tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54946012063213374672011-11-28T08:42:26.217+08:00.. who blogs his Silat experience so that he remembers..Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-1350019276112428662011-03-23T03:03:00.001+08:002011-03-26T21:26:45.169+08:00

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

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-58437882075964578832011-03-03T01:26:00.001+08:002011-03-03T02:57:43.887+08:00

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

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-12438696472878507812010-08-23T07:01:00.000+08:002010-08-23T07:01:02.171+08:00

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

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-1007960145678200502010-08-18T15:15:00.000+08:002010-08-18T15:15:46.795+08:00

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

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-3567760131905601172010-08-02T01:37:00.001+08:002010-08-18T15:20:17.523+08:00

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

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-19486283492983332472010-07-15T01:04:00.000+08:002010-07-15T01:04:34.400+08:00

Image via WikipediaHmm.. World cup 2010 has finally ended, and I'm now back at training. Well, actually there was no relevance at all between the two, but I did take a two weeks break. The first week was because I just wanted to take a break, but the second week, I was down with flu. Bad. Last Monday night, I came back to the gelanggang for training. I was late, but at least I made it. No, I

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-15794829143111737992010-05-25T01:38:00.001+08:002010-05-25T01:39:58.960+08:00

.. Since I last updated this blog. What can I say, either I am a chronic habitual procrastinator, or I don't have much to say lately. However, since I just came back from training and learnt something new tonight, I felt much obliged to share. Earlier tonight, Guru Jak shared with us some new techniques. Locking Buahs not from the Harimau Berantai system, instead, he taught us the Buahs from the

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-83282571483638066282010-03-26T04:02:00.001+08:002010-03-26T04:07:03.325+08:00

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

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-65518044145345947152010-03-19T10:12:00.000+08:002010-03-19T10:12:06.839+08:00

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,

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-70580162757026446392010-03-18T04:33:00.009+08:002010-03-19T04:38:43.661+08:00

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

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-32436174119799413762010-03-11T01:39:00.001+08:002010-03-11T01:40:16.515+08:00

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,

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-64322738753976634452010-01-25T15:45:00.001+08:002010-01-25T15:47:06.035+08:00

Before stumbling into this video clip, I was already familiar with the term one inch punch made popular by the legendary Bruce Lee, but I didn't care much to know deeper about it. Not until I found this interesting video and discovered some similarity to a striking method that was taught to me by Guru Jak. The similarity lies not in the traditional Chinese method of centering of the Chi,

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-4831040089440348062010-01-19T04:05:00.001+08:002010-01-19T13:24:14.366+08:00

Image via Wikipedia Many came for training last night. The seniors are back to train Silat. Good for me as their return would make our learning environment more lively. Tonight, I did some warm up with some belati moves, did a quick revision on the eight Belati Buahs, the eight Tekpi Buahs, and four Sakti Pencawangan Buahs. During training, I asked Pendekar Scott, his opinion about Merantau,

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-10510847868637862632009-12-30T06:19:00.003+08:002009-12-30T06:29:13.859+08:00

Guru Ed did not come for training last Monday night. Probably down with a fever, or a flu bug. Anyway, I get to train with the other students doing the empty hands. We revised five Buahs tonight, repeatedly. Still a lot to be done. All of us have to train harder to get better at this art. After doing those revision throught the training session, Guru Jak ask us to show him our moves, one by one,

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-58657545612492832772009-12-27T02:29:00.000+08:002009-12-27T02:29:05.745+08:00

Earlier during the day, I was casually going through Youtube not really looking for anything. However, I stumbled into an interesting find, and I find it worthy to be kept as a reference for personal study and to share with you. Below is a video of elbow techniques as taught in the Cikalong Silat system, demonstrated by Guru Bambang Suwanda and Guru Bobbe. I find it interesting because of the

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-65161864252881629292009-12-23T14:01:00.001+08:002009-12-23T14:17:57.845+08:00

Last Monday night training, Guru Ed and I started our training with our Belati Buahs. Quick revisions on all eight, each of us did two rounds. No Sauh training that night. Instead, we did our 5 Buahs of Sakti Pencawangan throughout the remaining session. I did not know why, but I felt really sleepy during training. Probably, I was getting flu, but sore throat was the only other symptom besides

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-5542225550149815052009-12-21T01:06:00.005+08:002009-12-23T14:07:46.195+08:00

Today, I came across a story  titled My Special Child by a writer named Jack, in the Starmag, Heart & Soul section of The Star newspaper. It tells me about Jack, a parent who remembers the moment when his daughter who has Down Syndrom was born, how he felt, and how he reacted.  Anger, disgust, frustration, clueless, mixed in a myriad of emotions that suddenly came gushing in, not long after the

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-21060912705702559422009-12-17T18:38:00.001+08:002009-12-17T18:44:29.343+08:00

Guru Ed was back in training last Wednesday night. So, it was time for me to pick up the Belati,  Sauh, Sakti Pencawangan and the Bokken again and start training weapons again after several nights of empty hands revisions.  So, that night we did eight Buahs and three Pecahans of Belati, eight Buahs of Sauh, and five Buahs of the Sakti Pencawangan. My knee hurt a bit from a collision during a

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-47260468743915759872009-12-16T14:11:00.000+08:002009-12-16T14:11:35.427+08:00

