PENCAK SILAT KNIFE AND SARONG WORKSHOP

I now have a confirmed date for the first of several one day workshops looking at the weapons and tactics and techniques of our beautiful style of Pencak Silat.

The workshop will be from 10.00 to 4.30 on Sat 30th of January 2010
At Hyson Green Community Centre on Gregory Boulevard Nottingham.

Cost of full day workshop is: £25 / €28 To all CSI Members £30 /€33 to all others all payments in advance.

Those attending please bring with themselves an old white T-shirt (which you don’t mind ruining) a training knife and sarong, (there will be some on hand should you forget), bag gloves and gum shield.

The workshop will consist of 2 parts with a 20 minute brake part one will consist of Pisau (Knife) defence, movement application and free sparring and the use of sarong with the pisau.

Note this will be authentic Silat knife work, not re-ashed Kali drills in a sarong!

Part 2 will consist of various types of sarong there uses, some applications and pressure testing.

All martial artists will benefit from the workshop; but especially those from South East Asian styles ie, Pencak Silat, Kali / Escrima, Muay Thai, Bando, Thaing etc and will be interesting, educational, fun for all martial artists and beginners alike.

“Learning to use an item of clothing for you protection gives you something light and legal to carry and defend yourself with, should your life or that of your family or friends be threatened.”

“Learn an insight into the brutally effective, yet beautiful knife fighting principles of Pencak Silat”

Weapons of Pencak Silat

(2) Darting Beak, Swirling Dragon.

 Blekok (Crane) Bangau (Stork) Elang (Eagle) Garuda (Mythical Bird-man)

Across the Malay world there are many "Bird" systems and it is very easy to understand this. Man as always looked to the sky as the source of something

spiritual as if being closer to the heavens (In a non Judeo Christian sense) is somehow closer to the creator.

By association then, anything that flys high is closer to the gods; and it doesnt take much searching in other martial tradions around the world to see this common thread.

Eagles are sacred the world over, souring closer than any others to the gods and Father Heaven. Indeed every culture talks of huge and powerful semi-divine beings, portrayed as birds like the Native American "Thunder-Bird, Tibetian "Tengu" and Hindu "Garuda"

In fact the Garuda as become the national emblem of some South East Asian countries even to this day.

In Kung Fu for example (I refer to the Chinese arts a lot as I came to Silat from 10 plus years of Kung-Fu) The Crane is the symbol of stillness, self-reflection, spiritual contemplation and oneness; a creature not only of the Earth but of the Heavens.

This is echoed in Cimande too it is from the Blekok that we gain our re-connetion with spirit, with self-reflection contemplation peace, internal stillness and calm tranquillity.

The weapons associated with the Blekok in our style are the longer swords ie Pedang, Padang (See above) and the almost mystical Cabang. (See below)

Sometimes called "Trisula" or simply "Sauh" (Anchor)in Malay."Mannerism Overlap" again, as Im also told there's a Monyet link to the Cabang.

Again there's a lot significance all across Asia with the trident and trident type weapons which may arch back to ancient Bronze Age India or even earlier!.

Many Hindu deities are shown with trident type weapons, both hand held and pole mounted and in other martial tradions we see Sai and the Filipino Siko-Siko (Which is a plural of "Elbow" due to its shape) and is often associated with the divine power to rule.

The Cabang differs to these type weapons in that it is very heavy almost like the Chinese "Tiger Fork" 

 (See below) 

this is a very heavy pole weapon famous in “External” schools like Hung Kuen (Hung Ga) and some Shaolin arts.

It as a central double edged blade and two curving "Shoulders" or Elbows like a Western "Sword Breaker".These are used for trapping an incoming weapon and disarming it, with a power twist of the wrist and waist, if used against a blade this will either disarm the weapon or snap the blade allowing you then to counter stab with the bladed section.

The "elbows" can also be used for trapping limbs and for percussion type stabs and powerful braking movements to an entrapped arm, due to the sheer weight of the weapon and the torching power of the waist the point also resembles the beak of an angry bird.

