The Enduring Knife Culture in the Philippines

Long before the balisong made its debut in Hollywood through the efforts of Dan Inosanto and Jeff Imada (the balisong was once dubbed “The Nunchaku of the 80s”), the Filipino butterfly knife had already been featured in Philippine cinema during the 1960s. It was the late actor Eddie Fernandez who had used the balisong in many of his films. Such glorification of the knife on the silver screen is an indication of an innate and enduring blade culture among Filipinos.

The knife, in earlier periods of Philippine history was an integral part of a man’s daily wardrobe. Filipino martial arts (FMA) teacher and writer Krishna Godhania told of an article in his possession titled “The Father of Philippine Boxing,” the story, which was about a certain Eddie Tait reads, “…there has been a gradual discarding of the deadly knife without which the average Filipino once thought himself hardly dressed.”

A typical Filipino knife technique

Growing up near a slaughterhouse, I personally witnessed the bloody havoc that ensued from alcohol fuelled knife fights. Before and shortly after the declaration of martial law in 1972, the carrying of knives and handguns were quite a norm among urban Filipinos. One event that was ingrained in my mind as a young boy was when my mother’s compadre barged into our house one afternoon seeking refuge after his hand was hacked in a knife fight. I can still remember his blood spattering the floors of our living room. I myself started carrying a knife when I was 11-years old.

Blade culture was already flourishing in the Philippines when the Spaniards came.

The notes of Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (1559-1636), compiled in his book “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas,” describes the “balaraw,” a bladed weapon of pre-Hispanic Filipinos, Morga wrote, "The weapons of these people are, in some provinces, bows and arrows. But those generally used throughout the islands are moderate-sized spears with well-made points; and certain shields of lightwood, with their armholes fastened on the inside. These cover from top to toe, and are called carasas [kalasag]. At the waist they carry a dagger four fingers in breadth, the blade pointed, and a third vara in length (about 11 inches), the hilt is of gold or ivory. The pommel is open and has two crossbars or projections, without any other guard. They are called bararaos [balaraw]. They have two cutting edges, and are kept in wooden scabbards, of those of buffalo horn, admirably wrought. With these they strike with the point but more generally with the edge. When they go in pursuit of their opponents, they show great dexterity in seizing his hair with one hand, while the other they cut off his head with one stroke of the bararao and carry it away. They afterwards keep the head suspended in their houses, where they may be seen; and of these they make a display, in order to be considered as valiant, and avengers of their enemies and of the injuries committed by them. . . "

Analyzing Morga’s account, the noticeable use of the natives of precious materials such as ivory and gold in the construction of fighting knives is a good indicator that a sophisticated blade culture already exists during that period. Praising the aesthetics of the balaraw, Morga described it as "admirably wrought."

Filipino fighters throughout history commonly expressed veneration to their blades through ornamentation. A portion of the book “Jungle Patrol: The Story of the Philippine Constabulary” by Vic Hurley tells of the weapons of the members of dreaded Pulahanes cult of Samar, the part reads, “The bush opened again after a while, and Captain Cary Crockett came back to the beach. His men were carrying trophies of the chase now; great crescent-shaped blades that were heavily weighted toward the point. The knives were without guards, and the handles were of carabao horn and heavily mounted with silver. The edges were as keen as razors. These were the talibongs of the hillmen – the great fighting bolos of the fanatical mountaineers.”

Another Philippine blade that the Spaniards and American colonizers found formidable is the Mindanao kris.

A 1969 movie poster of Eddie Fernandez

The Mindanao kris is said to equal the temper of the finest blades of Toledo and Damascus. The bladesmiths who forge these amazing blades also practice spiritual purification rituals similar to those observed by the katana makers of feudal Japan. The Mindanao kris is notorious for its ability to cut through the barrel of a Springfield rifle with one stroke.

The short knife is a favorite back-up weapon of a number of Filipino generals during the Philippine American War as indicated in the chronicles of Gen, Leon Villafuerte published in Orlino Ochosa’s book “Bandoleros: The Outlawed Guerillas of the Philippine-American War of 1903-1907,” it reads, “We arrive at 10 a.m. in Cavite in uniforms with our daggers and pistols, accompanied by Captains Winfield Scott Grove and Rafael Crame and Dr. Dominador Gomez.”