Last Monday night training, it was down to two persons only who came. Nick al Yabani and me. Well, both of us trained the five empty hand striking Buahs that we had learnt previous nights. Nick, being a Japanese middle age guy, performed his silat very karate like, especially during the Sikap Pasang. Well, I think, its interesting to have some sort of variety. If its wrong to do it that way, Guru

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-37536962385838957902009-12-12T01:50:00.000+08:002009-12-12T01:50:57.330+08:00

There were only three of us who came for Silat training last Wednesday night. Others couldn't make it because of personal commitments or perhaps the heavy rainfall earlier in the evening that made travelling  harder, especially for the ones who rely on public transports to get to the studio. Nick the middle-aged Japanese guy, Marcus the Filipino-Chinese fellow Malaysian and the Malay me, I. I

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-62951672102156725002009-12-08T15:00:00.001+08:002009-12-08T15:10:49.910+08:00

Guru Ed was away last night. So, no weapons training for me. I had a good time training empty hands striking Buahs, but, only last night that I realized that prior to this, we had learned 3 Buahs. How did I not notice that? I thought all we did was the First Buah and many Pecahans. I have to pay more attention to my Guru in class. Last night, after spending most of the time revising the first

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-76047709347804919852009-12-06T23:33:00.001+08:002009-12-06T23:52:11.935+08:00

On August 3rd 2009, a martial arts traveller, writer and filmmaker Antonio Graceffo, also known as the Brooklyn Monk in Youtube.com where he has a webdocumentary series called Martial Arts Odyssey visited our Silat studio to conduct an interview with my teacher Guru Jak.  Our studio was one of the few martial arts schools that he stopped by, in his quest to gain some insights about martial arts

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-59044613702991276742009-12-04T17:14:00.000+08:002009-12-04T17:14:43.083+08:00

Last Wednesday night, for the first time, our Silat training starts early at 9.00pm. Since Kickboxing starts half an hour earlier, I joined in for a bit of kicking, just to warm myself up. Surprisingly, I can still kick without running out of breath. Yes. It feels good to do kicking again, together with all the other kickboxers. Again, we practise our striking Buah again tonight. The first of 8

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-49711347478722837592009-12-02T16:30:00.001+08:002009-12-02T18:01:15.927+08:00

Last monday night, we had two more new students joining in our Silat class. Both of them are girls, one who has been with us in Kickboxing class and now going through apprenticeship to become a new instructor, while the other, i met for the first time as she flew in from Australia. The latter is a Kickboxing instructor in her home country and has some experience in Filipino Martial Arts. We

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-8076807134041256222009-11-30T13:20:00.001+08:002009-11-30T13:23:04.299+08:00

As I was browsing a book on knives in Amcorp Mall today, I found a mention about the Keris, a traditional Silat weapon being depicted in a painting by Rembrandt titled The Blinding of Samson (1636). Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-9749756819882790672009-11-27T07:10:00.001+08:002009-11-27T16:57:52.028+08:00

Last Wednesday's training night, we received a guest, Scott McQuaid who will be with us on and off for about 2 months. I have seen him before, in Youtube.com where he produces some clips to promote mainly the Harimau Minangkabau system. Then, he had visited our place before, few months back when I was 5kg lighter, to do a little shooting and conduct an interview with Guru Jak. That night too,

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-33613313000168254752009-11-25T20:19:00.000+08:002009-11-25T20:19:55.525+08:00

At last, after a short break of silat training, Guru Ed and I resumed our training last Monday night. At last after a long period of time, we trained ourselves the 8 buahs of the Belati Art. We also revised 3 pecahans of the said art. All of which involves switching of the bladed hands. We spent half of the alloted time training this. The other half of the time was training to use the Sauh, or

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-64102120738882702942009-11-21T03:47:00.000+08:002009-11-21T03:47:11.235+08:00

The two individuals in this more than a decade old clip are my Guru, Guru Jak Othman and currently my sole training partner Guru Ed Chard doing the Belati or blade training. The first part of the video shows them doing the Pelampas or the sticky hand drills with blades.  It has been a while since I train doing this Pelampas or Buah of the Belati art.  Currently Guru Ed and I are training using 

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-51099487874175661072009-11-14T10:28:00.001+08:002009-11-14T10:31:06.454+08:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife This article by Guru Jak Othman was originally published in his JakOthmanSilat.com website which is now sadly not available on the Internet anymore. The date it was first published is unknown. It was found in a Yahoo! Group called silatindonesia posted on July 25th 2009. As his student, I think I should repost this article again in this blog so that his writings

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-23638660161847120732009-11-12T13:49:00.022+08:002009-11-13T16:37:41.839+08:00

This article by Guru Jak Othman was originally published in Silat Warrior Magazine. However, the date it was first published is unknown. It was found in a Yahoo! Group called silatindonesia posted on July 25th 2009. As his student, I think I should repost this article again in this blog so that his writings will not go missing and his students like me can dissect his writings and study them

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494601206321337467.post-70510327287728475132009-11-10T02:27:00.003+08:002009-11-14T10:39:38.392+08:00

Image via Wikipedia I find it very hard for me to write an entry, my first entry on this blog. I'm not sure why, but probably because I am still a newbie in Silat. This blog is set up to let me write about what I have learnt so far in Silat, what I have seen in the world of Silat, what i have read in literatures about Silat, and what I have heard when people with authorities or Silat Gurus when

Ilmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00724581348340979344noreply@blogger.com0