Silat Kegayungan Acheh Helang Putih

FOR a man who can cause a lot of damage with his bare hands, Raja Abdul Aziz Mohd Ali certainly has an unassuming air about him. He’s even uncomfortable being called a mahaguru, or grandmaster, of the silat style he teaches.

“‘Maha’ means godlike, and I am not like that!” said the 56-year-old in his affable manner during a chat at his house in Kampung Dusun Tua in Hulu Langat, Selangor.

Friends said the man had squirmed sheepishly when meeting them after they had read a magazine article that had bestowed the title on him. But the article wasn’t too far off the mark. Raja Aziz has, almost single-handedly, formalised and spread the teachings of Silat Kegayongan Acheh Helang Putih, an ancient style of fighting that belongs to his family. His is one of the most popular silat organisations in the country with a membership of about 35,000. Currently, there are Silat Helang Putih organisations in 10 states in Malaysia and one each in France and Canada.

In 2001, Raja Aziz was invited, along with 21 other grandmasters, to the residence of the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Wisma Perdana, Putrajaya, to give a pledge of loyalty to the Government.

That moment on March 10 when he took the pledge has spurred Raja Aziz to work even harder to propagate Silat Helang Putih. Not that he needs much encouragement. He’s been almost obsessed with taking this ancient “way of the warrior” nationwide and even worldwide. So focused has he been since he took up the art when he was 12 years old that his 10 older siblings all prophesied that he would angkat sampah (“carry garbage” – become a garbage collector) when he grew up!

According to legends handed down within the family, Silat Helang Putih was taught to an ancestor by a celestial warrior who, after committing an impropriety, had been cursed into taking the form of an eagle. The ancient form of Silat Helang Putih was a killing art, said Raja Aziz. The modern version is more moderate and can be safely demonstrated to the public. Students practice stylistic moves, and piercing shouts, screams and shrieks that are reminiscent of an eagle.

Raja Aziz himself has reportedly taken the form of an eagle. He is supposed to have demonstrated to a sceptical Caucasian martial artist the “internal” (kebatinan) aspects of silat, in the process transforming himself into a giant white eagle simply by mouthing incantations. Displaying typical modesty, Raja Aziz didn’t want to talk about the incident as it is “not good form to flaunt one’s ability”.

Not that Raja Aziz was always this modest. It seems that when he was in his 20s, he was rather taken with his own abilities. He was studying under an elderly silat master in Johor when he decided to issue a challenge – but the master knocked the young man’s lights out with a deft gesture even Raja Aziz “the young terror” didn’t know!

It’s not surprising, though, that the young man was a little overconfident. After all, he was still in his teens when he was instructed by his then master to begin teaching the art. Still training under different masters himself, Raja Aziz had only a handful of students, but he went ahead and opened a gelanggang (silat school) where his parents were living in Kampung Pandan, Selangor.

He ruffled quite a number of feathers with that move. One 80-year-old master of a different style of silat confronted Raja Aziz and insisted the young man pass a test or accept the master as his teacher. The old master wanted the young upstart to escape from his infamous “death lock” hold. Though Raja Aziz politely declined, the old man, a Javanese master with many gelanggangs in the area, kept insisting on the test. Finally, with his father’s blessings, Raja Aziz accepted the challenge.

“The master approached me and I allowed him to apply his lock on me. After he had done so, I asked him to confirm whether he had completed applying his lock as I did not feel uncomfortable at all. The man became angry and dared me to free myself if I could after I queried him for the third time.

“With a few swift movements, I easily freed myself. He applied three different locks on me but I easily escaped from each.

“Many of the master’s schools closed when word (about the test) got around,” Raja Aziz added.

