Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9 in The Star Online

Indonesian Keris added to World Heritage list

Denpasar (ANTARA) - UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has named Indonesia`s "keris", a wavy-bladed ceremonial dagger, as a world heritage, Neka Ubud Museum director Pande Wayan Suteja Neka said here on Thursday.

"The world has acknowledged the existence of Indonesia`s keris since November 25, 2005," Suteja Neka said, adding that similar daggers from countries such as Singapura, Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines were not as well-known world-wide.

He said daggers from Indonesia, especially from Bali, had been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage and therefore they would be added the collection of the museum he had established 26 years ago.

"I have been collecting such daggers and some 413 paintings and statues since 1970," Suteja Neka said.

He added that so far he had collected 218 daggers which were tightly selected by keris experts Haryono Haryoguritno and Sukoyo Hadi Nagoro.

According to Neka, the daggers had been used as traditional weapons of Indonesian people, especially the Hindu community in Bali, from generation to generation.

"I have collected hundreds of kerises in the museum because of their beauty and artistic design, and not because of their alleged magic powers," Suteja Neka said.

Sourced from http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/7/17/indonesian-kris-added-to-world-heritage-list/

Keris at Okinawa Temple

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: A staff member of the Okinawa Prefecture
Archaeological Centre showing the blade of the keris found at the Enkakuji Temple grounds.

OKINAWA: An ancient blade of a keris found recently at the royal Enkakuji Temple grounds near the 15th century Shurijo Castle might unravel the ties the Malay world had with these southwestern islands of Japan.

As the war-ravaged Enkakuji Temple was being restored, construction workers stumbled upon a protruding porcelain pot handle at a spot where offerings were made to the gods.

The ensuing archaeological dig unearthed nine other items, including the wavy blade of a keris, foreign to this part of the world.

Historians believe the keris could be from either Melaka or Jawa as Okinawa and its surrounding islands under the old Kingdom of Ryukyus had diplomatic and trade ties with ancient cities and ports in Asia, including Melaka, before it became a part of Japan in 1879.

The blade measuring 22.1cm from the tip to hilt was found without the handle and sheath, as the wooden parts had been destroyed.

According to the Okinawa Prefecture Archaeological Centre officials the blade was found buried along with other items, including a clay plate with carvings of a dragon shaped boat, a glazed pot, a gold-plated door hinge and a metal door skirting.

The castle restoration work started in 1989 and the Shurijo Park was opened to public in 1992 while restoration work at the temple is still ongoing.

Prof Dr Kurayoshi Takara a historian from the University of The Ryukyus said the discovery had not been publicised much and is unknown to people outside Okinawa and Japan.

He believes the discovery of the blade of a keris would spark international interest among historians and archaeologists to determine its origin.

“I personally believe it could have been from Melaka because the Ryukyus Kingdom had started trading with Melaka in the 15th century,” said Prof Takara, who has been to Malaysia and Melaka to carry out research on the ancient ties the Kingdom of Ryukyus had with Southeast Asian kingdoms.

From historical records, Prof Takara said, the Ryukyus had started trading with Siam (Thailand), between 1425 and 1570, Melaka (1463-1511), Patani (Southern Thailand) (1490-1543) and several other areas in Indonesia (Palembang, Jawa and Sumatra) and Cambodia.

“Records also indicate Ryukyuan junks went to Melaka every year for 49 years and carried out trade with local merchants, Arabs and Indians.

“They would bring gold, silver, copper, tin, and Chinese ceramic from mainland Japan and China and trade them for ivory and wine,” he said, adding that there were also correspondence between the rulers of Melaka and Ryuyukus.

Malacca was also known for its high quality wine (believed to be nipah wine), but later years Ryukyuans started buying it from Thailand when Melaka stopped making it.

By Devid Rajah
Sourced from the Star Online, June 26, 2003

Extract from the memoirs of Ahmad Boestamam

The late Ahmad Boestamam was considered a freedom fighter by many and a dissident by others. He founded the Parti Rakyat Malaysia which is now part of the Malaysian leading opposition party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

To read more about his life, visit Wikipedia here.

I was not surprised to discover that not only was Ahmad Boestamam a freedom fighter, but a true blue pesilat in the tradition of old. He writes on the spirit of the warrior in his memoirs which reflects the relevance of the traditional to the current. I have translated his writing as best as I can. I invite readers to contribute improvements in meaning and context via the comments form or by emailing me at webmaster[at]silatmelayu.com.

