Keris in Silat Telapak Nusantara

In Silat Telapak Nusantara, the keris plays a very important role. It signifies the higher levels of the physical techniques and symbolises the key to opening the spiritual side of silat or kebatinan. Keris is considered a weapon which in turn contains within it multiple weapons or functions. Every inch of the keris is used fully: from the blade, the handle to the sheath, every single part.

It is considered as the earliest 'extension' of the hand before a student learns any other kind of weapon. When holding a keris, one is considered to have extended one’s limbs. It is not treated as a foreign object. It can be use to stab, slice, slash and block; and can be a very versatile weapon of offense and defense.

The first lesson of keris in Pertubuhan Seni Silat Telapak Nusantara Malaysia comes from “Bunga Bongsu” or “Silat Pengantin”. A set of form called “Keris Kosong” inside “Bunga Bongsu” is trained with such details. One must feel all the movements, seen and unseen, coming from the “Keris Kosong”.

There are many variations for hands movements that must be understood and felt. All these variations have different results in reality of applications. There are also various body and limb movements. One must feel even the slightest movement while practicing. When one’s understanding deepens, not moving must also be considered as movement.

There are also many physical and spiritual philosophies that must be applied. Breathing techniques are also essential. There are many physical, semi-spiritual and spiritual practices that must be understood and applied in perfecting one’s keris skill. When one acquires a complete understanding of keris, one can fully utilise it from tip to toe, from handle to sheath, from the blade to the “ganjah”.

Many masters use the keris as a metaphor for the human body due to its many uses, uniqueness and functions. When attacking, a keris can inflict a lot of damage to many target areas with just one movement. The handle and the sheath can be made as very good defence tools or shields to block or parry enemy attacks; either empty handed or armed.

The handle and sheath can also function very well as a dangerous weapon of attack. Some keris masters carve their handle and sheath from extremely hard wood or very fine and hard metal. This will not only make their keris look very exotic but also enable their handles and sheaths with weapon qualities. In our school's style, keris techniques are mastered to tame the keris and not to worship it. There are many cultural and Islamic manners that must be implied in it.

After mastering the “Keris Kosong”, one must train in duel the “Keris Sanggah Satu” techniques. This is the first details of the “Keris Kosong”. Instead of using only one keris for both exponent in “Keris Kosong” technique, one keris for each exponent will be used in “Keris Sanggah Satu”. Both exponents will be train to use keris against each other simultaneously.

The blade is the first part of keris to be used in “Keris Sanggah Satu” followed by other part of the keris in the next lesson. There will be 3 levels in “Keris Sanggah” or “Sanggah Keris”. Each level is unique and will emphasise different aspects of keris utilisation while perfecting the previous level. It is said that taming a keris and its techniques signify a tamed nafs or oneself or one’s desire toward Allah (swt) with the Sunnah or the way of the Prophet Nabi Muhammad (saw).

Written by Ustaz Saiful Muhammad, guru utama Silat Telapak Nusantara Sourced from http://silat-melayu.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-keris

Looking for Distributors for SMC products

Silat products business opportunity
Are you looking for a straightforward venture, that needs no large capital but with a high income and no risk? I hereby invite all Silat Melayu: The Blog readers to be sales agents of SilatMelayu.Com (SMC) for our very first product, a 'Weapon' themed T-Shirt (thus making you our sales agent for all subsequent products)

What you will get
As our Distributor, you will be mailed an SMC Distributor Pack which includes the following:

Front

Back

• Almost 25% commission from every T-Shirt sale
• 1 x Keris T-Shirt sample (free)
• 1 x SMC Letter of Distributor Appointment
• 1 x Distributor Guidebook
• Prize giveaway for the Distributor with the highest T-Shirt sales before 1 June 2009: One copy of the English-language book ‘Silat Tua: The Malay Dance of Life’ autographed by the authors Zainal Abidin Shaikh Awab and Nigel Sutton.

Registering as a Distributor
Distributor registration will be open until 1 May 2009. Please follow the steps below:

1. Deposit the registration fee of RM25 under the the following name Mohd Nadzrin bin Abdul Wahab to either bank account:

• (CIMB 1438 000 638 6528) or
• (Maybank 1142 7117 825 1)

2. Email the following details to silatmelayu@gmail.com: (atau sms them to 016-3085 789)

• Full name:
• MyKad No:
• Full address (for posting of t-shirt sample):
• Email address:
• Phone no:
• Date & time of deposit:
• Account fee deposited into (CIMB or Maybank):
• T-Shirt size: XL/XXL/XXXL:

3. Your application will take 2 weeks to process. If after 14 days you do not receive your Distributor Pack, please call 016-3085 789.

