Silat Melayu Comparison

Below is a very brief breakdown of several styles of Silat Melayu found in Malaysia, compiled by my friend and brother Mohd Nadzrin Wahab:

Silat in Malaysia can generally be classified into styles that emphasise training in one of three aspects of Silat technique or a relative balance between them: Kuncian (locking), Pukulan (striking) and Buangan (throwing). They also have relative weapons training to develop or complement the empty handed skills.

1. Silat Telapak Nusantara
Technical breakdown- Locking: 33%, Striking: 33%, Throwing: 33%
Weapons- Keris, Pedang, Parang, Kain & Tongkat
Master/ Instructor- Ustaz Saiful Muhammad in Negeri Sembilan
 
2. Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9
Technical breakdown- Locking: 33%, Striking: 33%, Throwing: 33%
Weapons- Keris, Kerambit, Tumbuk Lada, Tongkat
Master/ Instructor- Guru Azlan Ghanie
 
3. Silat Sendeng Haji Hamid
Technical breakdown- Locking: 5%, Striking: 90%, Throwing: 5%
Weapons- Pedang, Tongkat, Tumbuk Lada, Tekpi, Keris
Master/ Instructor- Guru Jamaludin Shahadan
 
4. Silat Kuntau Tekpi
Technical breakdown- Locking: 50%, Striking 10%, Throwing: 40%
Weapons- Tekpi
Master/ Instructor- Cikgu Norazlan Abdul Wahid
 
5. Silat Kalimah
Technical breakdown- Locking: 40%, Striking 10%, Throwing: 50%
Weapons- None
Master/ Instructor- Guru Eusoff Ali (aka Pak Jauhari)
 
6. Silat Setiabakti
Technical breakdown- Locking: 10%, Striking: 80%, Throwing: 10%
Weapons- Tongkat, Parang, Kerambit
Master/ Instructor- Guru Dahlan Karim

Happy Mother's Day!

 Iyansan o ro nle*

O ro nle

Iyansan o ro nle mi’Oya

Obibni aye wu

Mbo kole ‘ya

Bembe ara wa, Ayiloda, bembe ara wa

Oya mesan e nu

O le le

Ase ke ‘se

Aya aro bo

Aya ara bo

Oh Mother of Nine, you gush into the house

You gush into the house

Oh Mother of Nine you gush into the house, breath of the Tearer

Foremost among Women who swells the World

Come not to burst the Home

Stoutness of Thunder comes, Revolver who twists to create, Stoutness of the Revolver who twists to create

Tearer of Nine, you clean

She is strong and capable

Homage finds homage, authority hails authority

The Wife of Thunder arrives

The Wife of Thunder arrives

* Translated from Yoruba by Jeff Davidson.  Dedicated with Love and Respect to my Mother.

Poetry Corner!

Illustration suggested by R.T.

Hi, Guro.  This "poem" came to me this morning.  I don't know why.  It's actually a little embarrassing but I thought you may want to read it.  I haven't written a poem in 15 years and even then they were English assignments.  Please enjoy and try not to laugh too hard!  I actually believe that nature is the best training hall.  However, I tried to put into words what I thought of the Bothoan Batangas and thought you'd get a kick out of it. 

 

Matt

 

 

Bothoan Batangas

 

Unassuming, I walk through the door

a child among warriors.

Thundering beats greet my ears.  Rhythmic sounds from far away lands.

Pipe tobacco.  An all familiar smell.  Welcoming.

Thinly carpeted floors protects the earth, not me.

Walls of heavy wood.  A strong core.  Never damaged.  Never breaking.

Weapons of war hang from these walls.  Where are they from?

They beg to clash steel and cut flesh just once more.

Flags of journeys.

Pictures of Masters.  Inspiration.  Aspiration.  Honor.  Deadly.  Teachers.

Ricky walks through the door.  Wine seeps into the earth for a fallen brother.

Coffee. 

A baston tree built lazily in the corner.  Be lazy.

The demon dog stares me down.  Make sure you belong.

Armor that does not protect constantly falling.

Windows covered for there are secrets here.

A Batangas knife spins and flashes here.

Wooden pain swings and tick-bangs here.

The Tekpi

hard, locking, breaking here.

Slow and smooth and fast

a Tiger lives here.

He shows me the Way.

DETROIT MAPHILINDO ON THE MOVE!

Hey everybody - exciting announcement here: Starting this very week we will be running 3 classes per week at the home of our friends The Detroit Jiu-Jitsu Academy!  The school is located at: 


13939 Michigan Ave., 
Dearborn, MI 48126

Our Kali and Silat classes at The Detroit Jiu-Jitsu Academy will be held from 7:30pm-9:00pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Everyone currently training with us in Oak Park is welcome to attend.

We brought Kali and Silat to the great city of Dearborn over ten years ago and we are very happy to be back in the groove on Michigan Avenue in our own HUGE training area complete with mats and plenty of room to swing a stick.  Park in the back and come right upstairs through our own entrance (next to the main door).  Need more info?  Call me at 248 981 7495.

See you in class!

Why is Jones Hitting the Bottle?

We're back from a T-E-R-R-I-F-F-I-C weekend at SMAF!  Stay tuned for details...

Seminars are GREAT

 

I had the pleasure of Guro Davidson’s teaching at several seminars.  I had been drawn to silat in high school because it seemed to offer much more complexity and subtlety than what I saw in the bulk of martial arts schools I had attended. I could tell from the movements in the silat system I began at that time, that there was much more to the art than was being taught--either because my instructors kept it to themselves or, more likely, had lost touch with the depth of their art and had homogenized it.  

 

After 7 years I felt I had learned relatively little of use, relatively little to differentiate it from any other run of the mill martial arts school save for some stylized movements in jurus whose martial application was neither practiced nor explained.   I chose to change arts but my desire to learn what I considered to be effective silat continued.  

 

That desire was first sated during seminars with Ka Jeff.  His instruction on those few occasions at seminars restored my hope that I may again find good instruction.   He is a very approachable, humble and inquiring martial artist and instructor and generous in his teaching approach.  I may very well have learned more from him about silat in a few hours than I had in the 7 years I spent training long ago.  He is a clean, crisp and sensitive/perceptive practitioner and his understanding and application of techniques is nuanced, subtle and precise.  Most importantly, he knows how to teach what he does.  

 

 He is also the only person I have seen teach an authentic african martial art--which was a pleasure to be introduced to.  And he learned it there, off the well-traveled path, doing it.   

 

His breadth of knowledge on Malaysian Silat, Kali, and African martial arts of Yoruba is impressive as is his ability to integrate them. Were it possible to make a daily 900 mile commute I would attend his school in a heartbeat.  If any serious martial artists need a reason to tour Detroit, Michigan, you’ve got one. 

Ed

Inspiration

 

He wraps himself in light as with a garment;

He stretches out the heavens like a tent

and lays the beams of His upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind 

- Psalm 104

We'll return shortly with some updates and observations!  Meantime...Stay Strong, Stay Inspired! - JD