Com- -The
SilatMelayu.Com The Malaysian
Malaysian Martial
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Silat Tua
The Malay Dance of Life
Welcome to Silat Tua: The Malay Dance of Life, the first book
of its kind on silat to be published in Malaysia. This 30-page sendout
previews the book written by guru Zainal Abidin Shaikh Awab and
Nigel Sutton.
This means that SMC members are the first people in the
world to get to read two sample chapters, before everyone else!
If you like what you see here and want to have a copy of Silat
Tua for your own library, never fear, the book will soon be available
on SMC and leading book online book distributors as well as being
directly available from the publisher.
If you have any specific inquiries into the contents of this book,
you may email the publisher at info@living-tradition.com.
Salam persilatan,
28 February 2007
SilatMelayu.Com - The Malaysian Martial Heritage
Silat Tua
The Malay Dance of Life
by
Zainal Abidin Shaikh Awab
Nigel Sutton
SilatMelayu.Com - The Malaysian Martial Heritage
Published by
Azlan Ghanie (M) Sdn Bhd (692773-K)
6-1, Jalan 5A/6,
Taman Setapak Indah, 53300,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 603-4025 5379
Printed by
Percetakan Tatt Sdn Bhd
17425, Jalan 2, Taman Selayang Baru,
68100, Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Tel: 03-613 666 86
SilatMelayu.Com - The Malaysian Martial Heritage
Table of contents
1. Foreword - Azlan Ghanie 5
4. Introduction 13
5. Origin of Silat 17
6. What is Silat? 21
7. Fundamental concepts 25
8. History 37
12. Interview with Tok Guru Haji Zainal Abidin Shaikh Awab 89
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Foreword
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AZLAN GHANIE
Guru Azlan Ghanie is the publisher of SENI BELADIRI, the premier Malaysian
martial arts magazine, aside from being the latest trustee of his family silat style,
Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9. He is also the founder of Senaman Tua, a traditional
Malay exercise form and the co-founder of the Malaysian Martial Arts Grand
Masters’ Association (MAGMA).
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Foreword
During the time that I have known Haji Zainal, he has done a great
deal to promote Silat here in his native Penang both as a teacher of Siku Dua
Belas and Silat Tua.
While I have known Nigel for a shorter period of time, his influence
on the world of martial arts in Penang has been considerable. Through his
efforts and promotion he has brought martial artists from the US, Europe and
Australia to learn more about Silat and to exchange and share experiences
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with local martial artists. His own research into the Malay art of Silat has
taken him the length and breadth of Malaysia and he has interviewed and
trained with many teachers.
I feel certain that this book, with two such knowledgeable and
experienced authors, will play an important part in introducing the world to
the depth, beauty and wisdom that is contained in Malay culture and
exemplified in Silat Tua.
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Foreword
Haji Zainal and I have been friends since childhood and, in all the
time we have known each other, we have both shared the same passion for
Malay martial arts. Although our paths have diverged during this time, we
have both continued to practice traditional Silat.
This book that he has written with our English friend, Nigel Sutton,
aims to share the Malay traditional art of self-defence with a worldwide
audience. This is a goal that I wholeheartedly support.
In Silat it is the duty of the teacher to ensure that the student becomes
stronger and better than him. This book gives the serious Silat student the
opportunity to learn from the experience of the authors and also of the
generations that have preceded them.
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ISMAIL AHMAD
Guru, Senaman Siku Dua Belas
Persatuan Warisan Dada Pulau Pinang
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“I study the
knowledge of the
warrior
I have studied the
Way of the Warrior”
~ Tok Ayah
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Introduction
In this book, the reader will be introduced to the Malay art of self-
defence, commonly called Silat. While there are many explanations as to the
origins of this term, some of which will be explored in this book, it is widely
used to describe the art of self-defence, both armed and unarmed, developed
and practiced by the Malay people.
As there are hundreds of different styles and systems of this art, the
authors have chosen to focus on one style practised on the peninsular which
is now the state of Malaysia in the South and Thailand in the North. The art
which this book concentrates on has its origins in this area which historically
was the Malay kingdom of Pattani but which is now a part of modern Thailand.