Delayed Games allows athletes time to buff up

Indonesian coaches have seized on the postponement of the inaugural Asian Martial Arts Games as a great chance to further hone skills, saying it would allow more time for athletes to undergo fight tryouts.

The games have been rescheduled from April 25-May 3 to June 6-14, in the wake of the political instability in the host city Bangkok, Thailand, where more than 100 people were injured and a handful killed in the past week. The postponement was announced earlier this week after a discussion between Thailand's National Sports Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

"We look at 'the delay' as a positive thing. The postponement of the championship will give us more time to buff up the physical endurance of our athletes," Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (IPSI) deputy chairman Oyong Karmayuda told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Coach Indro Catur Haryono said, "The additional time is an ideal period for the athletes to experience some kind of tryout or simulation with other potential fighters."

He has been training the six pencak silat athletes who will compete at the games, at the Padepokan Pencak Silat Hall at the Indonesian Miniature Park (TMII) in East Jakarta.

The six - Pengki Simbar, Ni Nyoman Suparniti and Sofani in the women's division, and Lutfan, Pujo Janoko and Komang Wahyu in the men's division - are expected to reign at the championship as Indonesia looks to grab the most gold medals in the pencak silat event.
Indro said he hoped the tryouts could be performed with either fighters from Vietnam and Malaysia, or other top Indonesian fighters.

"The tryouts are important to maintain the intensity of the exercises they have been performing in the past several weeks," he added.

Madju Dharyanto Hutapea, chief of the martial arts national training camp, said Indonesia would stage an International Martial Arts Friendship Games in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, as a result of the postponement.

Fifteen countries from Southeast Asia and Australia are expected to participate in the May 17-19 event. None of the countries have confirmed yet.

Fairus quits Penanti seat, issues ultimatum to Anwar

After weeks of speculation, former Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin has quit his Penanti state seat, paving the way for a possible by-election.

He also took aim at PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, issuing an ultimatum through a Chinese daily: Help him clear his name or risk the exposure of a state and party scandal.

His resignation comes less than a week after he officially stepped down from the state’s No 2 post following allegations of his involvement in illegal activities with local quarry operators.
In a press statement, he said that he would now focus on his post-graduate studies and on clearing his name from the allegations hurled against him.

In an immediate response, the Election Commission said it was awaiting official notification of Fairus’s as Penanti assemblyman.

Its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said the Commission would only start to look into the resignation and the possible by-election once it was officially informed of the resignation.

He said the state assembly speaker would usually notify the state Commission office of a vacancy or it could also be contacted by the representative involved, DHARMENDER SINGH reports.

“As yet, we have not received any notification to the effect from the Penang state assembly speaker or our state office so are unable to confirm the facts,” he said when contacted in PUTRAJAYA.

He said however that if Fairus had indeed quit then a by-election would be held to elect a new representative to replace him.

He said the commission’s machinery was always ready and would be able to handle another by-election if there was a need for one.

Falling star
Mohammad Fairus shot to stardom after the March 2008 general election on the strength of his confidence, extensive academic training and gift for languages. The double Masters degree holder has however been plagued by controversy after controversy since September last year.

After just six months on the job as Penang’s youngest ever Deputy Chief Minister, he was given a very public tongue-lashing by Anwar for apparently neglecting his constituency.

The young leader was humbled before Permatang Pauh PKR Wanita members during a breakfast gathering and later passed off the incident as a result of being publicity-shy with his activities and working with the wrong team of people.

He was dealt another strong blow later that month when the Football Association of Penang (FAP), which he was helming, called an emergency meeting to ask him to step down.

Mohammad Fairus, a former national athlete and silat (Malay martial arts) trainer, was accused of repeatedly postponing meetings and allowing the association’s coffers to dry up, resulting in state players not being paid for four months.

Under his watch, FAP -- running the oldest domestic league in the country -- was suspended for a month in July due to financial constraints.

He resigned his FAP post in October, which was later taken up by Penang PKR chairman Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim.

In November, state Opposition members weighed in, calling for his resignation for under-performing.

Each time he faced such an obstacle, the charismatic former freelance human resource and corporate development consultant put on a brave front, saying his accusers were only “jealous” of his position and abilities.

Online reports quoting a few of his former aides and noting the high turnover of staff in his office painted a picture that he was difficult to work with.

A report also surfaced saying that Anwar had given him and fellow PKR state executive councillor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim a stern warning to bury the hatchet.