"Mengisi Pengeras dengan Berlari Anak (ms 85)"
"Kalau belajar ilmu dunia-pengasih atau pemanis-setelah tamat ia perlu 'memutus kaji' dengan 'mengisi pengeras' yang ditentukan oleh pak gurunya sendiri. Yang penting dalam pengisian pengeras ini adalah kerelaan dan keizinan guru bagi si murid mengamalkan apa yang dipelajari...

"Belajar ilmu kependekaran atau silat pun begitu juga, pemutus kajinya berupa penghayatan empat perkara: gerak, garit, pandang dan tilik. Gerak adalah langkah yang jelas dan nyata; seperti tangan diayun untuk menumbuk...

"Gerak boleh dipastikan dengan mata kasar. Garit hanya terbayang dalam niat. Belum ada gerak, tapi sudah ada tandanya. Tarik hembus nafas sudah boleh membayangkan garit. Demikian juga kelipan mata. Garit dilihat dengan mata batin yang disebut tilik atau 'pandangan dengan makrifat'.

"'Pemati langkah' dalam silat perlu untuk menyambut serangan lawan. Tumbuk lawan harus ditepiskan, tetapi , tepisan perlu bersifat 'sentuhan' yang mematikan. Soalnya, bagaimana mematikan serangan lawan?

"Kalau lawan datang dari depan, kita dapat pastikan geraknya dengan pandangan mata kasar. Tetapi bagaimana kalau musuh 'mencida' atau memukul curi dari belakang? Serangan lawan begini perlu 'dijawab' dengan sambutan makrifat dan seterusnya dimatikan dengan sentuhan makrifatnya."

Sourced from http://themalaypress.blogspot.com/2008/07/sedutan-memoir-boestamam.html

"Mengisi Pengeras dengan Berlari Anak (page 85)"
"When we consider the studies of worldly knowledge, such as love potions or charms, upon completion, one must conclude their learning by fulfillling the conditions of study, as specified by one's teacher. An important aspect of this is the teacher's permission for the student to practice what he has studied...

"Studying the warrior arts or silat is similar, the conclusion of learning is the embracing of four elements: gerak, garit, pandang and tilik. Gerak is the sureness of movement; like a swinging arm to punch...

"Gerak can be divined with the naked eye. Garit, however, is hidden within intention. There is no movement, but there are signs of such. The rise and fall of breathing can indicate garit. So too can the blinking of the eye. Garit is seen with the hidden eye. This is called tilik or viewing with maarifat (gnosis).

"In silat, the immobilisation of movement is a must in facing the incursion of an opponent. The opponent's strike must be deflected, but the deflection must be a 'touch' that immobilises. The question is, how do we immobilise an opponent's attack?

"If the enemy strikes as you face him, we can clearly see his gerak. But, what of the enemy who steals an attack from behind? Such attacks requires a maarifat response followed by an immobilising touch of one's maarifat."

True words.

WE MISS YOU

In conjunction with the upcoming Independence Day celebrations on 31st August 2008, Silat Melayu: The Blog would like to salute our freedom fighters of the past who have contributed to our history.

Running up to the celebrations, Silat Melayu: The Blog will try to highlight these personalities, now long gone with relevant articles into their lives.

They bled, they cried and they sweated their lives away to keep us safe. Silat Melayu: The Blog salutes all of you. If only we had more of you today.

Datukship conferred upon Pak Andak Majid

Aside from the fantastic news that Nicol David, our national women's squash player, currently world numero uno is receiving a Datukship, I was also elated to learn that a long-time Gayong master would also be rightly honoured.

Congratulations to guru utama Pak Andak Majid, or Abdul Majid Mat Isa of Pertubuhan Silat Seni Pusaka Gayong Malaysia upon his nomination for the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN) which carries the title "Datuk". May many more silat masters be given due honour.

He and Nicol are among 28 others to be conferred the title in conjunction with the 70th birthday of the Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas tomorrow (12th July 2008).

A total of 497 recipients will be conferred various honours which also carry the titles of Datuk Seri Utama, Datuk Seri and Datuk.

Read here for the other nominees

Pentjak Silat's Nine Deadliest Weapons: Indonesia's Savage Swords, Daggers and Spears

Kujang(Photos courtesy of Eddie Jafri)

Suryadi “Eddie” Jafri is one of the best-known instructors of the Indonesian martial art pentjak silat (also spelled pencak silat). Pentjak refers to the fighting movements, while silat means a “spiritual way.” Jafri’s style of pentjak silat, pera taki sendo, is a close-combat system using empty-hand techniques as well as traditional weapons. His system has combined some elements of Philippine arnis styles, as well as several classical styles of Javanese, Sumatran and Borneo silat.

