Wisdom of the Ages - Pt. 1

Photo courtesy of Mohd Nadzrin Wahab

Below are some time-honored words of wisdom from the Indo/Malay martial arts tradition. Thanks to Bram, Kris, Nadzrin, Reno, et. al. Read and apply...


"Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat ada saatnya jatuh juga."
As clever as a squirrel jumps, there will be a time that it falls (traditional Malay).

"Alam takambang jadi guru"
Nature unfurls to become teacher (traditional Padang)

"Sura dira jaya ning rad lebur dening pangastuti."
The brave and strong and victorious in this universe disolve before the power of love. (old Jawanese)

"Aja adigang, adigung, adiguna"
Don't flaunt your strength, your size or your intelligence. (Old Jawanese)

"Aja dumeh."
Don't do some thing just because you can. (Old Jawanese)

"Tong kosong nyaring bunyinya"
Empty barrel makes loud noise. (Malay)

"Sadumuk batuk, senyari bumi, dibela tekan pati."
One touch of the forehead, one finger width of land, both must be defended till death. (Jawanese)

"Segenggam itu kepunyaan guru"
"The masters use only few"

"Kecik kecik tak nak mampus, dah besar menyusahkan orang"
"You better off dead while you were little".

*best said when you were doing a kuncian on your enemy *

"Kalau kail panjang sejengkal,dalam lautan jangan diduga"
"know your place"

"Gayung bersambut, kata berjawab"
An attack parried, a word replied; good begets good, evil begets evil.

"Gayung tua, gayung memutus"
Words of the wise are normally the right ones.

"Orang bergayung sama pandai, sama bak kundi atas dulang"
Both highly skilled; both warriors.

"Bersilat kepada si buta"
Performing silat for the blind. (Showing your skills for those who can't appreciate it.)

"Cakak sudah, silat teringat"
Silat recalled after the fight. (After the matter has been settled, then come the complaints.)

"Pendekar elak jauh"
A person who is very careful.

"Tidak ada pendekar yang tak bulus, tak ada juara yang tak kalah"
No pendekar has never missed, no champion has never lost.

"Bagai gembala diberi keris"
As a shepherd given a keris. (A useless gift.)

"Berapa panjang sarung begitulah kerisnya"
Long as the sheath is, so too is the keris. (Doing something within one's own limits.)

"Berkeras tidak berkeris"
Taking tough action but with no strength to defend oneself.

"Hujan emas perak di negeri orang; hujan keris lembing di negeri kita; baik juga di negeri kita"
Though it rains gold and silver in another land; and rains kerises and spears in ours, better be our own land.
(No matter how rich and prosperous another country is, your homeland is where you belong.)

"Jangan menghulurkan hulu keris ke tangan orang"
Never offer the hilt of your keris to another hand
(This is an actual taboo of silat, to avoid giving a keris hilt first, because the blade will naturally point to the giver, allowing a potential foe to draw the weapon and stab him - Never give power to another, he will destroy you.)

"Keris panjang berkeluk, ke mana bawa ke mana olok"
A person who can be used for any purpose.

"Keris pedang tiada tajam, lebih tajam mulut manusia"
Words are sharper than weapons.

"Keris tersisip di dinding, pedang tajam dalam sarungnya"
Keris hanging on the wall, a sharp sword kept in its scabbard. (Foolish actions.)

"Menyisip keris tak bersarung di pinggang"
Keeping an unsheathed keris at your side. (Raising a child without providing knowledge will eventually trouble his parents.)

"Patah lidah alamat 'kan kalah, patah keris alamat 'kan mati"
A broken tongue means loss, a broken keris means death.
(When the tools are gone, the task will never be completed.)