Pedang / Padang  is the Malay word for sword and these swords "generally slightly longer and narrower than the Golock.

there is so much diversity in these blades as individuals would have "Impu's" make specific blades to match individual tastes some longer  some shorter some wider and with varying blade shapes.

These swords in practice can be likened to the wings of a mighty bird moving fluidly within the space and contours of our body’s like a bird using its wings to groom its plumage, or to fight of threats.

one of the best training methods for this kind of body-spatial awareness is the "Body-washing" please see my previous post for more details of this.

In short we learn to roll the blade/s over our body and extremities fluidly and safely which gives us not only great fluidity and flow but a greater understanding of blade sensitivity and spatial awareness

so we don’t end up up cutting or dismembering ourselves, we learn blade appreciation and also the loss of fear from the feel of a steel against the skin, energetically we're cleaning our aura and creating a shield of light using the blade/s.

The blade of the Padang is considered in our system to be the “Circle of Creation” made physical. This is because of several reasons; firstly if you take a circle and pull on its sides one way towards the east (Fire) and the other towards the west (Water) simultaneously it will extend laterally and will form into a cylindrical type.

Also as one uses iron (Earth) in its smelting and remember too, that sometimes due to the historical lack of iron in Indonesia, meteoric iron was used (Air) in the construction of the blade so it contains all elements in its birthing.

These blades like most Malay/Indonesian blades are used either in pairs or used holding the scabbard to parry and trap/hook and leaving the blade free to cut or thrust.

Again we see that "MO" again as the Black Cobra defensive postures re-appear in the Pedang use using the empty hand movement to momentarily distract the opponents vision and then using the blade to slash from a concealed position or posture.

Other weapons used or linked to "the Birds" are a longer and more sharply right angled version of the Karambit known locally as "Kuku Elang"(Eagles Claw") and a much smaller ring version known as"Kuku Ayam" (Chicken / Rooster Claw) which resemble the blades tied to the legs of roosters and chickens during "Cockfights" a popular sport all across South East Asia.

Naga (Mythical Dragon-Serpent)

No article on Malay/Indonesian weapons would be complete without mention of the mystical Keris/Kris.

(See below)

There's so much detail and history and magic wrapped up with this weapons its very hard to separate fact from fairytale with this beautiful weapon.

It is symposiums with the Malay people and while the academic arguments go back and forward on this weapon regarding its origin and history. I will try and stick to the facts as far as its use in strictly martial sense and leave the reader to research the rest at sites like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris

Keris the name, seems to have come from Java and may have originally been called "Nigiris" which means to stab or to wedge. "Kris" is the western rendition of the word “Keris”.

Keris where a symbol of free men and nobility a very valuable weapon passed on from father to son stretching back for many generations, hence some Keris are called "Pusaka" which roughly translates to "Heirloom"

Like the mystical Naga the keris carries in its design elements of all animals, blended and then drawn out to a perfect stabbing point, the very material of the pamour looks like a whirlpool of different elements swirling and fighting each other, yet like the Chinese symbol "Yin Yang" mutually supportive one cannot survive without the other.

Some very old keris where made from meteoric iron from fallen meteors, which were very prolific in the centuries past and the blades are said to contain a living spirit or presence, some good some bad.

There are many strange tales regarding these spirits and I have a had myself some very odd things happen while working with them (Which I wont mention in this medium)

Safe to say keris are very strange and you can’t just go and pick up any and use them, they're to be treated with respect and reverence it is said the keris finds the user not the other way around. like the naga the keris contains all animals, the abilities to stab, cut, snap-cut glancing slice and parry. These are not slashing weapons like the FMA War Kris, as the shape denotes it is primary a thrusting weapon, normally used in conjunction with the scabbard the thrust comes from ever changing and obscure angles hidden by the body and the scabbard to areas which are fatal one hit one kill.

Historically these where envenomed with a strong neurotoxin made from small poisonous spiders and worms so if the thrust missed the slightest scratch would be fatal.

Often times the parries and blocks are made simultaneously and the blade drawn only in very close range to make a lightning type blow and then returned to the scabbard; like a bolt of lightning striking and “earthing” when it reaches the ground symbolised by the Scabbard.