The carrying of a blade is still an enduring practice among Filipinos in some areas of the Philippines today. In one my visits to Batangas (the home of the balisong knife), I have met men who still carry this unique Filipino blade both as a tool and self-defense weapon.

By Perry Gil S. Mallari

Dukun, the master of black magic

by uyungs

One aspect of the Indonesian culture that you’re not likely to get to see is the practice of ‘black magic’ or witchcraft. When you talk to regular Indonesian people they might tell you they believe in black magic, although they don’t practice it. Generally Indonesians do not like discussing black magic, especially their own experience with it, but its all around.

Today black magic, together with white magic such as fortune telling, love magic, healing massage and countless other forms, continues to play a dominant role within Javanese cosmology. Many local people believe in it wholeheartedly. All disasters, be they personal or communal, are attributed to black magic. Unusual or sudden death, crop failure, death of livestock, and marriage problems are all caused by a local dukun santet. Elsewhere in Indonesia, people will often consult a dukun to learn about the source of a relative’s illness.

Dukuns probably have more of a hold in Java than in Bali. Most Javanese are Muslim, so they are not supposed to dabble in other supernatural practices. When personal family crisis arrives, people will often consult a dukun, behind closed doors. In Bali the daily offerings placed at intersections and doorways to keep evil spirits at bay, are part of Balinese life. Apedanda (high priest) will have special powers himself to ritually cleanse and offer blessings.

Banyuwangi in East Java is a place associated with the practice of black magic.Banyuwangi has long been known as one of the most powerful centers of black magic in Indonesia, along with Banten in West Java and the island of Lombok. Banyuwangi’s fertile land has bred a farming culture with close links to the spiritual world. As a buffer zone between the islands of Java and Bali, Banyuwangi also has a long history of violent struggle which in the past often met with failure. This combination of fertility and failure led to an obsession with sorcery among the peoples of Banyuwangi.According to one history, black magic practiced today in Banyuwangi is a blend of animistic belief and Islamic mysticism which arose out of inter-religious conflict during the Mataram court from the 16th century onwards. Another account tracks the origins of Banyuwangi’s black magic to Tulung Agung, a region in the west of East Java.

Black magic in Banyuwangi takes on two major forms.

1. The first is sihir, black magic used to kill another person. This generally comes in the form of busung, where the victim’s stomach will grow grotesquely in size. It is believed various items such as knives, nails, broken glass, even small frying pans or animals can be found inside the stomach. Busung victims rarely escape death.

2. The second type of black magic in Banyuwangi is rapuh, sorcery designed to make the victim suffer throughout their lifetime. Symptoms include sudden blindness or deafness, paralysis or uncontrollable shaking and trembling.

Dukun santet are feared, and feelings of revenge often occurs in villagers. However, revenge killings of dukun santet were rare. Banyuwangi villagers have long kept black magic in check at the local village level. A code of ethics among Banyuwangi dukun santet forbids them from using their magic against people in the same village. If this occurs the accused dukun must undertake an oath of innocence in the local mosque. A dukun found guilty by fellow villagers was usually exiled from the village and perhaps his home and possessions torched.

Dukun are indistinguishable from everyday people. Some are reverent teachers of Islam, some are comical, and some are gentle parental figures. All are strong characters and inspire respect in their own ways. Dukun believe that their spiritual powers are a gift from God. If those powers are abused through personal gain or nethical intent, they will be lost or weakened.A person’s ability to become a dukun is generally passed down from their dukun ancestors. However, some form of preparation, at least initially, is necessary for dukun to receive their spiritual power. This usually consists of long periods of meditation and fasting for days or even months.

Once the dukun has received this spiritual power, he or she needs to learn the skills and knowledge of dukun practice. Some dukun learn these skills from another dukun or from books on ilmu Jawa that are readily available in bookshops. Others say their skills were taught to them by spirits whom they continue to consult for advice on the diagnosis and treatment of their clients.As the dukun practice is based on altruism, payment for their services is minimal. It is only a token of thanks, discreetly given to the dukun in a handshake at the end of the consultation.