In those early days, Raja Aziz struggled not only to teach his art but also to learn other styles of silat as well as other martial arts – and to do all this while holding down a regular job to support his wife and, eventually, 11 children! He studied Silat Sheikh Baginda Ali, Silat Harimau and Silat Sendeng Kuno in Johor and in Indonesia, juggling his silat with work in an electronics firm in Brunei and then a period of study at an electronics institute in Finland while in his early 20s.

Returning from Finland, Raja Aziz gave up his job in Brunei and moved to Kuala Lumpur where, among other jobs he held, he moonlighted as a cleaner at a sports club in Jalan Hicks. There, he had the opportunity to watch judo and tai chi classes. Of course, with his background in silat, it wasn’t long before he was interested enough to try out the movements he had seen after everyone was gone.

One day, the Japanese master, one Mr Hirakawa, caught Raja Aziz practicing judo moves and was so impressed that he ordered the young man to attend classes – for free and with a uniform thrown in, too! Raja Aziz went on to win medals at tournaments and achieve the rank of second dan in judo. He also fared well at tai chi and received a teacher’s certificate.

“Yes, I studied other arts but I have decided to focus on silat since it is from my own culture. I also find silat stances superior in strengthening the waist and other relevant muscles.

“Silat incorporates all the fighting distances with wide use of the hands for gripping, chopping, hitting and blocking,” he said.

But among Malays, silat is not faring very well, reckoned Raja Aziz: “ Malays are slow to take up silat as they look down on their own culture and favour imported arts.”

As for the art’s sometimes unsavoury reputation, Raja Aziz said that silat practitioners have only themselves to blame: ”Many young practitioners can’t wait to teach silat although their skills are below par, and some practice black magic while others impose unreasonable conditions.

“If foreigners can appreciate silat, I do not see why we cannot make silat known to the world,” he said, referring to the two foreign students he has taught, Joseph J. Vanrooy and Ta’am Kamal, who are now teaching the art in Canada and France respectively.

“It is up to the Malays to take up silat to popularise their own culture as promotion efforts for the art is almost negligible,” said Raja Aziz ruefully.

He’s certainly doing his bit for silat despite suffering all sorts of set backs over the years – from teachers who don’t pay him to teach his art to students who learn from him and then “steal” his techniques and claim them for their own.

Since he set up his organisation in 1967 when he was only 19, Raja Aziz has performed for Prime Ministers and royalty as well as ordinary folk all over the country and produced a book, Teknik Bela Diri Helang Putih (Siri 2), and a VCD of the same name in his bid to popularise this art.

For all that he has done for silat, especially in his home state of Selangor, he was given the title of Raja Aziz Laksamana Hojak Andak by the late Tengku Khalid, the Orang Kaya Maha Wijaya of Selangor in the 1980s.

Not bad for the kid they said would become a garbage collector when he grew up!

For enquiries about Silat Helang Putih and to order Raja Abdul Aziz Mohd Ali’s book (RM30) and VCD (RM20), contact him at 013-668 2523 / 03-9021 2714 / No. 589, Batu 15 1/2, Dusun Tua, 43100 Hulu Langat, Selangor.

Sourced from http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/8/8/features/8490103&sec=features

Victim broke off with suspect months ago

KAJANG: An economics graduate under investigation for the murder of medical researcher Norzi Ayu Md Noor, had told the victim's father that he had been intimate with her.

The 23-year-old suspect, who works in a bank in Serdang, had visited Norzi Ayu at her family home in Taman Maznah in Klang two weeks ago where he had "vowed" to marry her, despite her refusal to have anything to do with him.

This was revealed to The Malay Mail yesterday by Norzi Ayu's father, Md Noor Dahari, 52, as he waited to claim her remains at the Kajang Hospital mortuary.

Md Noor, a sea traffic controller attached to North Port, said the suspect, believed to be a Kelantanese, was adamant about marrying Norzi Ayu.

"He even had the gall to tell me that he slept with my daughter on several occasions and that gave him the right to marry her," the father said.

"Of course, I did not believe him.