In late January, Mohammad Fairus, Abdul Malik and fellow PKR state executive council member Law Choo Kiang were dropped from the party’s liaison committee line-up.

Then Mohammad Fairus was stripped of the State Religious Affairs portfolio, which was given to Abdul Malik, in early February.

In March, PKR began investigating allegations that two party leaders were working hand-in-glove with several quarries in the state to cover up illegal activities. His name repeatedly came up.

While maintaining his innocence, Mohammad Fairus tended his resignation from the state government to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on March 21; it became effective on April 8.

Sourced from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/16/nation/20090416141405&sec=nation

A tribute to silat

There is nothing more satisfying than doing something one is passionate about.
For Mat Ali Mat Som, who has a passion for everything about silat – a traditional martial art of the Melayu archipelago – being able to share it is a satisfaction he cannot describe in words.
Not only has he learnt the martial art, and studied its history and moves, he is now sharing his sculptures based on the art.

Artist and his work: Mat Ali imitating the silat move featured in his sculpture entitled
`Pipit Patah Sayap’, which is on display at Metro Fine Art Gallery.

The artist is currently holding a solo exhibition at Metro Fine Art Gallery, in Legend Hotel until April 18.
Entitled Dendam Tak Sudah (Neverending Grudge), the show features 21 pieces of his metal sculptures created in the past two years.
In addition to the sculptures, the exhibition also features drawings and sketches of the keris series for this exhibition.
According to Mat Ali, the keris is both symbolic and a weapon for silat. The techniques and styles used for the sculptures are similar to the art of keris-making.
For the 34-year old artist, it all started with the keris.
“I remember making my first metal sculpture – a keris – after watching a television documentary on the keris when I was 10 years old.
“I made the keris using an iron pipe in the garage of my parents’ home in Ampang.

Preliminary work: Sketches and drawings help the artist in his study of silat formations,
especially in capturing the details of the muscles in each move. This sketch was done using charcoal on canvas.

“Throughout the years, I have felt an excitement when I see the metal starting to take shape and becoming what I wanted it to be – just like when I was 10,” said the father of three.
According to Mat Ali, he chose the Melayu expression Dendam Tak Sudah to symbolise the endless struggle and burning desire to achieve one’s ambitions, or even simply to resolve conflict. He said it was not meant to imply violence as some might have thought.
He also explained that the term was no stranger in the Melayu heritage as it was also the name for the a tengkolok folding style.
“The basic silat philosophy is to forgive and not hurry to punish.
“The expression takes on the meaning of mystical artistic passion behind the fluid movements of this particular form of self-defence,” he said.
With titles such as Di Hulu Berkawan di Hilir Berlawan, Setiap Langkah Rahsia Setiap Serangan Mengena, Gerak Kilat Elak Jika Sempat, Sepu Sendi and Anak Harimau, these works show in detail and without any awkwardness, the steps and formations in the martial art.
To produce the sculptures, Mat Ali, who is a silat practitioner himself, started with photographs, which he later transformed into sketches to incorporate his own ideas on the image.

Eye for detail: The artist has a fascination for details, not only concerning the silat moves
but also in the muscle movements and bulging veins, as in this sculpture.

Then he would add the details before producing a master sculpture using clay.
“I have to make a mould of the piece, into which I would later pour the molten metals to produce the sculpture.
“It is always a surprise to see how it looks when I open the mould,” said Mat Ali, who operates from his home in Johor.
Looking at the works, one will see minute details, from the keris to the life-like muscles and veins.
The muscles and bulging veins, especially on the hands and feet of the sculptures, evoke the impression that the silat practitioner is in a rage, or is anticipating something and ready to make his move.
Mat Ali said each piece took him about a month to complete. Metals such as tin, aluminium, zinc, iron, steel and various other alloys, were melted and then moulded into the shape that he wanted.
He said differences in the metal combinations used, temperature of casting and polishing produced different colours and textures in the sculptures.
Using more brass, for example, would give rise to lighter colours, compared with iron.
The recent hikes in the prices of metals had also affected his work production.
“I need at least RM5,000 just to get the metals for each piece of work, and that does not include all the creativity, effort and time spent,” he said, adding that the artworks, measuring about 30cm (one foot) each, were priced at an average of RM12,000. each.
Metro Fine Art is located on the ground floor, Legend Hotel, Jalan Putra, Kuala Lumpur, and is open from 11.30am to 5pm (Mondays to Fridays) and from 11am to 4pm on Saturdays. For details, call the gallery at 03-4042 2224.
Sourced from http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/4/16/central/3701908&sec=central

Thanh Hoa wins national pencak silat championship

Nhan Dan - After five years of anticipation, Thanh Hoa team has occupied the first position at the National Pencak Silat Championship 2009, concluded in Nghe An on April 7.