Payment can be in the form of money, tobacco, or consumables used during the consultation such as flowers, herbs and incense. It usually is between the value of A$2 and A$5. As such, dukun live modestly and are neither rich nor poor but have enough with which to survive. A well-off dukun is often suspected of fakery.The dukun of Java have the wondrous ability to help people in all areas of their lives including the mind, body and soul through ancient practices. This intriguing and important aspect of Javanese culture provides hope, solace, healing and a sense of meaning for people in these uncertain and irrational times. It is no wonder the dukun trade is flourishing.

Pentjak Silat History

IntroductionLong before the Christian era, according to Indonesian historians 1500 years BC, it was the inhabitants of Tongkin and Annan (modern day Vietnam) who, due to various reasons, explored and settled on the current Indonesian islands. These explorers were more highly developed culturally than the indigenous peoples of the island groups now known as Indonesia. To this day one still finds evidence of the Dongson-culture. The original inhabitants were very primitive and darker in skin color as can be found today on Madagascar, Irian Jaya (New Guinea) and other Melanesian islands. The small groups of Vietnamese immigrants who later established themselves on these islands formed alliances, intermarried and formed the first true and oldest recorded kingdom, Kutai in southeast Kalimantan, in 400 AD.
SriwijayaA little over two hundred years later a great empire arose: Sriwijaya which stretched out over all of Indonesia and into parts of Thailand. This was in the years 650 to 1300 AD A kingdom was established, having its cultural center on the banks of the Nusi River. During this period between 650 and 750 AD a mighty temple was built in central Java called the "Borobudur" the largest Buddhist temple ever built on earth, with an unknown technology and considered today, as one of the "7 wonders of the world". The most notable ruler of this empire was Ratu (king) Balaputradewa (856-860 AD) the son of Ratu Samaratungga of Mataram (eye of God) who was a practitioner of Buddhism. It would seem logical that the Visayans who traveled over to Indonesia from India through Burma were much better armed and trained in warfare than the immigrants of Vietnam or the peoples of Indonesia and therefore were able to effectively rule this empire for so long. Their contribution to Indonesian culture is still evident today in Bali and in the common usage of various terms such as "guru" from the two words "gu" (one who dispels) and "ru" (darkness) in other words a wiseone or teacher.
The Kingdoms of East JavaAlways at war with the Sriwijaya were the kingdoms of east Java. Under the leadership of Ratu Darmawangsa in east Java during the wars to repel invaders, one can find evidence of combat and self-defense techniques (980 AD - 1017 AD). An alliance was created by Darmawangsa with prince Airlangga, son of Udaya of Bali, when Airlangga married Darmawangsa's daughter. When Airlangga became Ratu (1019 AD - 1042 AD) the techniques of Pentjak Silat became clearly more formalized and refined. The fighting techniques of Pentjak Silat were further refined during the periods of the following Ratus:
Ratu Dhoho (Kediri)
Ratu Joyoboyo (1135 AD - 1157 AD)
Ratu Tunggul Ametung (1222 AD - 1292 AD): Ruler of the Singasari kingdom who's wife was the famous princess Ken Dedes. It was at this time that an exceptional personality suddenly entered into the area neighboring the Singasari kingdom named, Ken Arok. It turned out later that he was not Javanese. Ken Arok was interested in contacting powerful wizards and seers. He traveled with Empu Gandring a Hindu-wizard who taught him all sorts of crafts (black arts, witchcraft). On Ken Arok's orders Ratu Tunggul Ametung was assassinated with a "Kris" (the mystic blade of Indonesia) provided by wizard Empu Gandring, and given to the assassin. The assassin was then immediately put to death by Ken Arok, who then took Ken Dedes as his wife and ascended onto the throne becoming Ratu of Singasari. This then was the beginning of the most famous empire in east Java the Mojopahit.
Mojopahit (1293 AD - 1470 AD): Here we see the test of Pentjak Silat under the leadership of Ratu R. Wijaya with the help of Adipati Arya Wiraraja. These two men led their armies against the dreaded forces of Sih-Pe, Ike-M'se and Kau-Sing, Generals under the command of Emperor Kubilai-Khan and drove them back. This and other victories expanded the Mojopahit empire until, under the rule of Ratu Hayamwuruk it encompassed all of the Indonesian islands and Malaysia. It was Gajahmada who during this period created an elite army of specially trained warriors called the "Bayangkara". Mataram (1586 AD to 1755 AD) was the last recognized kingdom or government, with its capital city named Pasar Gede (Kotagede). Therefore we can see that Pentjak Silat had many influences in its evolution as a fighting art, from the intermarriages with Vietnamese and Visayans, in warfare, exposure to trade with other countries such as China, as well as to Hinduism, Buddhism and eventually Islam.