It is beyond the scope of this work to detail every aspect of this system;
that we leave to personal study with a qualified teacher. We have, however,
attempted to explore and describe all of the major areas of learning, study
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This means that the knowledge transmitted is often not only specific
to one school but also to individual teachers in that school. For that reason it
is difficult, if not impossible, to find any degree of consensus as to what
particular terms or techniques mean, outside the small circle of those who
have a specific understanding based on the transmitted knowledge of their
own style.
Because of the long history of the art and the varied historical, cultural
and religious influences, these concepts are sometimes presented in animistic
or mythical terms, sometimes in terms of movement patterns and at others,
in terms of complex cultural and religious paradigms.
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Fundamental Concepts
This concept is used throughout silat training and in the simplest terms
means that first you learn from the teacher, your fellow students and the
environment and then you learn from within yourself. The importance of this
concept lies in the fact that by explicitly being taught this, the silat student
realizes that ultimately he or she is responsible for their own progress, as the
ultimate lessons are the ones that you learn from within yourself.
At another level this teaching illustrates how the student first learns
the basic physical postures and exercises before progressing to learn the finer
points. Initially training is all about strengthening the muscles, improving
coordination and working on the grosser physical aspects of movement. The
next step is to work on the breathing, mental intent, focus and what might be
termed the internal aspects of the art. With an understanding of the internal,
the student returns to his study of the external aspects, understanding more
about what motivates movement.
B. Jantan Betina
This is the concept of the opposing forces of male and female, similar,
on one level to the Chinese theory of Yin and Yang. Jantan is the male force
while Betina is the female. In practice this means that the hard must
complement the soft and vice-versa, so that the silat exponent is able instantly
to change from strong and solid to gentle and flowing. It also means that
force is not met with force. Against a strong attack, the silat player yields and
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flows. On the other hand when meeting a yielding, flowing response the silat
exponent might power through using strength and heaviness.
All aspects of Silat Tua must be considered in the light of the concept
of Jantan Betina and through careful research, the exponent will discover a
myriad of ways in which this principle may be put into action. In connection
with Jantan and Betina there are other pairs of opposites which are used in
the art. Jantan is generally expressed as fierce, strong force, while the Betina
principal is soft and subtle.
This includes such opposites as: full and empty; hard and soft: fast
and slow; up and down; left and right and so on.
All of the above pairs of opposites are used by the exponent of Silat
Tua. In practicing the Tari all of these aspects must be present in order to
completely express the art. For example when moving in the langkah tari one
leg is full, that is it functions to bear most of the weight, while the other is
considered empty.
At the same time the opposite hand to the weighted leg is performing
the dominant action, while the hand on the weighted side is subordinate. But
the action is never carried out by just one hand or one foot, the other side has
its role to play, thus right and left complement each other as do up and down.
Consider again the langkah tari where one hand is high while the other is
low; one palm is up while the other is down and so on. By paying careful
attention to the expression of these pairs of opposites the exponent is able to
express the whole range of human movement thus realizing his body’s full
potential.
The process of Silat training seeks to strip away the impurities and
unnatural influences and habits, to return to the original state thus restoring
his instincts and natural abilities.
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“Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just a punch, a kick was just a kick.
After I’d studied the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick.
Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch, a kick is just a kick.”
E. From the river to the banks, from the banks to the plateau, from the
plateau to the banks, from the banks to the rocks in the river
This teaching, while similar to the previous ones, also points to the
actual physical training progression that a student of silat must take in order
to fully absorb their art. The Silat exponent may well undertake basic stance
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and movement training while standing in the shallows of the river. Thus his
stance will become firm and his movement fluid. From there he proceeds to
training in the mud of the riverbanks, further improving his stability. On the
firm ground of the plateau he can build on the foundation he has established,
and really explore the full range of motion of his body and the abilities he has
discovered in himself. Then he goes back to the slippery mud to test these
new-found skills. Finally he returns to the water where he started and practices
in the full torrent, moving on slippery rocks and negotiating the currents of
the river. This cyclical training process continues throughout the exponent’s
life and illustrates the way in which it is the journey rather than the goal
which is of prime importance.
