Sejarah Penubuhan Silat Seni Gayong (Malay)

Datuk Daeng Meor Abdul Rahman bin Daeng Uda Mat Hashim adalah Mahaguru
(Pengasas) Silat Seni Gayong. Berdasarkan daripada latar belakang keturunan beliau
adalah cicit kepada hulubalang Bugis yang terkenal iaitu Daeng Kuning atau terkenal
dengan gelaran Panglima Hitam. Daeng Kuning adalah titisan zuriat daripada Daeng
Marewa. Silat yang dipusakai dari keturunannya dituntut dari datuk sebelah ibunya yang
bernama Sheikh Syed Zainal bin Sheikh Syed Idris Al-Attas juga dikenali sebagai Tok
Janai, seorang hulubalang Pahang dan dalang dalam menentang penjajahan British
bersama-sama dengan Tok Gajah dan Mat Kilau.

Berikut adalah lima nama anak raja bugis diantara tujuh adik-beradik mereka ialah:
1. Daeng Celak
2. Daeng Marewa
3. Daeng Kemboja
4. Daeng Pelangi
5. Daeng Menambun
    Daeng Kuning (Panglima Hitam) salah seorang daripada tujuh adik-beradik anak Raja

Bugis yang mencari penempatan baru. Mereka bertujuh telah mendarat di Tanah Melayu
setelah merantau di serata gugusan kepulauan Melayu bagi mencari tempat yang
dirasakan sesuai. Tempat pendaratan mereka tersebut dikenal sebagai Pengkalan Aur
ketika itu yang kini diberi nama Air Kuning, Taiping, Perak Darul Ridhuan. Daeng
Kuning terus menetap manakala yang lain meneruskan pelayarannya. Daeng Kuning
telah mangkat di Taiping pada 17 Ogos 1875. Daeng Uda Mat Hashim cucunya telah
memperolehi 2 orang anak lelaki iaitu Meor Abdul Aziz dan Meor Abdul Rahman.

    Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman dilahirkan di Taiping pada 17 Ogos 1915. Ilmu
persilatannya telah dituntut ketika beliau berumur 12 tahun dari datuknya Sheikh Syed
Zainal Al-Attas. Setelah dikhatamkan Meor Abdul Rahman mula dikenali ramai. Ketika
berumur 19 tahun beliau telah menunjukkan kebolehannya di hadapan DYMM Baginda
Sultan Alang Iskandar - Perak, baginda telah berkenan memberi gelaran "Panglima
Sendo Perak" (The Invincible Warrior of Perak). Beliau telah menetap di istana atas
kehendak baginda sehingga baginda mangkat pada tahun 1938.

    Pada penghujung tahun 1938 Allahyarham Meor Abdul Rahman telah berhijrah ke
Singapura dan beliau adalah anak Melayu yang pertama menjadi jurulatih seni
mempertahan diri (Combat Instructor) di Kem Signal Corp, Guillman Barrack, Ayer
Rajah Rd (Unit Semboyan) di bawah pentadbiran Lt. Colonel Pope. Semasa pendudukan
Jepun pada tahun 1942 beliau telah berpindah ke Pulau Sudong sebagai intelligent
contact dan berjaya menyelamatkan penduduk di pulau itu dengan kemampuan yang ada.
Seterusnya beliau menetap di sana sehingga Jepun kalah perang pada tahun 1945.
    Pada tahun 1947 atas jasa beliau dalam usaha menentang pendudukan Jepun, beliau
telah dianugerahkan pingat ‘King George VI’ oleh Kerajaan British. Semasa itu beliau
telah pun bertugas sebagai polis di Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah (C.I.D).
    Bermula dari 1948 Silat Seni Gayong telah pun sampai ke tanah besar Singapura.
Dengan usaha gigih, beliau telah mengembangkannya pula ke seluruh pelosok Tanah
Melayu. Setelah bersara dari perkhidmatan polis pada 3 Disember 1960, beliau telah
menubuhkan Silat Gayong School di Woodlands,Singapura yang dianggap sebagai pusat
latihan Silat Seni Gayong pada masa itu. 
    Pengalaman Dato' Meor dalam mendedahkan ilmu ini secara terbuka bertitik mula dari
Pulau Sudong, Singapura (agg.15KM) pada 17 Februari 1942 apabila tersebar berita
mengatakan bahawa tentera Jepun akan mengganggu penduduk pulau itu. Setelah
diadakan sesi perbincangan maka bermulalah buat pertama kali majlis yang dinamakan
Perlimau Tapak Gelanggang dengan dimulai oleh 7 orang pemuda diketuai oleh
Penghulu pulau tersebut En. Naning bin Ahmad. Setelah mereka terselamat dari bencana
gangguan tentera Jepun maka kesemua penduduk pulau tersebut diperlimaukan dan
diterima menjadi murid Silat Seni Gayong.