Also like the naga itself, which is a mystical serpent with the head or actually several heads of dragon (remember, that in eastern philosophies naga / dragons are considered bringers of great luck, good fortune! symbols of divine energy, nothing like the fire breathing monsters Christians demonized here in the west) they are beautiful mystical insubstantial beings that move through the clouds flowing snakelike and ever changing the keris is constantly moving high and low in a constant flow coiling and evading using parries and set ups like a chess master looking for that finishing move.

Keris where even used as a method of execution! the criminal was made to kneel down and the executioner would stand behind him to his left with a longer form of keris and with a single thrust would stab down between the clavicle bone and the trapezes muscle straight into the heart causing instant death, so precise and clinical was its thrust

In combat snap cuts are produced to arteries and vital targets as set ups but its strictly business no messing truly an advanced and beautiful weapon.

To us the naga is the mystical blending and BECOMMING of all animals and elements, so any weapon can be used with the mannerism its the mannerism and delivery system that counts.

Keris are said to contain their own spirit, imbued to them by the “Empu” (maker of the keris,) These supernatural weapons are referred to as “Keris Sakti”

I've had a very vivid experience with a particular keris, which was to powerful for me at the time and it let me know it. This particular one was, I believe used in an exorcism and I got a visual re-play of the whole event!

It’s said that particular entities (whom I wont mention here), fear keris and this explains why my keris may have been used in this way, and why we use them in our circle work

Once you get to the level of using the keris; spend time with it, talk to it, sleep with it meditate with it and after a while things will happen, trust me ;)

Thanks for staying with me through that one it was a long one and we didn’t even scratch the surface one could write entire volumes on each of these weapons and I just wanted to give a taste of the rich cultural heritage

of the Malay and Indonesian peoples.

We didn’t talk about the "lembing, Tombak; Menikam"(Spear), "Kapak"(Axe) "Sumpitan" (Blowpipe) "Busur" (Bow) and "Perisai""Agang"(Shield's) all weapons used by all tribal cultures all over the world.

 

 

Malay and Indonesian Terminology

Hello
I was written an offensive and angry comment from a gentlemen from, I guess Indonesia regarding the spelling of Malay and Indonesian words used on my blog recently in my article "Weapons of Pencak Silat".
I wont mention names , Im not that petty and to be honest the comment was so angry and offensive that I wont warrant him a personal reply.

So instead, in response I thought I would just state for the record that the terminology I use comes from either my Guru (Who is not of Malay or Indonesian decenthimself, but as studied under Gurus of both) or from my relentless research on the subjects I write about.

Whilst I currently study Cimande which is from West Java, Indonesia; where I sadly do not have the Indonesian word, (which can anyway in spelling from region to region), I had /have chosen to use the colloquial Malaysian word, hence the slight difference in some spellings for example "Kuching" (Malay for Cat) I wrote "Kuchin"! "Kucing" in Indonesian same root word.

So because I missed a "g" of the end I got a page full of racist abuse!
Second example I wrote "Sawa" for Python he said it should be Sawa"h" in Indonesian
One letter missing a page full of hate!

I use Malay for a number of reasons , one that its a LOT easier to find Malay spellings than Indonesian ones and secondly its a more widly spoken lanaguage in South East Asian than Indonesian and so , my hope was to use this as a "Lingua Franca" so that more people would understand the spelling.

I do apologise for any offence caused to anyone from Indonesia, I hope that unlike the person that wrote to me, you will understand the Content of my writing and I hope this is more important than the mis-spelling of some words.

Im sadly not South East Asian, and here in the Western World those , like me who love the cultures both Malay and Indonesian, that birthed these beautiful arts must take what we can glean from many sources, as South East Asians can (Not allways, but some can) be unwilling to share their wonderful art, especially to non Muslims.

I hope this clears the subject up, so please if you are reading from Indonesia or Malaysia and spot an error, made not in offence, but through lack of native culture please point it out, and except my apologises in advance, Im human and make mistakes just like everyone elseregardless of origin.
Again,there's no need to get angry and spout abuse, Im trying to share and learn about your beautiful culture, so we should be treated at least, with some modicum of respect.