www.anakserak.com

Beach Training at Binmaley, Pangasinan

TIPUNAN SA PANGASINAN BEACH TRAINING

Saturday noon and Sunday noon Feb 19-20 2011

Open invitation to Tipunan sa Pangasinan, a martial arts training camp
at a beach resort in Binmaley Beach, Binmaley, Pangasinan.

Training will be provided by Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l (FFAI) masters and other guest masters in arnis, silat, karate, kickboxing and self-defense.

Get a jump on summer with this fun event. It is beach blanket bingo meets Lapu-Lapu on the shores of Pangasinan.

Make your reservations now; space is limited.

Limahong

Limahong
By Ambeth Ocampo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

OFTEN OVERLOOKED in the Lopez Museum collection of works by Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo are studies of a painting on the defeat of Limahong showing dead Chinese pirates on a beach. Limahong, many of us remember from Philippine history class, was a fierce pirate who tried to conquer the Philippines in the 16th century but was repelled by the combined efforts of the Spaniards and the natives.

What made the story marvelous was how he escaped using a secret tunnel from his lair in Pangasinan to the open sea and back to China. I read up a bit on Limahong recently and found out that the name we remember him by is an alias, it is Fukien for his real name, Lin Feng. This terrible name first appears in history in a report to the Chinese emperor on Oct. 3, 1572 placing the number of his pirate gang at not more than 500 to 600 men. Crushing Lin by force was recommended instead of the usual manner of buying a pirate chief’s surrender by offering him official rank.

Another reference to Lin is dated June 1574. He is reported to have escaped to Fukien with over 10,000 men. (Was this a pirate band? It seemed to be an army.)

In August 1574 he attacked and plundered Ching-lan, was pursued and engaged in Wang-kang (part of Taiwan). Then he disappears from the Chinese sources for a year.

The Spanish sources record a sighting of him and his group in Manila Bay on Nov. 29, 1574. In Juan Gonzalez de Mendoza’s “History of the Great Kingdom of China,” Lin is reported to have defeated Vintoquiam, a rival pirate, and to have a fleet of about 95 ships. Lin captured merchant vessels from Manila as he fled from the Chinese government and learned that Luzon was an easy target because the Spaniards could not put up a sufficient defense. Lin sailed to Manila with 62 ships and expected no resistance from a city that was allegedly populated by old people and invalids.

In Francisco de Sande’s report to Philip II dated June 7, 1576 Lin was sighted off Ilocos where he encountered and destroyed a Spanish ship with 22 men on board. An eyewitness reported this to Juan de Salcedo in Vigan, who went out to investigate and sighted the pirate fleet sailing southward to Manila. Salcedo sent word to Governor Lavesares and made haste to the capital with 54 soldiers. On the eve of Nov. 30, 1574 Lin dropped anchor in Corregidor and sent his trusted Japanese associate Sioco, with 700 men armed with pikes, arquebuses and battle axes on small boats to attack the harbor. An easterly wind (taken by the Spanish as divine intervention) delayed the Chinese who arrived northwest of Manila around 8 or 9 in the morning. Natives reported to Master of Camp Goiti (for whom Plaza Goiti in downtown Manila is named) that the city was under attack from the king of Brunei. Sick in bed Goiti dismissed the report since the southeast monsoon winds made an attack from Brunei improbable. Goiti was one of the casualties in the advance attack of the Chinese. When Sioco’s forces approached Manila, they were driven back by arquebus fire that killed about 80 Chinese pirates.