The Indonesian archipelago is made up of 13,677 islands, the best known of which are Java, Sumatra, South Borneo, West Irian (New Guinea) and Bali. While Bali has a unique Hindu-Buddhist culture, the rest of the islands are Muslim, a result of proselytism and military incursions between A.D. 1275 and 1520, Islam having first been introduced by merchants from India and Persia.

The two major kingdoms prior to the Muslim takeover were the Sriwijaya Empire, beginning in the fifth century with its capital in Jambi (South Sumatra), and the Majapahit Empire, which began in the 13th century with its capital in Java. The Majapahit Empire extended all the way to the southern Philippines, where an interchange of martial arts occurred as the Filipinos adopted the keris (Indonesian dagger) and Melayu-style fighting arts before integrating the rapier and dagger techniques of Spanish conquerors.

In the 15th century, European colonial powers turned their eyes to the “East Indies,” which they saw as the “Spice Islands” because of their natural supplies of clove and nutmeg. In 1596 the Dutch, under the command of Cornelis de Houtman, solidified their hold on the islands, forcing out Portugal and the other European colonialist traders. Eventually the Dutch monopolized the spice trade, setting up the East Indian Company, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie.

Indonesian patriots fought the company as best they could, using silat’s traditional weapons against Dutch firepower. Needless to say, firearms ownership was forbidden to native Indonesians, and even metal, from which edged weapons could be made, was restricted. The arts themselves had to be taught in secret.

The original system of pentjak silat dates back 4,000 years, and the first moves copied the strikes of animals such as monkeys, tigers and snakes. It provided defense against wild animals, bandits, madmen and foreign invaders. Its principal weapons were the staff and various bladed tools.

Badik (Photos courtesy of Eddie Jafri)

By the time of the Dutch conquest, Indonesian martial arts had already developed into complete systems. Except for primitive decapitating moves practiced with mandau jungle knives by the Dayak tribes of Borneo, virtually all Indonesian styles had developed defensive and offensive techniques for various weapons. The blade was emphasized over the empty hand or blunt instruments. Even today, there are more knife and sword designs in Indonesia than any other place in the world.

The traditional styles were adapted to modern combat first against the Dutch and later the Japanese. The objective was to infiltrate so close to the enemy that he could not use his rifle. During the early days of the Dutch conquest, this meant working against a single-shot musket, the objective being to avoid the first shot and then the bayonet.

The Acehnese of Sumatra developed a kicking style whereby the unique rencong knife was held between the toes to compensate for the superior length of the rifle’s bayonet. The bayonet could be parried with either a golok or another field knife, then the rencong was kicked into the groin. Such frontal combat could be suicidal against the Japanese in World War II, who were armed with modern repeating weapons, so Indonesians later emphasized subterfuge and assassination techniques.

The night attack, stalking of sentries and stragglers, and poisoning of officials became tactics of choice. Even today, poisoning is taught at the higher levels of silat for use against one’s most dangerous enemies.

Jafri teaches Philippine stick techniques to his students because Indonesian arts do not give the stick special emphasis. Police officers and those who need nonlethal self-defense methods can use the techniques to good effect. Jafri also teaches silat empty-hand techniques, although most of his students are not expected to strike banana trees with punches and kicks as he had to in his early training in Sumatra. Currently, most of his teaching is devoted to the Indonesian blade, the core of the old styles. The following are the silat weapons that he considers the nine deadliest.

Keris (Photos courtesy of Eddie Jafri)

Keris
The keris (also spelled keris) is the national weapon of Indonesia and the oldest distinctive weapon in that culture. It is found throughout the archipelago, as well as in Malaysia and the Philippines. It was the tool of ancient heroes and kings, becoming a symbol of both courage and beauty. Sultans had elaborate versions of the kris made for them by famous bladesmiths. Keris blades are hammer-welded of special iron, even meteoric iron.

According to legend, Empu Ramadi around A.D. 230 made the first keris. Early kerises were leaf-shaped and were called pasopati, paso or pisau, meaning knife, and pati, meaning deadly. Antique kerises are kept as heirlooms or votive objects, and some are said to possess magic power. The curved blade appeared around A.D. 329. The number of curves is always odd, and the correct number for a particular owner is based on a thumb-beside-thumb measuring ritual accompanied by “lucky” incantations.