    Selepas Perang Dunia II, Silat Seni Gayong telah merebak ke seluruh pelosok Tanah
Melayu dan Kepulauan Riau.
Perkembangan Silat Seni Gayong di Tanah Melayu

    Atas usaha Dato' Meor dan kegigihan para khalifahnya, ilmu ini telah mula merebak ke
Negeri Johor dengan penubuhan gelanggang silat. Identitinya bertambah teguh dan
dikenali ramai setelah mendapat undangan persembahan secara besar-besaran di Kelab
Sukan Abdul Hamid, Alor Setar, Kedah oleh YM Tengku Kasim (kekanda Tunku Abdul
Rahman Putra) pada tahun 1958. Atas undangan En. Yaaman satu persembahan besar-
besaran telah diadakan di Bukit Lintang,Melaka pada tahun 1959. Seterusnya rombongan
itu telah singgah di Pulau Besar. Di sinilah bermulanya susunan Lembaga Adat kali
pertama dengan pelantikan Orang 4, Orang 8, Orang 16 dan Orang 32.

    Penglibatan Dato' Onn bin Jaafar Pengasas UMNO telah menyemarakkan lagi
perkembangan Silat Seni Gayong di seluruh tanah air. Beliau telah berjasa dalam
menyusun buku perlembagaan. Pada 22 Oktober 1963 aktiviti Silat Seni Gayong telah
didaftarkan secara rasmi sebagai Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia. Inilah
persatuan silat yang pertama didaftarkan di Malaysia dengan nombor pendaftaran 361 di
Johor. Dengan Dato' Onn sendiri sebagai Setiausaha Agung pertama. Berikutan dari itu
tanpa apa-apa halangan perkembangan Silat Seni Gayong tersebar dengan meluas dan
diterima kehadirannya pada Jabatan Polis dan Tentera. Tanpa mengira lapisan
masyarakat dari Sultan, Menteri, orang-orang kenamaan dan rakyat biasa.
  
  Pada tahun 1966 Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman telah pulang menetap di kampung asalnya
iaitu No. 71, Kg. Air Kuning, 34000 Taiping, Perak dan menjadikan tempat itu sebagai
pusat latihan tertinggi Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia dan Serantau.
   
Pada tahun 1971 Mahaguru telah diperkenankan dan dianugerahkan darjah kebesaran
Dato' Paduka Cura Simanjakini ( D.P.C.M) yang membawa gelaran Dato'. Beliau telah
meninggal dunia pada 23 Jun 1991 dan dikebumikan di perkarangan Masjid Lama
Taiping.

Rujukan: http://www.geocities.com/pssgmum/sejarah.htm

History: (English)

Silat Seni Gayong was formulated and founded by Mahaguru Dato' Meor Abdul
Rahman bin Uda Mohd.Hashim. He was of bugis decent born in 1915 and was the great-
grandson of Daeng Kuning, commonly known as Panglima Hitam. Meor Abdul Rahman
began learning the knowledge of silat at the age of twelve from his grandfather Tuan
Syed Zainal Syed Idris Al-Attas. Syed Zainal is one of the warriors who fought against
the British colonialism of the 19th century, in Pahang. Syed Zainal inherited his silat
knowledge from Daeng Ambok Solok, a bugis warrior residing in Jambi Sumatra at that
time. 

