Recollection of the Lost Buahs

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 Jak would have madesome comments to correct it. So, i think its ok.

Before the end of the class, we were shown the Sixth. I forgot how this Buah looked like until everything came back slowly to me when I was at my parent's home last weekend. It was my personal favourite Buah when I was first introduced to all eight empty hand striking Buahs.  Maybe because this particular Buah looked like it can end a fight immediately after one is being attacked. Well, at that time, this looked like the fastest to end a fight. Now, with the slightly varied version I'm learning now, all the Buahs looked potentially effective to end a fight immediately.

It has been a while since my last weapons training, but its okay. I'm making the best out of it. I never want to lose the empty hands striking Buahs ever again.

Salam.

Putar Kepala in the Fourth

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 three Buahs, Guru Jak showed us the Fourth. It's almost the same as what I had learnt before, only with a slight difference at the entry. The entry showed last night was a double eye jabs instead of just parrying a right cross and counter with a jab and a cross of your own against the opponent, which how how I had learnt before. Well, those double eye jabs are more economical, efficient and painful.

Then comes the Putar Kepala move. Guru Jak mentioned how Silat in the west widely adopts this move but he did mentioned how its implementation is flawed, based on his own many observations.

I think, the main thing that we have to pay attention is the opponent's ability to counter. Prior to the Putar Kepala, we must deliver blows to soften the opponent. During executions of the Putar Kepala, check for the opponent's ability to counter, and counter a counter if there should be one. Deliver more blows to weaken the opponent while you are at it.

After the Putar Kepala, bring the opponent down, but do not lose hold. Control  the opponent through joint manipulation. Then, Destroy.

Salam.

One Buah, Few Pecahans, Elbows and Blade Applications

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 striking Buah. Then, out of this first Buah, Guru Jak showed us some Pecahans.  Tonight, the Pecahans he showed has a lot of wicked elbow moves in them. Awesome!

After doing the Buah and Pecahans, Guru Jak then ask each of us to grab a rubber blade. He then showed us, how, with the same Buah or Pecahan, he applied them with a blade in his hand. How beautifully, wonderfully and smoothly they worked together.

I was happy, but the others were overjoyed, since they stayed back longer than me to practise their bladework.

Salam.

Empty Hands for Warm Up, and the Sakti Pencawangan Night

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 started our session with a warm up session doing the empty-hands combat Buahs. I'm so glad that I get to revise those Buahs again, together with the new guys.  This is my chance to recollect all the Buah that I have lost. Note to self, "Must Write Down". The unarmed combat Buah is slightly different from what I have learnt, but the gist is still the same. The approach is slightly closer to the moves that has been taught to Guru Ed. Parry the jab, cut the incoming cross with an immediate eye jab, destroy the arm by breaking the elbow, multiple blows to the body with hand and leg attacks, go behind the opponent, grab the balls, destroy, follow through with more attacks until he or she is rendered immobile. Well, that is to give some ideas on how some of the Buah looks like. I guess the keyword here is, Overkill. Don't settle with only one or two counters but with multiple blows. Besides the Buahs, we also get to do some Pecahans, which are combat moves derived from the main Buahs.

Then, Guru Ed and I do our usual drill with the Sakti Pencawangan. Last night Guru Jak briefed the new students about this weapon. He said Pencawangan means suggestions. Must be an old Malay word, because currently, the Malay word for suggestion is Cadangan. Then he explained to us that the tonfa-like part of the weapon, is not a Tonfa. He used a Thai traditional weapon  where the tonfa-like weapon has two handles, one to hold and the other one in front is to protect the fingers. A rope is attached around one end so that it stays still on the forearm.

Mai Sok. Image grabbed from http://www.tonyjaa.org/muaythai_ongbak.shtml

I looked up the Internet, and found that the said Thai weapon is called Mai Sok.  Well, last night, Guru Jak pulled a blade out of the modified Mai Sok.  Our traditional Malay weapon, or Javanese weapon to be more precised, he did mentioned Javanese, Sakti Pencawangan has one handle with the length of the main shaft extending slightly behind the elbow, with a concealed blade, that can be pulled out of it. From one or the other end, depending on where the owner of the weapon wants it, I guess.

That night, I could see that many of the new students were amazed. Me, personally, I still am.

Salam.