I asked my daughter and she vehemently denied the allegations." Md Noor said he knew the suspect had a crush on his daughter but she broke off the relationship several months ago.

"She was seeing someone else, one of her colleagues and they had planned to get engaged soon," Md Noor said.

Norzi Ayu, 27, is the eldest of five children.

She was pursuing her Masters in genetic research at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

She was also an officer with the Insitute for Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur.

She had been renting a unit at the Sri Tanjung Apartments in Section 7, Bandar Baru Bangi with three housemates.

Norzi Ayu was attacked while she was alone in her flat on Monday afternoon.

She is believed to have been stabbed twice in the abdomen.

She died several hours later at the Kajang Hospital.

Selangor CID chief Senior Assistant Commissioner II Abu Bakar Mustafa confirmed that a suspect was in custody and that he was arrested at 8.30pm on Monday when he went to the Kajang Hospital to visit Norzi Ayu.

He said the suspect will be remanded for two weeks to help in investigations.

The Malay Mail learnt that the suspect entered Norzi Ayu's apartment about 3pm and that there was a loud argument before she was stabbed.

Norzi Ayu is believed to have put up a struggle.

She even managed to send an SMS to her silat instructor, to whom she was close.

Investigations also showed that the victim had scribbled a note on a piece of paper, saying that she was in danger.

She also urged the reader to contact the silat instructor whose cell phone number was written in the note.

The note was thrown out of a window on her first floor unit.

It is also learnt that someone picked up the note and immediately contacted the silat instructor.

It is further learnt that the silat instructor had confronted the assailant, who was holding Norzi Ayu hostage (see accompanying story).

But despite the silat instructor's efforts to "calm" him, the assailant stabbed Norzi Ayu twice in the abdomen before escaping on foot.

The silat instructor took her to the hospital.

Yesterday, the silat instructor was at the Kajang Hospital morgue with Norzi Ayu's family members.

He was seen accompanying Norzi Ayu's remains to the Klang Muslim cemetery where she was buried.

Written by MUZLIZA MUSTAFA
Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-12786954_ITM

Norzi Ayu and attacker were both silat exponents

KAJANG: Despite being a silat gayung (martial arts) exponent, murder victim Norzi Ayu Md Noor was no match for her assailant who was bigger.

Her silat instructor, identified only as Man, who rushed to her apartment after hearing that she was in trouble, saw the assailant grab Norzi Ayu from behind, holding a knife to her side.

"I tried to talk him into releasing her but he would not listen.

He was shouting and kept warning me not to come any closer," he said.

"He then pulled her into a room and that was when she was stabbed.

He then walked out and I rushed in to see if she was allright." Man, a silat gayung instructor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, refused to say anything more except that he was close to her and he knew her family as well.

It is learnt that the suspect and Norzi Ayu were Man's students.

Norzi Ayu's neighbour at the Sri Tanjung apartments, Ibrahim Rifqi, in his 30s, said he was at home taking a nap when he was awakened by shouts from Norzi's unit.

"I got curious when the argument went on for almost 30 minutes," Ibrahim said.

When he opened his front door, he saw the victim sitting at her doorway and she was being attended by a man who told him that she had been stabbed.

"He pointed out the assailant to me.

The assailant was wearing a white shirt and a crash helmet.

He was walking down the corridor," he said.

Ibrahim gave a chase but the suspect managed to escape.

It is learnt that the suspect went to a stream 2km away where he was believed to have disposed of the murder weapon.

Yesterday, the suspect led police to the river where he had allegedly thrown the murder weapon.

Scuba divers from the Putrajaya Fire and Rescue Department searched the river for almost two hours for the murder weapon but could not find it.

Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-12786955_ITM

The potent flower

A drama academic returns from Latvia, exposing a gathering of international theatre people to the use of silat in the contemporary stage, and HIMANSHU BHATT, who visits him, leaves knowing a few more things about the ancient Malay art of self defence.