For three years, Meor Abdul Rahman trained and learned with other students of
Syed Zanial. At 19, Meor Abdul Rahman successfully achieved the understanding and
the 'selok-belok' (the ins and outs), the art of seni gayong. However, his grandfather did
not perform the "ritual of authorisation" of silat gayong on him, as he had foreseen in a
prophecy that Meor Abdul Rahman will have this ritual performed on him by a greater
(unseen) warrior.  

In 1936, the "ritual of authorisation" was performed on Mahaguru Meor Abdul

Rahman by none other than the legendary Hang Tuah. Needless to say, this was an
incident on the meta-physical (spiritual) level. Some stories report that the whole
ceremony took place in a kind of "dream". This incident occurred on a large black rock
by the river at Hutan Menam (now Southern Thailand). All the secrets and knowledge of
Silat were transmitted to him and he was given the trust to teach and spread Silat Seni
Gayong to the best of his ability.  
Meor Abdul Rahman was given the title Panglima Sendo (invincible warrior), by his
Royal Highness Sultan Alang Iskandar, after demonstrating his skills and ability to the
royal court and dignitaries. The Sultan was so impressed and pleased by Meor Abdul
Rahman that he took him as his adopted son. Meor Abdul Rahman stayed at the palace
until the Sultan's death in 1938 

In 1938, Meor Abdul Rahman moved to Singapore looking for work. There he
found work at the British Royal Signal Corp Barrack, Killman, Woodland. From there he
later became the un-armed combat instructor to the British soldiers. When the Japanese
army attacked Singapore in 1942, Meor Abdul Rahman escaped with his family to Pulau
Sudong (island south of Singapore). He underwent much hardship and trials before
finally being allowed to reside there. Being a "lawless" island, Silat Seni Gayong was
much needed for the protection of one self and the community; therefore the art was re-
introduced to the community.When Meor Abdul Rahman successfully saved the
population of Pulau Sudong from the "Japanese threat", Silat Gayong was 'accepted' by
the population, and taught throughout the island. Meor Abdul Rahman and his family
then returned to Taiping, Perak. 

In 1943 Meor Abdul Rahman was captured and imprisoned by the occupying
Japanese Army. He was charged with treason against the Imperial Army and was
sentenced to death by hanging. (This followed an incident in which Mahaguru 'fought off'
a Japanese officer who had made rude advances towards his wife.) On the day of the
execution Meor Abdul Rahman, bravely and against the odds, 'overpowered' his armed
captors. For fear of further losses, the Japanese authorities released him. Soon after
however, the Japanese managed to 'force' him to become one of their own soldiers. 

When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, Meor Abdul Rahman and his family
migrated yet again to Pulau Sudong. He was offered to become the 'Headman' of the
island. During these years, Silat Seni Gayong spread to the neighbouring islands
including those in Indonesian territories. 

The year 1947 saw the appointment of Meor Abdul Rahman as an investigator
with the Crime Investigation Department in Singapore. In this year too, he was awarded
the 'King George VI' medal, an honour from the British Government, for his service in
fighting the Japanese occupation of Singapore. In 1948 he actively spread Silat gayong
throughout Singapore and on to the Malay Peninsula. After retiring from the police force,
Meor Abdul Rahman established the first Silat Gayong Training School, at Lorong
Fatimah, Woodland, Singapore. It was here that the early teachers or gurulatih of Gayong
underwent their training. 

In 1959, Meor Abdul Rahman met Dato' Onn bin Ja'afar, the founder of UMNO
(United Malay National Organization), who offered himself to be a disciple of Silat
Gayong. Dato' Onn suggested that Silat Gayong should be registered legally as an
organization. Efforts began to register Silat Gayong and finally in 1963, this silat was
officially registered as 'Pertubohan Silat Seni Gayong Malaya' with the registration
number, 361. PSSGM is the first silat ever to be registered in Malaya.After its
registration, Silat Gayong continued to develop even more. From Singapore, Gayong
spread to Johor. Meanwhile, in the north of the peninsula, Gayong spread on the effort of
Meor Abdul Aziz, the elder brother of Meor Abdul Rahman and other 'gurulatih' sent
from Singapore. Tengku Laksamana Kedah, on the royal command of Sultan Badlishah
of Kedah had invited Silat Seni Gayong for a Command Performance in 1957. 