The wavy blade or sarpa lumaku (walking serpent) was perfected and began to decline in the 15th century, the last period of “magic” kerises. The pamor (Damascus) blade-welding technique also began to die out after the Majapahit era. Hammer-welding three metal bars containing nickel iron and meteoric iron created the distinctive patterns. This allowed varying degrees of hardness in the blade, combining sharpness with shatter resistance. Rust and even poison were sometimes added to make the blade deadlier.

Each part of the keris blade has a name, as do the handle and sheath. The blade is attached to the handle by a short tang, which is not much of a disadvantage in a weapon used primarily for thrusting.

Kujang
According to tradition, the kujang, with its curved blade, was the weapon of West Javanese kings. It is said to take its shape from the antler of a deer. Many Indonesians believe it has mystical power and can bring good luck.

Rencong (Photos courtesy of Eddie Jafri)

Rencong
The L-shaped rencong has a 3-to-10 inch blade made of white iron or yellow metal, with a sheath of buffalo horn, ivory or exotic wood. The pistol-like grip allows powerful one- or two-handed blows as well as the kick-thrust. Because Acehnese are usually barefoot, developing the necessary foot strength and suppleness for kick-thrusts was not as difficult as it sounds. Boys would practice walking or running with sticks held in their toes until they could easily maneuver the rencong.

The blade was carried upward between the first two toes, and the handle curled under the others. Some rencongs were not even sharpened because they were designed for stabbing. Sometimes it was left impaled in the victim’s belly or groin, held by the barbs at the base of the blade. When used with two hands for a rib strike, the handle could be turned like a coffee grinder to produce a more destructive wound.

Golok
All Indonesian silat masters use the golok, especially in West Java. The blade length of this bolo-style weapon is usually between 12 and 24 inches. They are sometimes coated with scorpion or cobra venom to increase lethality.

Golok practitioners begin training by strengthening their wrists and hands. They do this by swinging sand-filled bottles between the thumb and forefinger. When they move on to the golok, they first practice techniques against banana trees or bamboo stalks.

As a jungle knife, the golok is unequaled. Even the British military issues its own version of the golok since its commando operations in Malaya (1948-60) and Borneo (1965-66).

Pisau Belati
The pisau belati is the universal kitchen utility knife in Indonesia. With a blade length of 7 inches or less, it is legally sold in any open-air market. It is carried everywhere by street vendors, fruit sellers, meat cutters, etc. It is the knife most likely to be available when a fight breaks out.

Because of its ubiquity, most silat masters use it as one of the training knives.

Mandau (Photos courtesy of Eddie Jafri)

Mandau
The mandau comes from South Borneo, the land of the Dayaks. The mandau is a jungle knife as well as the traditional headhunting sword. The handle is usually decorated with goat hair or human hair. The mandau may be used in combination with a shield, and the blade may be coated with poison for special occasions. While headhunting is supposedly no longer part of the Dayaks’ animistic religion, there is no doubt that the mandau is still capable of deadly battle.

Badik
The badik comes from Sulawesi and is a weapon for infighting. Its blade is usually 5 to 7 inches in length. The Bugis people of South Sulawesi are most noted for using it. The Bugis fighting style emphasizes quick and fatal strikes to the heart, stomach or kidneys. They practice by tying a sash around the waists of two fighters so that each must sidestep to avoid the stomach thrust of the other. In combat, the badik blade is sometimes poisoned.

Celurit
Celurit (Photos courtesy of Eddie Jafri)

The Madura celurit is shaped like a question mark. The Madurese use it as a sickle to cut grass for their cattle but also employ it in self-defense as part of a martial style called pamur silat. The celurit is difficult to evade because of its flexibility and hard to disarm because of its multiple directions of attack. It is sharp enough to cleave skulls or decapitate heads. The celurit has killed often enough to be notorious. The Indonesian government now punishes without pardon individuals who carry one in public.

Tombak
The tombak (spear) is used in most silat styles. In the old days, it was used from horseback or for long-distance fighting on foot. Most traditional spears today are kept at home as decorations, but as late as 1945, they were used in combat against the Japanese. Even sharpened bamboo spears were pressed into the fight against Japanese and Dutch oppressors. Sharpened bamboo makes for a slow death, and most enemy soldiers would have preferred to be shot or stabbed with a sword. The spear could also be used effectively against a bayonet. They were not meant for throwing, like a Roman pitumm, but for stabbing, like the Zulu assegai.

About the Author: David E. Steele is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and martial artist whose specialty is weapons articles.

By David E. Steele
Sourced from http://www.blackbeltmag.com/pentjaks_silats_nine_deadliest_weapons_indonesias_savage_swords_daggers_and_spears/archives/584

This article first appeared in Black Belt Magazine, April 1990.