Sinsay, an influential Chinese in Manila, briefed Lavezares on the situation and assured him that the attack was by a pirate band and not from the forces of the Emperor of China. His advice on the defense of Manila included the removal of thatch roofs from houses to avoid fire from Lin’s slash and burn offensive. Sinsay warned that Lin usually mounted a major assault three days after his first attack.

On Dec. 2, 1574 the pirates landed near the ruins of Goiti’s house. There Lin divided his men into three groups: the first took the attack route taken three days earlier, the second went up to the streets of Manila, and the third attacked from the beach. They burned houses as they made their way to the city but were again repelled by Spanish defenses. Lin retreated to Cavite and after two days sailed to Pangasinan where he settled and began building a fortress.

Lavezares re-grouped his men, appointed Salcedo Master of Camp, ordered the execution of two native chiefs he suspected of aiding the Chinese, and planned an attack on Lin that took three months of preparation. On March 23, 1575 Salcedo sailed from Manila with 59 ships and arrived in Pangasinan on March 30 with 256 Spaniards and 2,500 natives (another source gives a smaller headcount: 250 Spaniards and 500 natives). Salcedo attacked Lin’s fort while his other ships captured pirate vessels and burned them. Then all his forces converged and lay siege on the fort where they took many prisoners, including women and children.

The Spanish retreated when the Chinese fort was reinforced. Salcedo was unhappy with the outcome and said so, demoralizing his men.

Both sides spent months waiting for the other’s next move. The Chinese rebuilt their fortress and ships while the Spaniards whiled away the days gambling and extorting tribute from the natives.

On Aug. 4, 1575 Lin with 37 vessels sailed through the blockade of the Spaniards, out of Pangasinan, and back to P’eng hu. There are sightings of Lin in the Chinese historical record, but on Feb. 28, 1576 it was reported that Lin abandoned his men. He then disappears from all records, and disappears from history.

What would our history be if Limahong succeeded and became ruler of the Philippines?

Silat: The Deadly Art of Indonesia and Malaysia

By Terry H. Gibson http://www.blackbeltmag.com

Eddie Jafri was one of the first to teach pentjak silat in the United States, conducting clinics throughout the country in the 1970s and ’80s. (Photo courtesy of David E. Steele)

You are minding your own business, buying a newspaper at your local convenience store, when a belligerent drunk decides to take a punch at you simply because you met his stare for a second too long. What the drunk doesn’t know is that you are trained in the Indonesian martial art silat, and you are therefore able to move easily into close range where your big guns—the knees, elbows and head—can be brought into play. This range is referred to as the “battleground” by Indonesians.

Now that you’ve entered the battleground and are literally in the drunk’s face, you can begin the “tranquilizing process”—a vicious combination of elbows, knees, finger jabs, head butts and kicks to his groin, shins, thighs, eyes or any other vulnerable target. If he is still a threat after your initial salvo of blows, your combinations must continue. Can you sweep him to the ground? Can you elbow his spine? Can you stomp on one of his feet and force him off-balance? These are just a few of the possibilities available to an accomplished silat stylist.

What Is Silat?

Roughly speaking, silat means “skill for fighting.” There are hundreds of different styles of silat, most of which are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand and the southern Philippines. Common to all of these styles is a combat-oriented ideology and the use of weaponry.

In Indonesia, there exist hundreds of styles of pentjak silat, as well as many systems of kuntao, a form of Chinese boxing that bears many similarities to silat and is found primarily within the Chinese communities in Indonesia. There are also many systems that blend pentjak silat and kuntao. “Chinese fighting tactics have had positive influences on the development of pentjak silat,” says noted martial arts historian and author Donn Draeger.

Malaysia is home to a style known as bersilat, which can be divided into two forms: putat, a dancelike series of movements intended for public display, and buah, a realistic combat method never publicly displayed.

Bersilat is also found in the southern Philippines, as well as langkah silat, kuntao silat and kali silat.