A VISIT to Dr Zainal Abdul Latiff at his office at the Performing Arts Centre in Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang will see you in a room crammed with piles of books, manuscripts and old play posters.

One hardcover sticks out, lying in the middle of his table, as if undaunted by the academic clutter. It is titled The Art of Stillness. "It is about the animal energy in the actor," Zainal explains, leafing through its pages. "Even though an actor does not have any lines, he is alive. In the stillness there is movement." The book deals with a revolutionary dramatic technique of Tadashi Suzuki who took elements from the old noh and kabuki theatres of Japan to put together a performance methodology for the contemporary stage.

Drawing on strengths of traditional disciplines is something very close to Zainal's heart. And he has tried for the last 25 years, using the very martial arts training of his own culture and childhood, for the great love of theatre.

Zainal, an associate professor at USM, was recently in Latvia as the only Asian participant at a festival on theatre methods organised by the International University "Global Theatre Experience".

He trained 50 theatre specialists from Europe and America in a special programme called Pencak Silat in the Training of Theatre Practitioners. The trip was sponsored by the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka and USM.

For three days, participants were acquainted with the philosophy and techniques of silat - the old Malay-world art of self-defence - and how they can be adopted for preparation towards acting.

Zainal has been using silat in his classes since 1979 when he returned from Hawaii where he was pursuing a master's degree in drama and Asian theatre.

"One of the lecturers at the University of Hawaii was doing Shakespeare when he saw me practising silat," Zainal remembers. "He made his actors go through my movements for agility and concentration - it turned out to be very good for them." Properly guided, the sudden moves, the reflexes, the intense body focus of silat, can become highly acute tools in training the actor for any role - conservative or radical, realistic or avant garde.

There is an enormous awareness of the self, a mastery of physical alignment and a sense of confidence that silat imbues in its devout practitioner.

"Actors like Ahmad Yatim and Rahim Razali have taken up silat themselves. Look at their stage presence - they are very strong." Pencak means "systematic, trained body movements" and silat connotes "the application of systematically-trained body movements in a fighting situation".

But Zainal regrets that the original philosophy, way of life and the fluid body-mind movements of silat have been lost to youngsters only interested in fighting.

"Silat is as old as the race," he says. The youths, however, have missed the beauty and relevance of the bunga (flower) in the old Malay saying: In the move, lies the dance In the dance, lies the flower In the flower, lies the fruit In the fruit, lies the punch In the punch, lies the crunch Zainal was first acquainted with this potent, beautiful flower in silat as a child in his kampung in Malacca. "At one time, to be an adult you had to learn this art. We would train from eleven at night till one in the morning." Now he allows himself to be exposed to other martial art forms being adapted for theatre. The experience has helped him modulate the tenets and principles of silat for a similar purpose.

He talks keenly of Prof A.C. Scott who in 1954 introduced tai chi for his acting classes at the University of Wisconsin, and reads the works of Phillip Zarilli who uses the ancient Indian martial art of the kalaripayattu for actor training.

He also studied kabuki for a year, acting in the classic tragedy Chusingura or The 47 Royal Retainers - a story about a chieftain's warriors who are not supposed to take revenge on another lord, but do so anyway and commit suicide in the end.

And two years ago, he participated with John Knobbs of the Brisbane- based Franks Theatre Company - a devout follower of the Suzuki technique - taking the role of Macbeth's conscience, using minimal movement packed with powerful stage presence, and speaking only Malay.

In Malaysia, silat has been done before, though very infrequently, for the contemporary stage. Zainal remembers Belgian academic Tone Brulin directing the improvised play Naga-Naga Dimana Kau? Naga-Naga Siapa Kau? (Dragons, where are you? Dragons, who are you?), composed by Salleh Joned and Kishen Jit in the 70s.

"Salleh cycled from KL to Penang to see it!" The great challenge of silat, Zainal says, is how the actor personalises the ancient practice for his own characterisation work.

