Kedah Sultan launches book on keris

Steeped in tradition: Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’ad­zam Shah putting a keris into its sheath to officially launch the ‘Semangat Keris Melayu’ book at the auditorium of the state public library at Jalan Kolam Air in Alor Setar yesterday.

With him are the Kedah Royal House Association chairman Datuk Tengku Zainol Rashid Tengku Yahya and Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.

The book, written by Emil Bahari, is being sold at RM25 per copy. An exhibition on keris was also held at the library.

Congratulations to my old university-mate, Emil Azril Bahari for his coup de grace in publishing this long awaited book. At least I know my copy will be an autographed one.

Sourced from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/25/nation/20090225084736&sec=nation

PESAKA BESET WITH INTERNAL PROBLEMS

Persatuan Silat Kebangsaan Malaysia (Pesaka), the national sports association (NSA) for silat sports, is beset with internal problems so much so it has affected selection of players for the Laos SEA Games, which will take place in December.

"We have not had a systematic selection process for over two years now and hardly know what is happening in the states. This is a disaster, a lot of our plans have also been derailed," Pesaka assistant secretary-general Bahrain Ibrahim told Bernama.

He said this was the result of an internal power struggle in the association and hoped the Sports Commissioner would step in to put things right.

As a last resort, he said, if the problem was not settled, Pesaka planned to send the juniors from the Silat Development Camp in Kuantan to compete in Vientiane.

Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-36859720_ITM

Martial art a way to keep youths occupied

The traditional martial art should be developed into a living heritage to keep youngsters occupied during their free time.

Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas said the traditional martial art, regardless of racial affiliation, would be a platform to inculcate good values and strengthen unity among the people.

“Martial art is not meant for terrorism and violence,” said Abdul Rahman.

“Instead, it is meant to discipline oneself and instil the values of respect and care among the members.

Members of the Seni Silat Pusaka Warisan striking a pose during the self-defence demonstration.

“Our children now are more pre-occupied with computer games and watching television, and they should be encouraged to take up martial art as an outdoor activity,” he said when launching the Persatuan Seni Silat Cekak Malaysia Universiti Sains Malaysia 33rd anniversary Warrior Night recently.

USM Seni Silat association members later gave action-packed performance, captivating the crowd with their splendid martial art skills.

The Taekwondo exponents, who also gave an equally brilliant performance, impressed the crowd with their wood-breaking feat using their fists and legs.

The Warrior Night project director Ahmad Hafizal Hakim Mohd Shahar said the event was aimed at showcasing the rich-ness of the Malay traditional culture to fellow Malaysians.

Sourced from http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/2/18/north/3218767&sec=north

Learn Silat The Jamal Way

SEREMBAN, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysians check this out! The host of a martial arts programme on German television, "Karate For My Life" is a man born in Rasah, Negeri Sembilan 60 years ago.

Jamal Measara who stands at 5 feet and 9 inches is not a personality in Malaysia but is well known abroad right from the United Kingdom to Japan for he is a karate Grand Master to some 80,000 martial arts students worldwide.

Jamal, the son of a former British soldier, started to make a mark in the art of self-defence when he won the Malaysian Karate Championship in 1970.

He later represented the country and won the South Pacific crown at the Kyokushinkai Full Contact Championship.

The grand master in karate and aikido, Jamal established the Bavarian Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate Association, Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate Union of Germany and European Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate Association in Europe.

Silat Melayu
Recently, Bernama had the opportunity to meet Jamal and a television crew from Finland that shot scenes of a documentary on the Melayu art of self-defence, silat, and the Indian silambam.

According to Jamal, silat and silambam drew the interest of many martial arts enthusiasts in Europe.

He said, the Europeans are very keen to learn silat and silambam. At times they are more Asian than the Asians themselves.

"It's really a shame to say that they take martial arts from us and modified them. In Europe, they are now practising yoga and everybody is practising the likes of silat, taekwondo and karate. When they completed the class, they still want to come again", said Jamal.

Not a sport
Jamal expressed his unhappiness upon seeing that despite there are many martial arts schools in Malaysia, most of the students are children. "If there are adults among the students, they would stop (attending the classes) once they reach their mid 30s", he said.

Jamal is also despondent over what he saw as the martial arts being 'commercialised' and said the art of self-defence should not be treated as a form of sports.

This had 'spoilt' the martial arts and today it is difficult to find the true form of karate and silat, said Jamal.

"Grapping is allowed in martial arts and you can hit your opponent with your knee and butt and all these are perfect self defence techniques for the streets but in the sport version, they have so many rules and all these techniques are taken away...so where is the martial arts value?", he said.

Now, activists of these martial arts are more interested in money and fame, and ultimately the fine aspects of these arts would be lost, said Jamal.

Only aikido manages to retain its 'authenticity' as this art has never been made a sport, he added.-- BERNAMA

Written by Shahrullizan Rusli
Sourced from http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsfeatures.php?id=387278

Penubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Gabungan Pulau Pinang

Pada hari Ahad, 18hb. Januari 2009 bertempat di Penang Golf Resort, Bertam, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang telah berlangsung satu majlis penuh adat-istiadat Melayu iaitu Majlis Perasmian Penubuhan Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Gabungan Daerah-Daerah Negeri Pulau Pinang & Majlis Penganugerahan Sandang dan Bengkung Kegurulatihan Silat Seni Gayong.