Martial artists helped Thanh Hoa win four golds included Dinh Cong Son (men's under 80kg category), Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy (women's under 55kg), Nguyen Van Hoang (men's 55kg) and Bui Van Doan (men's under 65kg). Thanh Hoa also secured two bronzes.

Hanoi team ranked second with three golds by Nguyen Viet Anh (men's individual demonstration), Le Dang Minh (men's under 90kg) and Nguyen Thi Nhung (women's under 75kg) together with four silvers and one bronze.

The Military team stood third with three golds, two silvers and three bronzes. The fourth position went to the People's Police team with three golds, one silver and three bronzes.

Sourced from http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/sport/080409/sport_t.htm

Indonesian pencak silat fighters looking to top medal tally

Indonesia hopes to seize the most gold medals from the country's own sport of pencak silat at the upcoming inaugural Martial Arts Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

"We have great potential to win the most medals in pencak silat," national training camp head Madju Daryanto Hutapea said Monday.

Indonesia's pencak silat team comprises three men's and three women's fighters, and Madju sees a clean sweep of gold as possible.

"Why not? Indonesia is the sport's country of origin," he said.

Indonesia's female fighters are Pengki Simbar, Ni Nyoman Suparniti and Sofani, while the men's squad includes Lutfan, Pujo Janoko and Komang Wahyu.

"However, we have to be very careful about the Vietnamese. They have good pencak silat fighters too," Madju said.

The Asian Martial Arts Games feature nine sports - karate, taekwondo, muay Thai, kickboxing, jiujitsu, judo, kurash, wushu and pencak silat.

Indonesia will take part in only five sports. Last week's national selection saw 35 fighters picked - seven karatekas, six pencak silat fighters, eight judokas, eight taekwondoins and six wushu fighters.

The games will run from April 25 to May 3, with participants from 43 Asian countries.
Indonesia is also pinning its medal hopes on Basuki Nugroho (taekwondo), Krisna Bayu and Yohanes Taslim (judo), as well as Donny Darmawan and Hendro Salim (karate).

Madju said they were expecting tough opposition from Korea, Iran, Japan, China and Kazakhstan.

He added he would not put too much pressure on the wushu fighters to win medals.
"Compared with the others, we are still lagging in producing quality wushu fighters," he said.

The National Sports Council (KONI) is expected to officially unveil the Indonesian contingent at a ceremony to be held at the Sempaja national training camp on April 16.

The contingent will depart for Thailand on April 22. Also going with the team are 10 referees with international licenses.

Written by Agnes Winarti
Sourced from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/07/ri-pencak-silat-fighters-looking-top-medal-tally.html

Silat man contests Bukit Gantang

Kamarul Ramizu Idris, the sole independent candidate for the Bukit Gantang seat, has forked out nearly RM100,000 for this by-election. And he is doing this to promote his yet-to-be-registered Parti Iman Se-Malaysia.

The 42-year-old entrepreneur said his brand of "spiritual politics" was important as people were obsessed and corrupted by the trappings of power.

"Win or lose is immaterial. I'm not worried about that. All I want is for my multi-racial party which promotes faith and spirituality to be known," he said. He is also unfazed that he will be losing at least one vote - from himself as he is not a registered voter. And the reason why he did not register was because he had yet to find a "true leader", he said.

"My role model is (Independent Pasir Mas MP) Datuk Ibrahim Ali because he is true to his principles. If I win, he will have me to accompany him," he added.

Despite being a virtual unknown and starting late in his campaigning - he only went campaigning on Monday - Kamarul is confident of getting at least 20,000 votes as Bukit Gantang is his "playground" because he was born and bred here.

He claimed that even his rivals were getting jittery over his progress with the voters."Maybe they are threatened by my concept, they are afraid that I will affect their votes," he said.

Clad in his velvet songkok and trademark sunglasses - "The glare is hurting my eyes," he says - Kamarul goes campaigning in his black Mercedes trailed by a convoy of six cars comprising volunteers from Persatuan Seni Silat Gayung Pusaka Malaysia, of which he is the 'khalifah' or sifu. Why did he pick the umbrella as his logo? "Because Taiping is the wettest town in Malaysia."

Written by Eileen Ng
Sourced from http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/NewsBreak/20090401161425/Article/index_html