"An actor must drown himself into it; then he is able to absorb the audience, to pull them in. And only after the show is over is the audience released." "It is an internal thing. Only the actor who practices properly knows. In the end, silat is you. You become the silat."

Written by HIMANSHU BHATT
Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-12754833_ITM

2006 Asian Games shun pencak silat

Hopes for pencak silat, a martial art originating here, to be among sports contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar were dashed, after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) decided against its inclusion.

The news was announced by Djohar Arifin, the secretary-general of the National Sports Council (KONI), here on Wednesday.

Djohar said at a recent OCA board meeting in Doha that pencak silat did not meet the council's criteria for inclusion at the games.

While, according to the OCA, the sport must be recognized by four of five Asian regions in Asia: East Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Currently, Djohar asserted, pencak silat is popular only in Southeast Asia and West Asia.

Pencak silat associations only exist in 15 countries, one less than the minimum number set by the OCA.

"Besides, the sport is not represented by an Asian body. The only (continental) existing body is merged with another region under the name of the Asia-Pacific federation," Djohar said.

The decision dampens recent optimism that followed a demonstration of pencak silat at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.

"We had already discussed the issue informally with the OCA. They said they would accept the sport," Djohar said.

He added that Indonesian team's leader Eddie M. Nalapraya -- who is also president of the International Pencak Silat Federation (Persilat) -- had already discussed possible venues, participants and the schedule of events with the OCA.

"We can only hope that pencak silat will be competed at the next Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in 2010," Djohar said.

The choice of Guangzhou as the next host, over Malaysian capital city Kuala Lumpur, was also taken during the forum.

The 2006 Asian Games will include 40 sports and comprise 411 events. Six of the sports will debut at the quadrennial sporting event: bodybuilding, baseball, softball, rugby, rowing and canoeing.

Written by EVA C. KOMANDJAJA
Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-21914986_ITM

Silat should be shared with the world

KEPALA BATAS, Sun. - Silat, a martial art mostly known in the Malay archipelago, should be shared with the rest of the world.

In making the call today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also urged more non-Malays to learn the art as it teaches followers values like discipline and self-control.

He said these were among qualities which the Government hoped would be possessed by all Malaysians.

"As silat gains popularity among Malaysians, efforts should be made to introduce it in other countries," he said at the Malaysian Silat Lincah national gathering and presentation ceremony at SMK Datuk Haji Ahmad Badawi here.

Abdullah's views were echoed by Culture, Art and Heritage Minister Datuk Rais Yatim who said silat had the potential to be recognised like taekwondo and karate.

He said a proposal to officially recognise silat as part of the country's heritage would be forwarded to the Government.

Also present were Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, several Cabinet ministers and local and international silat exponents.

Abdullah was later conferred the title "Ulul Amri ll", one of Silat Lincah's highest awards, by Rahman.

He was also presented with a headdress (tanjak), keris, sword, a replica house and a sash.

Others who received awards from the association were Koh, Rais, Information Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir and Penang Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdullah.

Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-21708189_ITM

PM RECEIVES HIGHEST AWARD FROM SILAT LINCAH MALAYSIA

KEPALA BATAS, June 20 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today received the Second "Ulul Amri", the Silat Lincah Malaysia's highest award.

Penang's Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, who is the First "Ulul Amri", presented the award at a ceremony here.

The award comprised a "selendang kehormat", "tanjak", a keris, a sword and replica of a "rumah adat".

Information Minister Datuk Paduka Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim and several others also received the honorary award for their contribution to the Malay martial arts.

Abdullah also received a sword of honour, signifying the highest award from the Datuk Bandar Cebilang Satun, Thailand, Arshad Langi.

Abdul Rahman and the "mahaguru" of Silat Lincah Malaysia Datuk Omar Din Mauju were also awarded similar swords.

Sourced from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-21717637_ITM