Functional Silat: A Historical Necessity (Pt. 1)

Brunei Darussalam sits on the North West coast of the island of Borneo.

Google Maps

Listed - not at all exhaustive - below are the peoples that populate the island,

• Iban
• Kayan / Kenyah
• Kedazan
• Dusun
• Bidayuh
• Melayu (Malays)

... and so on.

Relations between these different groups throughout history has been marked by periods of co-operation, conflict and isolation. In this day and age relations are now more amenable... but this wasn't always the case. Old prejudices and historical injuries (real/perceived) amongst some of the peoples of the island are still kept very much alive... unfortunately.

Google Maps

My mother - a native of Kuala Belait - has often recounted tales of our family's mixed heritage. We have in our bloodline ties to the Middle East, China... and more locally... to the Kayan of Borneo. It is from these peoples - the Kayan - that my mother use to tell stories of. Stories of their traditions and practices.

Relations between the Malays of Kuala Belait and Kayan were not always amenable. And as such intermittent skirmishes were often fought between them. This - as I am told by my mother - went on for some time until a truce was made between them.

The Kayan are a fearsome people, who - like the Iban - practiced headhunting. Headhunting is an age old tradition amongst the tribes found in Borneo. Although to be fair, not all the tribes pursued it actively. Some did... and of the tribes that are known - documented in history and made a study of by anthropologists - to have pursued headhunting actively, the Iban and the Kayan were the most vicious.

The practice of headhunting was pursued for a number of reasons,

- vendetta... in retaliation for a previous headhunting incursion by a rival longhouse,

- an offering to be made to a bride to prove a warriors worth, and

- the establishment of a new long house.

The raiding parties or war bands that carried out this practice were indiscriminate in their targets. Men, women and children were fair game.

So it was against this background... against this very real threat of attacks... that the Malay people's of Borneo (incl. Brunei) practiced their martial arts.

My wife made an interesting comment whilst I was writing this entry: the Silat that she has been exposed to whilst in school was the aesthetic presentations of the art, usually shown at weddings and other public functions. With the lack of formal schools and syllabuses, these aesthetic presentation were taken as a 'fact'. Such that the public's take away from these chance encounters with Silat was that it was predominantly for show, and had no functional/real applications.

Silat and Kuntao have always been functional arts. The 'edge' has been dulled a bit due to the lack of any real threat of attack on a day-to-day basis, but the key elements and techniques are there. It is for the modern day practitioner to try and 'clear the cobwebs' and present the arts for what they once were.

To revive Silat and Kuntao, the modern practitioner needs to look at the arts in the historical context from whence it was developed. A time and place where the practitioners needed viable means of protecting their families from roving hostile war bands. A context that also included their environments: the jungle, the waterways, the perahus (boats) and the weapons they had in hand.

Only then can the practitioner/teacher look at the modern context within which these arts can be adapted to.

Aspirations for the book

Books on the Malay martial arts (Silat and/or Kuntao) - especially ones in English - are few and far in between.

Growing up, I would cherish the few books that I did come across. Now imagine how much more cherished such books would be for the non-Malay practitioner of martial arts who may be interested in Silat, but has no literature to refer to.

In general Silat and Kuntao books tend to be one - or sometimes a combination - of three (3) possible perspectives,

• Some are very technical ... and as such become a compendium of techniques, with rarely a reference to the historical or cultural background of the art.
• Some are more of a ethnographic study/treatise... commenting on the culture and people from which the art has found sustenance. And, finally...
• There are books that are somewhere in the middle.

Each of the above have their own respective values and contributions. It would be a sizable undertaking indeed to come out with a book that covers all of the above. One that is beyond this humble practitioner.

Where does my book sit within the spectrum laid out above?...

• Above all else, the book is a personal perspective on the art of Silat and how it has benefited me physically, mentally and spiritually.
• The content focuses on the basic Silat Cekak (Brunei) techniques and the context within which these techniques can be applied. By context of application, I make references to both the functional (combative/competitive) application of the techniques and the aesthetic (cultural/traditional) aspects.
• It is a view of the traditional based on the basic techniques found in Silat Cekak (Brunei), but then additionally presents an extrapolated interpretation: my book shows how the basic techniques can be used across both unarmed and armed applications. This extrapolation is beyond the scope of 'traditional' Silat Cekak (Brunei), and found only in Perguruan Malela.
• The materials show a linear progression of techniques that cover: stances, movement, blocks/parries, striking and weapon application.
• Although showing the 'basics', there is enough material to show that the basics are indeed the basis for a more refined and advanced understanding of Silat Cekak (Brunei) as practiced within Perguruan Malela.

In a nutshell, the book attempts to protray Silat as a functional art. This fact often becomes obscure in the teaching, sometimes by design and sometimes by accident.

It is a martial art. It is a practical martial art. To say that it has retained its cultural/traditional trappings, does not automatically mean that it has also therefore lost its efficacy as a martial art.

I have seen alot of the material on the internet, books and magazines that tend to strip Silat and Kuntao of its cultural accoutrements in an attempt to market it as a more practical and combat oriented art. As though you cannot have the one (functional combative applications) when you have the other (culture/traditions).

You need only look at the olahraga (sportive) permutations of Silat, which can no longer be clearly differentiated from Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing or Muay Thai when seen in application on the competitive arena.

Sadly you also hear Bruneian's who readily dismiss Silat and Kuntao by making statements like: "... terlalu banyak berbunga... inda ada buah...". (Translated: ...too much flowers (forms)... too little/no fruits (applications)...".

I'd like to change that perception.

Perhaps it is the fault of the practitioners/teachers themselves who wish to obscure the real knowledge of Silat and Kuntao in some misguided sense of insecurity or secrecy.

Or perhaps it is because these practitioners/teachers lack a deeper understanding of the arts, and so are unable to 'walk' the 'talk'.

Or perhaps, it's is simply a case where they lack the capability of relaying the information in as simple a way as possible.

Whichever the case may be... it is time for a change.

I would not want Silat and Kuntao to be one day be consigned to a footnote in some dusty tome on anthropology as "... an art once practiced by the Malay peoples of Southeast Asia...".

It is my aspiration that this book will contribute - in however small a way - in changing these perceptions.

Silat: A Perspective On The Malay Martial Art

"...By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and

third by experience, which is the bitterest..."

~ Confucius

This blog is the internet portal for the newly published book "Silat: A Perspective on the Malay martial art".

Cover Shot of Book

The book was a project that started off as a collection of personal notes that I kept whilst in the midst of studying under a number of local Bruneian masters/teachers of the art. It was whilst reviewing my scribbles that my wife suggested that I write a book on the topic.

Sample Note(s)

And so, with that initial suggestion I began in earnest. Over the course of a number of years I began to compile information on the art(s) that I have learnt, and toyed with layouts and such.

Sample Page: "Salutation: 'Laila Sembah'"

Coming to the realisation that I would not be able to dedicate all of my time to the development and completion of the project, I made the conscious decision to work with a local creative agency. Where concept and content was entirely mine, the creative agen

cy lent its very capable hands on layout and design.

Sample Page: "Salutation: 'Laila Sembah'"

In addition to the creative agency, I was very happy to have on board a very talented local photographer who provided almost all of the shots found in the book. This gentleman was David Cheok.

Having obtained the ISBN code for my book, I am now in communication with a reputable and extensive online provider of books: Amazon.

I am hoping to have the finished product on the virtual shelves of Amazon by December 2009 latest.

This blog will show case some of the content in the book. I will happily provide further information on the book, and post updates as to when the book will finally be available for purchase.