And to the gentlemen who wrote me, if you want to re-comment in a less angry, offensive and racist manner, with your corrections I will of course be happy to ammend them.
Anger is whats tearing this wonderful art and more to the point,this beautiful world apart. lets stop it and help eachother learn together.

Till next time.
Thanks =)

Many thanks.

"One drill to rule them all"

Hello again.
I just thought I'd post this little ditty.
This is a drill we've been playing with for a good few years now and thought as it’s an invaluable tool to any art that you all should take a look.
Its essentially the Filipino Higut Hubud drill which although comes from a FMA background is one of the best sensitively drills I've come across and coming from a strong FMA background I still teach it in our class.

That said, we have similar movements in Pencak Silat there just applied a little differently.
From this drill as you can see, one can put a simple kick for kick drill into the Pananjakman Jab Cross drill bridging from this into the Higut proper.

In this range we can "Bolt on" any of our own sensitivity drills from Silat or Kungfu ie (Chi-sau) hands and leg! and if one wanted to close down further into "Pushing Hands" from Taiji-Quan (Tai Chi Chuan).

In this way we can train with a little more contact and realism, especially if we pad up and actually work these brilliant drills with a little bit of force.
This way we get the realism of striking and being struck with force and speed from a moving target into the sensitively of these "trapping drills" and into grappling and footwork, covering all ranges of combat from kicking to the floor in one drill!
Like the title it becomes One drill to rule them all, training one drill which is really training four or five great drills at same time, but with an element of realim and "Pressure"

Unshown in the clip we could add in the Thai clinching drill after Higut and from the clinch go to the floor and even from floor to standing again!

The drill's origins are not anywhere near as important as the attributes one gains from it and in working 30 mins of this drill you save time working a dozen separate drills.

So enjoy the clip and will post another showing the Thai angles throws and groundwork from this drill next time.

Play hard Train safe =)

More Monkey Business

Hello again.
Thought I'd post a couple of more class clips.
This one again, looks at Monyet hand entries this is just an entry idea
Remember your looking at a small snippet trained in isolatation which allows us to put a bit of power into the technique
follow-ups are left to the individual.
Go play ;)

The Weapons of Pencak Silat

(1) Tools of the Trade

Hello again everyone.
Over the last few articles I've talked briefly about weapons used in different mannerisms
I like to focus this article directly on that subject.
Which weapons are associated with which animal and why?

First no one weapon is solely associated with one particular animal, there's a lot of overlap, even the Pedang or longer sword normally associated in Cimande with the Blekok or Crane is also in some systems linked to the Ular.

So I'd like to look at this subject in some detail and hopefully help clear up some of the confusion and misnomers

I'd firstly like to present the animals in no particular order and firstly go through main and secondary weapon links and then perhaps illustrate
some of the overlaps in a little more detail.

Harimau / Matjan/ Pamatjan / Kuchin (The Cats)


One of the most famous weapons linked with the Harimau and the other cat systems is, of course the Karambit sometimes spelled Kerambit or Karombit.



Said to mimic the design of the Cats natural, attack and defence weapon the claw.
The Kerambit is in my mind, the king of all close range weapons nothing beats it at its range.

Its concealable (Not that I advocate this in anyway) it cannot be removed from the hand, without cutting off the hand! its stab is far more powerful than a normal knife due to the alignment with the wrist and elbow
"casting" the Kerambit can cause very powerful and deadly snap cuts
The ring can be used offensively in a knuckle type striking attack, its blade design means it is excellent for hooking and controlling, while cutting remember all true Karambits are double edged!
The points inner curve is beautiful as an extraction tool for tendons, ligaments and eyes etc.

