The Small Axe

This is going to be a quick and small post. I am just going to announce to you that my Guru have written an article on the Kapak Kecil (small axe).  It is the first part of a series of articles that he would produce this year in 2010.

Let me list down some of the few things that he talked about in this article on the Kapak Kecil.

• History of the Kapak in the Malay world
• Famous battle
• Kapak Bungkus, or axe wrapped in a piece of cloth used by the Malay assassins of Kelantan and their Modus Operandi
• Kapak Terbang, or flying axe used by specialist hitmen
• Kapak kecil, small axe used by Srikandi (lady warrior) and Pendekar of the Harimau Berantai clan.
• Anatomy of the Kapak Kecil
• Carrying and Concealing
• Methods of handling
• and lastly, two BUAH (attack & defense combos) taken from the Harimau Berantai kapak syllabus.

I'm sure you can't wait to know more about the Kapak kecil. Now, do not delay any longer. Go read it up at his blog.

Salam

Maybe Cats Do Have Nine Lives

I really have to share with you this. Last night after having to instruct Kickboxing and closed up the studio, I went straight to my car to get home. Luckily, I managed to see a mama cat and her litter under my car. I spent some time to shoo them away, but it was not so easy I tell you. Then, after I managed to chase them away, I started my car, and drove myself home.

Not too long after that, I suddenly heard a vague sound of little kitten in my car. I said, no, it can't be. I'm a big dummy about cars, but I don't think there's any way a cat can stay hanging under a moving car. I stopped the car, checked around the car, try to listen to that sound of a kitten again, but I did not hear it anymore. There's no more sound. Told myself I must be hearing things or maybe it was the radio.

Then, I started the car again and continued my drive home. Not too long after that, I hear it again. No! It can't be. I lower the volume of the radio, changed the channel and turned the radio off but still I can hear that sound. Argh! Now its driving me nuts. It was starting to get creepy. Did I accidently ran over a little kitty when I reversed my car out of the parking space and that dead little kitty immediately set out to haunt me for the cruel and painful end I accidentally delivered to it? Or is there a little cat hanging somewhere under my car dying but still crying out of pain? But why won't it die immediately? It was becoming unbearable.

I quickly exited the main road, parked my car and tried to calm myself for a while. I was not hysterical, but I was disturbed I have to admit. Got off my car, I walked around it, kicked every tyres and tried to hear that sound again. Nothing. Went around again, I saw some kind of fluid slowly running down the asphalt ,but no, it was not blood. It was from the air conditioner. I continued looking for something. Circumbulated my car which I call the Flying Dutchman again and again looking for the origin of that haunting sound of a dead kitty.

Then, miraculously, from behind the rear wheel, came out this tiny little scared and fragile looking thing. It was a kitten. Immediately, I bent down to grab it by the back of its neck, but it got scared and ran under the car again. Tried again and I came up behind him as it was peeking from behind the wheel looking for me. Gotcha!

I quickly got the kitten into my car, and briefly, I was thinking of adopting it. As quickly as the thought came, I got back into my senses. I should not waste this little kitty its eight remaining lives. Hehe. Yeah, I decided to drove back to where I parked and deliver it back to its Mama.

When I got there, Mama cat was looking so distraught sniffing her surrounding with another little kitten by her side. When mama cat saw us, she quickly came rushing to us and sniffed her little kitty. I was not sure if she's mad or what, but she was not hissing at me but was continuously meowing at me. I gave her some time to calm down and slowly approached her and rubbed the back of her head to tell her that everything is okay now. You got your baby back with you. I could sense that she was definitely stressed out for the momentary loss of her kid.

I was glad that the kitten survived the ride under my Flying Dutchman unharmed. It was a miracle. That must be the ride of that little kitten's life I'm sure. I guess, there is some truth when they say that cats have nine lives. I am a living witness. It was a creepy experience, but thinking back, it was funny because it surely scared the sh*t out of me.

Salam.