First and foremost, all power comes from the Creator. The parts of the
physical body and the energy that animates it are all from the Creator. It is
the heart, the seat of the emotions which gives life and movement to the body
and it is the mind which determines the actions to be taken. In order for the
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silat exponent to be truly effective he knows that both heart and mind must
be in harmony with the will of the Creator. In practical terms this means the
student must do his best to live according to the moral code described in the
Akad or Solemn Oath taken at the time that he begins his studies.
At the beginning and end of every silat training session, and when
training with partners, the salutation reminds the student that he receives his
skill as a gift from the Creator and that he must use them justly. This
understanding of the source of power and the responsibility involved in its
use is fundamental to the silat exponent and it is on this understanding that
the art is based and from which all action flows.
H. Mental training
The first and most basic form of mental training is meditation. The
purpose of this is to train the exponent to be able to focus their mind. The
fundamental meditation form is the Heaven and Earth meditation.
The exponent sits cross-legged or in the half or full lotus position and
places the outstretched second fingers of each hand so that they are touching
the floor. To exponents of Silat Tua, this finger is known as the Ghost Finger
and thus symbolises things spiritual. The palms of your two hands are turned
away from you. This gesture with the fingers touching the ground establishes
your spiritual connection with the earth. Then straighten your back so that
you feel as if the top of your head is pushing up to the sky. This reminds you
of your connection with Heaven. Thus you have completed the trinity of
Heaven, Earth and Man between the two.
Seated meditation.
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Now concentrate on your breathing; breathe in through the nose and out
through the mouth. Your tongue remains naturally at the bottom of your
mouth and once you feel relaxed enough, and in a natural breathing cycle,
shift your attention to your tongue and try to feel a rhythmic pulsation. When
you can do this you will feel as if you are on the edge of sleep. This is the state
you wish to be in, for your meditation.
Initially practice this exercise for five minutes but then build up to
longer periods. High level adepts sometimes meditate for as long as six hours
a day.
I. The Body
Since silat is the art of bringing out the full potential of your own
body there are no fixed forms or set routines, nor are there any restrictions on
the form your movements take. As the exponent becomes more experienced
so their silat will take on its own unique style. For these reasons basic training
in silat consists of learning key principles and concepts which then may be
embodied in the form most appropriate to the individual student.
The body is composed of four elements, the same elements which make
up everything in the cosmos; and so, in silat the human body is seen as being
a microcosmic universe. These elements are earth, water, fire and wind. Earth
corresponds to the flesh, bones and muscles, while water is the blood and
body fluids, wind is the respiratory system while fire is the vital energy that
animates us as well as the senses of sight and hearing. By training using these
elements, the silat exponent is able to tap deeper energy sources because he is
acting in harmony with nature.
J. Element Meditation
1. Bring your hands up, clenched loosely into fists and rest them on your
hips. Next, as you breathe in, extend your arms in front of you, fists turning
so that the palm sides face down. As you do so chant “earth” either audibly
or under your breath, and visualize all that earth means to you. This may
mean a sense of heaviness, solidity and strength; whatever earth means to
you.
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2. Then as you breathe out, open your hands and turn them so that the palms
face upwards, and push them up with the base of the palms cupped together
in front of your face until they are level with your forehead. As you do this
chant the word “water” visualizing all that this means to you.
3. As you breathe in again, press your palms together and push them down
towards your solar plexus, this time chanting the word “fire”, while visualizing
what fire means to you.
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4. The final part of the cycle, requires that you extend your arms in
front of you at about waist height, palms facing down, and then make them
into loose fists, which you then turn over and pull back into your hips as you
breathe out, chanting the word “wind”. The visualization this time must
include all that wind means to you.
The basic training for the four elements consists of sitting or standing
and performing moves that may be associated with these elements while at
the same time striving to ensure that the physical movements embody the
qualities of the element they represent.
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Using the principle of “from the outside to the inside”, the teacher
first shows the student a series of basic exercises connected with the elements
with the expectation that once he is familiar with these then he will progress
to follow the principle of “from the inside to the outside” and develop his
own unique sets of movements which embody the elemental qualities.
K. Energy
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http://silatmelayu.com
The Malaysian Martial Heritage
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Silat Tua is training to develop human beings not
clones. Thus training in the art reflects all that is
natural. Consider the life cycle where the baby at
first is weak and totally dependent, then it grows
strong and independent as it reaches maturity, and
then finally with the onset of old age weakness sets
in again.