But even the Karambit is liked to other animals like the Monyet!
In some styles the Karambit is solely used by the Monyet which I never understood until I began training with the Monyet mannerism, now it makes TOTAL sense.
Like the Harimau and more like the Matjan the Monyet works at zero range its evasiveness is an excellent compliment to the Karambit
The jumps and stamps allow the Monyet practioner to produce more powerful snap cuts especially when casting; and the fluidity means the blade never stops until it meets bone and then a stamp can help remove it.

Monyet bridges well to the Harimau using the Kera / Mawas allows you to attack the same lowline targets as the Matjan and then move down further towards Mother Earth and the Harimau proper.

Also our beautiful friend the Sawa has Kerambit affinities, there's even a python griping method,



Which emulates the reverse curve of a Sawa's tooth designed for biting and holding its prey firm so it can roll over its own head entwine and constrict and crush its prey.


As you can see from this picture of a Pythons skull the teeth hook back the oposite way mimiced perfectly by the karambiot in this grip.
Its also not a huge leap to see parallels with fast casting with a heaven grip and the repeated "Pecking" of a birds beak which takes us into the Blekok and bird mannerisms!

As you can see one weapon as a lot of animal affinities even one so sin ominous with the Harimau.

Also in some Silat styles especially the more Chinese influenced we have the Golok linked to the Harimau due to its short powerful slashing curve



This link will take you to an amazing Guru of the Golock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAoPEJUBL2w

Other blades associated with the Harimau and Matjan are the fearsome Kuku-Matjan



And lastly some people believe there is a link between Harimau and the equally brutal looking weapon known as the Cluerit.



This beautiful weapon evolved out of an agricultural tool on the island of Madura
And to my knowledge the only connection to the Harimau, comes from its shape
which could be likened, to a larger Karambit, but the connection is only visual as it also looks like the type of sickle used to cut long grass.
all over South East Asia.

Ular Sendok (Cobra) and Sawa (Python)



As anyone who as read my article on the Ular mannerism will know this is one of my favourite mannerisms, especially the Sawa or Python !
and while one should not try to focus to much on any one in particular it is hard not to; as individuals will naturally gravitate to particular
mannerism which fit either our physics
or just simply resonates with us more so than other mannerisms, but like I said not always easy ;)

The weapons associated with the Ular are the Pisau or knife in general (Pisau are small curved blades like a western Fruit / Butter knife)



These can be used devilishly at zero range and like the animal namesake move in a fluid rapid darting manner.
it fits so well with our long and short elbow shields and black cobra defensive movements circular, triangular and square.

Again it can be easy concealed behind a cobra fist and before the opponent knows what happened he's lacerated and bleeding out
which also mimics the effects of the Sendok and other vipidS Hemotoxin, which cause severe internal bleeding as it destroys the muscles and soft tissues braking down the "factor 7" in the blood which stops it clotting and causes the incredible swelling
suffered as a result of say a rattlesnake bite due to internal bleeding.

Also linked to the Ular mannerism is the Kanching Stick

this weapon, traditionally a "four fist stick" due to the correct length
of the stick. This also mimics the fluid but rapid, darting off-timing point striking of the Ular especially in the Ular gripping method used for darting energy and blood point thrusting attacks.

I will come back to the Kanching stick in more detail in another article devoted to it coming soon.

Again we see this thing I've coined "MO"or"Mannerism Overlap! the movements of the long sword Pedang or Padan, Padang and some of the Golock movements
contain "Black Cobra" movements even though these longer often straight blades are normally linked to the Blekok or Crane.
Theres even a Sawa grip for the Karambit! using the blade in a reverse hook imitating the reverse curve to a pythons tooth (Shown aready)which helps it hook into prey and hold it still while it coils around its own head and constricts its prey
This grip is used exactly the same way as the tooth hooking into the flesh the reverse curve either hooks into or under muscle or bone so that the prey / opponent cant move while you cut something more vital again as Sawa going for the neck.

What we have to remember in all this; is the weapon should NOT become the mere movement of a stick or blade but an extension of the hand;
which in turn is nothing more than an extension of our core "us" the delivery system.
Its the attitude of the mannerism, that makes the difference where the crude mechanical motor movements may be the same.