Silat techniques vary greatly, from the low ground-fighting postures of harimau (tiger) silat to the high-flying throws of madi silat. One particularly vicious madi throw involves controlling your opponent’s head, leaping through the air, and using your body weight to yank him off his feet as your knee slams into his spinal column. A typical harimau takedown involves coming in low against an opponent’s punch, capturing his foot with your foot, and forcing his knee outward with a strike or grab to the inside knee to effect the takedown.

Rikeson silat focuses primarily on nerve strikes, while cipecut silat makes extensive use of the practitioner’s sarong for throwing and controlling the opponent. A rikeson silat stylist might take an opponent down with a finger-thrust attack to the nerves situated in the crease between the upper leg and torso. Cipecut practitioners will deflect an attack with their sarong, then wrap it around the opponent's head, utilizing the significantly improved leverage to yank him to the ground. Bukti negara pentjak silat, as developed by Paul de Thouars, relies on a sophisticated leverage system to achieve almost effortless throws.

In this self-defense sequence, silat stylist Terry H. Gibson (left) scoops (1) his opponent’s jab and simultaneously traps (2) his foe’s other hand in place. Gibson is now free to deliver (3) an elbow to his opponent’s face. Gibson then grabs (4) his adversary’s hair with both hands and pulls (5) his head into a knee smash. (Photos courtesy of Terry H. Gibson)

In Philippine silat, it is common to trap your opponent’s foot with your own foot while controlling his head and arm, then spin him in a circle. The opponent’s body rotates 360 degrees, but his knee and foot remain in place, causing severe injury.

The sheer number of silat styles allows practitioners a tremendous amount of variety, as well as a certain amount of freedom and self-expression. By researching a number of silat systems, you can add tremendous diversity to your combat arsenal.

Weaponry

Virtually all silat styles, particularly Philippine silat, emphasize weapons training. In the areas where silat originated, carrying a weapon, usually one of the bladed variety, was for generations a fact of life for the general male populace. A silat practitioner will normally be skilled with a knife, stick, sword, staff, spear, rope, chain, whip, projectile weapons or a combination thereof.

The kris sword, with its wavy blade, is one of the most common weapons in Indonesia and Malaysia. Another wicked weapon found in Indonesia is the karambit (tiger’s claw), a short, curved blade used to hook into an opponent’s vital points. According to Draeger, the karambit is used in an upward, ripping manner to tear into the bowels of the victim.

Most silat systems emphasize low, quick kicks, primarily because of the likelihood the practitioner will be confronting an opponent armed with a bladed weapon. A good rule of thumb is to never try a kick against a knife-wielding opponent, unless the kick is delivered at close range and is used as a support technique.

When facing an opponent who attempts (1) a roundhouse kick, silat stylist Terry H. Gibson uses his knee to jam the kick at the shin, then counters (2) with a hard kick to his opponent’s knee joint. (Photos courtesy of Terry H. Gibson)

Silat Components

What comprises a good silat system?

The following are some of the key components:

• Efficient entry system. The style must have techniques that allow you to move quickly and efficiently into close range of your opponent. It must also include training methods that will hone your timing, precision and accuracy when employing those techniques.

• Effective follow-up techniques. The system must have effective punching and kicking techniques. Heavy-duty techniques such as head butts, knee smashes and elbow strikes must be highly developed. “Finishing” techniques are more effective if your opponent is properly “tranquilized.”

• Devastating finishing techniques. After you have entered into close range and applied a “tranquilizing” technique to your opponent, the next step is to apply a “finishing” technique, such as a throw, sweep, takedown, lock or choke, to end the confrontation. Locking maneuvers will break or render ineffective an opponent’s joint. Choking techniques will produce unconsciousness. Takedowns, throws or sweeps will slam the opponent into the ground or other objects with enough force to end a confrontation.

• Reatistic weapons training. Most silat systems emphasize weapons training at some point. This training will include realistic contact-oriented drills rather than forms practice and will greatly improve your reflexes, timing, accuracy, rhythm and precision. It’s amazing how quickly practitioners improve when facing a bladed weapon traveling at a high rate of speed.