Takraw After Working Hours

Image via Wikipedia

 

Before Silat training last night, I had a session of Sepak Takraw at the office after working hours. I think I played three games. Did I tell you about that little accident I had the first time I participated in this game with my colleague? Maybe about a month ago, or more, my teammate, who is two an a half size bigger than me, stepped on my ankle as I fall, and I think it felt as how my Guru taught me how to crush someone's ankle in a silat class. I could even hear the sound of my ankle cracking that precise moment. Yeah, scary.

Speaking of takraw, a year ago, probably March 2009 or earlier, a group of students, including me of course, helped my Guru shoot a documentary about the game Sepak Takraw. (In the old days, we in the Malay world call the game Sepak Raga. Sepak Takraw is a modern version of the game.) So, we drove to the foot of the legendary Mount Ledang (Ophir), where the national Takraw teams are training, and our role was for a little segment which reenacts how Silat in the old days were related to the game.  Each of us were given one or two silat moves that have resemblance to how the game is played nowadays.

The moves were awesome! I don't remember much, but I remember a move that involves one dropping down to a low stance and give a headbutt to the groin after a one-two exchange and another one, probably mine, that ends with me clinching the opponent's head and smash it to my shoulder. My takraw at that time, sucked big time! Hehe.. Not that it is good now, but a little bit better I hope. That takraw part, we leave to our skilful national players. After all, they are the main attention of the documentary. That documentary I think was about our attempt to bring the glory of Takraw back to our country. It was not about Silat.

Not too long after the shoot, our national team got thrashed again. I didn't care to find out if it was by Thailand, or by some other country not known for their Takraw talents. I remember in the 80s, it was either Malaysia or Thailand that rule the Takraw world. Both of these countries would meet in the finals of any Sepak Takraw championship, and no others.



I don't know what happened to the documentary. Did it went through or not, I do not know, but I do know some problem arised after that particular shoot. Nevermind. To tell you the truth,  I was not in a fine mood that day. I had some 'issues'. No, I don't have PMS, and, no Babe, I was not mad at you, just a little bit sad. It was all good and great after that babe :)

Yeah, back to training last night, I'm glad that last night's class we went back to the basics. The Langkahs (footwork) and learning the Pelampas (sticky hands drills).

First, Guru showed us two types of Langkahs. Langkah Segitiga (triangle) and Langkah Ladam Kuda (Horseshoe).  According to Guru, Langkah Segitiga is for close range, suitable for hand strikes while Langkah Ladam Kuda is used for longer range which is good for kickers. Later, Guru Ed showed us a three-point stance. It is a very low stance where one leg, the knee and the ball of foot on the ground and the other leg, only the flat part of the foot is on the ground. Then, we move around the gelanggang in that three-point stance. The leg which only the flat part of the foot on the ground will drop the knee to the ground and the other leg will then step forward and rise the knee and have only the flat part of the foot on the ground. Repeat the process and you'll find yourself moving around in that three-point stance. Do you get the picture?  It's late and maybe its hard to explain in words but its so easy to demonstrate. I'll show you when you join the class. :)

Pelampas was fun. I miss doing the pelampas. Guru corrected my pelampas last night.  I hope that we do pelampas for warmup in every class.

Salam.

Before you leave, you might want to watch this documentary featuring our biggest rival, the Thai's Sepak Takraw team. Enjoy.

Flipping the Kerambit Again

First of all, I would like to apologize for keeping this blog quiet for a very long time. I'm not sure if I will be as active, but I will try to update when I have something to say.

I've been missing a few sessions with my Guru. No, I don't have a really strong excuse for skipping class, but I find the need to spend some time with someone for a time being. So, when I came back training tonight, I first bump into my Guru and he immediately asked me what was wrong. I just said I had flu. Yeah, I did, only I din't tell him it was nothing serious.

So tonight, I didn't join the whole class training the Buahs. Instead, I was asked to face the wall for the entire training duration. Not to reflect on my wrong doings, but to flip a kerambit back and forth for one and a half hour. So throughout the entire duration, I was concentrating on my kerambit in my hand, and not participating or even take notice what was going on behind my back.

I am not sure why the sudden intensive Kerambit training tonight, possibly, a weapons documentary is in the pipeline, or maybe, it is just time for me to start training the Kerambit again. Whatever it is, it felt good to be back training again, and updating this blog again.

Salute!