The Sarong can even be used as a wrapping and choking weapon in keeping with the attitude of the Sawa, again more on this latter
but its enough to say for now, that a weapon like the Sarong works beautifully for trapping entwining and choking or constricting
its prey.

Leaving the snakes we come now to my other favourite the "King of the Swing"

Monyet (Monkey) Maiass, Mawas, Orang-utan, Kera (Ape)



As I hope you've already read in my last article "Primal Spirit" Animal Magic 3 the Monyet and its subsystems belong to the element of Water
If you have'nt read this article I would recommend going back and reading it first as it will help you understand more about this complex mannerism.

Like the multi skilled and curious monkey this mannerism utilises a lot of different weapons and strategies
Not only in the expression of the Monyet and its movements but also in the "mimicry" of the other animals movements which is a great taster for things to come when we
step into the Naga part of out training where we allow the mannerism s to become one synergistic blending rather than a simple changing from one animal to another.
the Naga is all elements, all animals blended into the fifth animal "Man"

The Monyet could pick up any weapon and through either Monyet movements or the mimicry of another mannerism use that weapon without stepping or shape-shifting
out of mannerism.

That said weapons normally associated with Monyet are the deadlist of all bladed weapon’s (in my opinion as shared by many including William Sanders and the late Pendekar Eddie Jaffery) my favourite! the Kujang.



The Kujang will again get its separate article (As its my fav ;) but for now think of it as wicked combination of
2 Karambits (laid back to back) a chisel a saw a can opener an extraction tool an axe and a hammer all in one blade!
how could it not be the best!
A veritable "Swiss army knife" only thousands of years old, predating even the Indo-Hindu expansions into South East Asia.

Also linked to Monyet is again with the "MO"! the Pisau and Kanchin. While these weapons work well with the rapid slippery Ular they also really work well with the monyets fluid continuously rolling movements
like waves relentlessly pounding a shoreline the "tools" (as thats what all weapons are essentially) are simply used differently dictated by the animals attitude
evasive and passive slipping rolling closer until "BAMB"! the waves come in like a mighty tsunami whever this be with a pisau or a kanchin or empty hands the results are devastating.

As I touched on briefly in the last article on Monyet the longer poles Tongat Panjang and Tongat Satenga have also always been, associated with the monkey.



From all over South East Asia the monkey and the staff are fondly linked thanks to the "Legend of the Monkey King" and "The Journey West"
Stones (either thrown or hidden in sarongs and used as a clubbing manner) and the Cabang also have links to the
majestic "Old man of the Forest".

Pukulan Cimande Pencak Silat’s “Elbow Shields”

(Click picture for close up)

Shielding of the Upper Body

One of the main features of Pencak Silat is the often abstract flowing hand movements. Most martial artists fail to understand the function of this. The flowing movements are to act as interceptors to the attackers strikes and to work as a decoy by funnelling the attackers strikes into a certain chosen target area for the defender to deal with either with by hit trapping, hard blocking, locking or with his own series of strikes towards the attackers hands, wrists forearms etc...

There are 4 main interception patterns that the persilat uses

1) The triangle (marked in red)

2) The figure 8 (mark in Yellow)

3) The circle (marked in Green)

4) The square (marked in Black)

The diagonal black lines represent the open hand decoy opening position one high and one low

These patterns allow the silat player to create a shield in front of his body, in much the same way window wipers are use on the car windscreen. Do they stop all strikes, no but they will connect with 70 - 80% of all strikes delivered towards the defender. Once intercepted the defender learns to destroy the attacker limbs so he cant use it again. This form of training helps students to learn to keep their hands up so they can protect the upper parts of their body.

You may notice the shielding describe here has no protection to the legs, that is another topic, which we deal with in another post, but in Pencak Silat the hands protect the body and face and the legs protect the lower body. If you look at the patterns you will notice very few parts of the body exposed.

When learning this at start practise slow and flowing, getting your body to move, add in your decoys, than when comfortable add in your strikes coming from the shield. We be working on this over the few weeks in class and feel free to ask questions if needed.

Originally posted by Guru Besar Liam Mc Donald on Monday, March 30, 2009