The Silat Seni Gayong Training School was moved from Singapore to Kota
Sarang Semut, Kedah, when the Mahaguru moved there in 1964.

In 1970, Silat Seni Gayong was invited by the Malaysian Government to be part
of the National Entourage for The '70 Expo in Osaka, Japan. The Mahaguru and En.
Razali Salleh (The Secretary General PSSGM then) accompanied two Gayong exponents,
Che'gu Mustapha Kamal and Che'gu Mohd. Norsaii ,for the performances at the Expo,
for two weeks. The Silat Demonstration was received with much encouraging enthusiasm
and even 'surprised The Emperor Of Japan.The Silat demonstration was also widely
publicised by the media networks in Japan. 

Yet again, in 1971, The Silat Seni Gayong Training School moved to Air Kuning,
Taiping Perak, when the Mahaguru moved there. Mahaguru Meor Abdul Rahman was
then awarded the highest honour, The Dato' Paduka Cura Simanja Kini, by Sultan Idris
Shah, the sultan of Perak. In this year as well, Silat Seni Gayong was introduced to the
Malaysian Armed Forces. 87 personnel from the rank and file of the military underwent
an intensive Silat Gayong training for six months at a military camp in Taiping. Upon
completion, they were given authorization as teachers or Gurulatih of Silat Gayong and
this Silat was taken to all the military camps in the country. 

Silat Seni Gayong was then introduced to The Royal Malaysian Police in 1973. A
similar intensive training course was held for 48 police personnel from the lower ranks.
Similarly, upon graduating, they were ordered to spread Silat Seni Gayong to all the
Police training schools in Malaysia. 

In 1978, Mohammed Moncef Abdullah returned to his home in Tunisia, after

acquiring the knowledge of Silat Seni Gayong in Malaysia. He is now responsible for
propagating Silat Gayong in the Middle East. His students have been to Malaysia in the
early 1990's to further their training in Silat Seni Gayong. 

In Western Australia Silat Gayong is being taught by Jan de Jong, an expert in the
martial arts specializing on the Japanese systems. He had studied Silat Seni Gayong from
Mahaguru Meor Abdul Rahman himself during the mid 80's. 

Che'gu Sulaiman Shariff and Che'gu Sheikh Shamsudin of Gayong America is

responsible for promoting Silat Gayong in the USA from the early 1990's, although
before that, Che'gu Shaharudin Abd. Hamid had introduced Seni Gayong to a few known
martial artists there. 

Che'gu Mufti Ansari brought Silat Seni Gayong to Europe in the late 1980's. In
the United Kingdom, Silat Gayong was taught by Che'gu Adlin from Negeri Sembilan.
Beginning from middle of the year 2000, Gayong UK was formed and headed by Ketua
Khalifah Tuan Haji Ariffin Mahidin. 
In July 2000, Silat Seni Gayong was established on the island of Mauritius by
Che'gu Ridzuan Abdul Razak with blessings from Che'gu Siti Kalsom Dato' Meor Abdul
Rahman. To date, two Gayong centres have been opened there. 
In 2005 Silat Seni Gayong spread to Continental Europe as Gayong Spain was officially
established by Sulaiman Lee. 

Mahaguru Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman passed away and returned to Divine
Presence on the 23rd of June 1991. According to the Will of The Mahaguru, after him, no
one of his successors shall be titled 'Mahaguru'. Silat Seni Gayong would from then on be
administered by a Board of Trustees, comprising of members who are trustworthy and
strong on the 'cause' of Silat Seni Gayong. Before blowing his last breath, Dato'
Mahaguru then appointed his daughter Che'gu Siti Kalsom as Trustee I, and Che'gu
Mohd. Razali Salleh as Trustee II of Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia 

Reference: http://www.silat-gayong.com