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.