Majlis yang berlangung dari jam 2.15 hingga 5.00 petang itu dan dihadiri oleh lebih 150 orang jemputan khas telah disempurnakan oleh Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Zainal Abidin Osman, Penasihat Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah (KKLW) merangkap Ketua UMNO Bahagian Nibong Tebal.

Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Daerah-Daerah (SPU, SPT, SPS, TIMUR LAUT, BARAT DAYA) di negeri Pulau Pinang telah didaftarkan semula dengan Pejabat Pesuruhjaya Sukan Malaysia dibawah Akta Pembangunan Sukan 1997.

Sehubungan dengan itu pihak Jawatankuasa Gabungan telah berusaha mengatur strategi dan merancang aktiviti bagi menggerak serta mengiatkan semula aktiviti Silat Seni Gayong di negeri Pulau Pinang.

Selain daripada bertujuan memperkenalkan semula serta mempromosi Silat Seni Gayong di negeri Pulau Pinang diantara objektif utamanya ialah untuk menyediakan platform bagi menjana aktiviti sihat dikalangan golongan remaja dan belia disamping meneruskan kesinambungan khazanah warisan bangsa. Adalah juga menjadi harapan pihak jawatankuasa agar Silat Seni Gayong dan lain-lain Silat Melayu menjadi salah satu wadah perpaduan orang-orang Melayu.

Pada Majlis tersebut, tujuh orang pemimpin masyarakat Pulau Pinang yang terdiri daripada ahli politik dan tokoh korporat telah dianugerahkan Sandang Kehormat Mahkota Bintang Pelangi:

· YBHG DATO’ ZAINAL ABIDIN OSMAN
· YB TN HJ MUHAMAD FARID SAAD
· YBHG DATO’ ABDUL RAHIM SAIBU
· YB DATO’ ROSLAN SAIDIN
· YBHG DATO’ HELMI RASHID
· YB DATO’ MAHMUD ZAKARIA
· YBSH EN MOHD NADZIR HJ MANSOR

Sandang-sandang kehormat telah disampaikan oleh Yang Di Hormati Toh Kohor Alam Brigadier Jeneral (B) Dato’ Hj Ahmad Fuad Bin Hj Harun, Orang Besar 32, Negeri Perak Darul Ridzwan.

Sandang-sandang Waris Beradat dikurniakan kepada dua belas orang murid-murid lama Silat Seni Gayong Pulau Pinang yang membentuk Lembaga Waris Beradat Negeri dan Bengkung serta Sandang Kegurulatihan dianugerahkan kepada lima belas orang Gurulatih dan Jurulatih lama dan baru yang membentuk Majlis Gurulatih Negeri.

Sandang Waris Beradat disampaikan oleh YBhg Pn Hjh Fadhilah Bt Dato’ Meor Abdul Rahman yang merupakan waris Allahyarham Dato’ Mahaguru dan Sandang serta Bengkung Kegurulatihan disampaikan oleh Yg Bsh Cikgu Ahmad Ismail, Gurulatih Utama Silat Seni Gayong.

Cikgu Ahmad Ismail turut menerima Bengkung Kegurulatihan tertinggi didalam Silat Seni Gayong iaitu Bengkung Hitam Harimau Pelangi Cula Sakti (Cula VI) daripada Pn Hjh Fadhillah.

Selain daripada itu, bagi mengenang jasa-jasa beliau didalam mengembangkan Silat Seni Gayong di seluruh negara khususnya di Pulau Pinang, Cikgu Ahmad Ismail telah di hadiahkan sebilah keris berlok tujuh, berpamor Beras Wutah, berwarangka Jogja dari Jawa Timur.

Oleh: Mohd Mamsin

Congratulations to Datuk Haji Maideen Kadir Shah

Silat Melayu: The Blog would like to congratulate the honourable Datuk Haji Maideen Kadir Shah, Vice President of Persatuan Seni Silat Cekak Malaysia on his conferment of the Darjah Kebesaran PANGLIMA MAHKOTA WILAYAH (PMW) by His Royal Highness Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin which carries the title of 'Datuk'.

He was conferred the honour at the Istana Negara in conjunction with the 35th Anniversary celebrations of Federal Territory Day on 2nd February 2009.

Datuk Haji Maideen was one of the late Ustaz Hanafi's original students and played an important role in bringing Silat Cekak Malaysia back to the fore after the controversial leadership crisis of 1993.

Tari Silat Suatu Cerita

Tari Silat Suatu Cerita
Hidup Dan Mati Bukti Taruhan
Perinya Indah Namun Gempita
Tujuan Menegak Kebenaran

Hidup Dan Mati Bukti Taruhan
Ruh Dan Jasad Tumpuannya Satu
Tujuan Menegak Kebenaran
Itu Resmi Pendekar Melayu

Ruh Dan Jasad Tumpuannya Satu
Pada Yang Satu Ilahi Rabbi
Adat Dan Adab Menjadi Laku
Allahumma, Ridhoka Matlubi

Ustaz Saiful Muhammad
24 November 2008