was performed on me before by Guru Ed. Well, at least the first four counters, the breaking of the knuckles, wrist, elbow and up to the neck.

However, before watching this video, I thought the hit on the elbow was only to shock the biceps muscles thus to render them useless for a while and the damage on the neck was not up to the point of breaking, only to stun and inflict pain to stop the opponent's attacks. About the similarity, I guess, Visayan knife fighting is Silat. Well, that is my conclusion.

I remember asking my Guru, how many weapons did a Harimau Berantai soldier carry on their body, when they launch a sabotage mission against the Dutch during the colonial days? I don't remember exactly, but, during a mission, a Harimau Berantai soldier wears his Javanese batik that acts as a camouflage that blends with the tropical surrounding. He carries a few blades, a few kerambits, maybe two pairs of Sauh (Tekpi), one Ekor Pari (Stingray's tail). It's highly possible that the Sundang is part of his arsenal of weapons too. He also carries a little pouch containing a powder substance, the War Dust that was used to temporarily blind the enemy soldier.

How many of them in a group? Hmm, I don't know, I guess, it's a very small army unit that I would imagine a five person group infiltrating the enemy camp and take out the number one guy, then quickly vanish into the dark.

Okay, now back to the question again. How many blades can you see on the guy's body? Yeah, the guy in the video. I don't know, I have to watch the video again.

Salam.