Silat theory, then, is simple: Enter into close range of the opponent, apply a “tranquilizing” technique such as a punch or kick, and then “finish” the opponent off with a heavy-duty technique such as a lock, sweep, choke or throw.

Silat in the United States

Suryadi (Eddie) Jafri was one of the first to teach pentjak silat in the United States, conducting seminars throughout the country in the 1970s and ’80s before returning to Indonesia several years ago.

The well-respected de Thouars teaches silat publicly at his Academy of Bukti Negara in Arcadia, California, and also conducts seminars across the United States each year.

Defending against an opponent’s left jab, silat stylist Terry H. Gibson (left) parries (1) the blow and simultaneously strikes the biceps. Gibson blocks a right cross, countering (2) with an elbow to the biceps. Gibson then applies (3) an armbar maneuver, finishing (4) with an elbow smash to the spine. (Photos courtesy of Terry H. Gibson)

Another fine instructor is mande muda pentjak silat stylist Herman Suwanda, who divides his time between Los Angeles and his home in Indonesia. Mande muda is a composite of 18 different silat systems.

Dan Inosanto of Los Angeles uses his weekly seminars as a forum to spread silat, as well as other martial arts. Inosanto has studied with de Thouars, Jafri and Suwanda in Indonesian pentjak silat. He has also worked with John LaCoste, who taught Inosanto kuntao silat, bersilat, kali and langkah silat of the southern Philippines. Inosanto also trained under Nik Mustapha in Malaysian bersilat.

There are actually only a few qualified silat instructors in the United States, and most of them are not easy to find. If, however, you have the good fortune to undertake the study of silat under a competent instructor, prepare yourself because you are in for an exciting, invigorating exploration into one of the world’s richest and most effective martial disciplines.

About the author: Terry H. Gibson is a Tutsa, Oklahoma-based martiat arts instructor who teaches various styles of silat, muay Thai and jeet kune do.

Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9

Silat Melayu Keris Lok Sembilan (9) is one of the traditional Keris arts found in Silat Melayu. It is an old system that traces its roots back to the famous Malacca Sultanate.

After the fall of Malacca in 1511,the Sultanate split three ways and a part moved south to settle in Sarawak (Kuching), then finally to Kuantan in Pahang. It has been this branch of the Sultanate that has kept this closely guarded system through out the centuries.

The art is now taught and headed by Cikgu Azlan Ghanie, the editor of the Malaysian Silat publication "Seni Beladiri". Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9 was taught to him from his father, and has been passed down through his family from his great-grandfather Haji Salleh.

On his mother's side Cikgu Azlan Ghanie is of Bugis origin, descended from the Pahang warrior Pendekar Endut (one of Mat Kilau and Tok Bahaman's gurus). Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9 is one of the only silat systems remaining that teaches Keris first as a basic weapon of war to give understanding in both armed and unarmed combat. The art is very much seni based, in which one learns many intricate seni pieces (forms).

One is firstly taught the grueling set of traditional exercises called "Senaman Tua" which aid to strengthen and condition the body. upon completion of the Senaman Tua, one is taught the different forms known as "loks" (lok is a Malay term for a curve on the blade of a Keris).




The Loks are all mostly Keris forms, there are 5 Loks (numbered 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) to be learned to complete the basic syllabus. These Loks hold the keys and secrets to the system which teach one the principles of fighting in armed and empty hand combat. The Basic syllabus takes 2 years of regular training to complete.

Traditionally the keris is regarded as much more than just a weapon and the adab (manners/ rules of behaviour) surrounding this art are extremely important. The keris is a symbol of the ancient culture and traditions of the Malay race and must be kept with much respect, with owning a Keris one carries heavy responsability. As well as learning the deadly combat aspects, the customs and traditions behind the Keris are a necessary part of the syllabus.




In the past Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9 has been a carefully guarded system open only to selected Pesilat of 10 or more years experience, however today the art is being taught and practised more openly. Cikgu Azlan teaches Silat Melayu Lok 9 In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and has large number of students in his gelanggang.

Source: Silat Association United Kingdom website at http://www.silat.f9.co.uk/