Intro
Pendita Jak Othman was one of the
world‘s renowned Silat figure from Malaysia .He is often considered as the father
of British and Irish Silat; some even consider him a legend. Guru Othman
started teaching Silat actively across the UK and Ireland in 1980’s, founded
the British Silat Association and returned to do fully book seminars several
times over the years. He is one of the fore fathers of world famous kerambit
internationally, where he started
teaching the weapon art in the UK and Europe during mid 80’s.
Today, he is the founder and
Grandmaster to the Harimau Berantai Pencak Silat International, Pancasila
Gayong Harimau Silat International, Silat Tomoi Group, Bladetech International,
King Tiger Muay Thai Kickboxing International & the Jak Othman Kickboxing
& Martial Arts Studio which is based in Selangor, Malaysia. He is a
professor and a member of senate to the Asia Pacific Open University (
USA/Malaysia) . He is a member of 2009 Malaysian Martial arts hall of fame;
awarded the title Pendita (professor) and
Ajarn (Grandmaster) by the Harimau
Berantai Pencak Silat and Silat Tomoi organization elders respectively in 2011.
He is a world authority in Silat and one of the most sought after Silat and blade
expert in the international seminar circuit.
Silat : Through My Eyes
Part 1. By Prof. Jak
Othman
Hello and how are you, reader?
Yes, I am writing Silat again and I hope my series of articles will clear the
path for all to see, learn and embrace real Silat direct from someone who was
born ,grow up and train from the source
of Silat. Let’s go through some facts so
that you readers will know the truth nothing but the truth about Silat the
mother combative art of the Sunda plate, which influenced majority martial arts
of South East Asia.
Silat from in source.
We often read or heard that Silat
is Indonesian. Well it is not wrong, but definitely not accurate. Just because
the Indonesian Silat exponents were the early people who spread their arts
across their shores to the western world; that didn’t give them the right to call
Silat; Indonesian. There are Silat from Malaysia, Brunei, southern Thailand,
southern Philippines and the east coast of Vietnam.
The early international martial
arts researchers have named Malaysian Silat as ‘bersilat’. This is again not
wrong, but definitely not accurate. Ber means to do , bersilat is to do Silat. It
has nothing to do with regional terms on the matter. In Malaysia, the art is referred
as seni Silat or the art (science) of Silat. The same goes with Pencak Silat,
without pencak there will be no Silat. Pencak is modern Indonesian term added
to Silat, which have the same meaning of seni ; meaning the art or the science
of Silat.
Here are the facts. Silat is the
martial arts of the Malay race who is the oldest race living in Nusantara the
Malay world which is the core of south East Asia It is the fighting art of ancient people of
the Sunda plate which was drowned by the sea when ice melts 15,000 years ago to
form was most of south East Asia today. Among the earliest form of Malay civilizations after the
melt was 100 BC Chi tu and 2nd century Gangga Negara on
the Malay Peninsula followed by 7th century Champa kingdom on the
west coast of Vietnam. Parallel to Champa was Langkasuka and later Kedah at the
northern region of the Malay Peninsula ( west Malaysia) boarder to southern
Thailand which control the spice route between the east and the west. Next was 7th century Sriviajaya in
Sumatra, which has her capital cities in Palembang ( Sumatra ) ,Java island and Chaiya
in southern of Siam (Thailand). The downfall of Srivijaya, gave turn to 13th century Madjapahit a Javanese empire to
control the spice route. The last of the greatest Malay Empire was 14th century
Melaka which continue to rule the spice route for the Malay world before the
coming of the western colonials. It was during this era, silat greatest warrior
of all time Dato’ Laksmana (admiral) Hang Tuah served the Sultan and Empire of
Melaka.
The word Silat itself which mean
martial art has other names in the ancient Malay world such as Gayong which is
very Langkasuka@Kedah possibly Champa, Cekak from Kedah and Sumatera, Sendeng from Sulawesi (Celebes) , Kali of
southern Philippines and Kuntau the
hybrid Malay-Chinese systems. But today most of these terms are use with the
world Silat like Silat Gayong, Silat Cekak, Silat Sendeng, Silat Kuntau and Kali
Silat. A couple of years ago, the word silek were used by many to represent their
Silat styles. Don’t worry about it. Silek is a Minangkabau/ Sumatran term for
Silat. Silat and silek is the same word.
It is just dialect.
If you know and understand the history
of the Malay world, you can trace easily where the Silat style that you are
learning today. Is it from Langkasuka-Kedah-
Champa ? Srivijaya ? Madjapahit ? Or Melaka? You will realize by now that
Singapore and Brunei did not pop up in this conversion. Don’t worry Silat
styles from these home of the Malays are very authentic. Singapore was always
under the last 3 ancient empires. So Brunei was always allied to these empires
too. So the styles that exist in these countries today are original Kedah, Sumatera,
Java or Melaka styles or its hybrids.
Silat in UK and Ireland.
I was one of the early Silat
instructors teaching the art across the UK and Ireland during 1980’s. From my
lineage we have Gayong Harimau Silat which originated from Kedah and Harimau
berantai Pencak Silat from Java. I learnt it from renowned Mahaguru and Pendita
which we can trace their lineage to great Silat warriors of ancient time. So if
you come across Silat guru teaching Gayong Harimau or Harimau Berantai
certified by me you are learning authentic Silat from the source.
At the same time I met my Silat
brother Mahaguru Richard De Borde who was very active promoting Lompat
Harimau Minangkabau Pencak Silat in the UK since the 1980’s. He is student of
Mahaguru Aditoyo Hanafi from Sumatera Indonesia. His Silat is definitely
authentic. So all Guru under his organization are teaching authentic Silat.
Guru Paul Deans of Yorkshire Silat academy is one of them.
Guru Besar Liam MacDonald of
Ireland is my student in the art of
Gayong Harimau since 1984. He is also a student of Mahaguru Richard DeBorde and
become the representative to Pendekar
William Saunders of Chemande Pusaka
Pencak Silat. His Silat is obviously
very authentic.
Guru Glen Lobo Silat studied Silat
Lincah Malaysia which is a Melaka origin Silat from the national organization;
so his knowledge on Silat Lincah from Malaysia is authentic. He was my student in the art of Gayong Harimau,
but did not continue learning the art under me. He is not my representative in
the UK and has no authority to teach Gayong Harimau. Silat Lincah, yes. Gayong
Harimau , no!
There is Pendekar Steve Benitez teaching
Satria arts, which is a blend of Pencak Silat from Indonesia. And from Pendekar
Benitez’s lineage Pendekar Alvin Guinanao who rebrand his Silat as Buka
Lingkaran Silat. Since their arts originated from Indonesia, it must be
authentic.
There are other authentic
Malaysia and Indonesian Silat practising in the UK. Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia
and Silat Sendeng are two top Malaysian Silat schools taught here. Many Indonesian Silat styles are with
Pencak Silat Federation of United Kingdom an amateur national group that
promotes olahraga and seni competitions of PERSILAT the International Pencak
Silat Federation.
Then we have the Jeet Kune Do
groups practising Mande Muda, Bukti Negara , Serak and modern Silat blend from
Guru Dan Inosanto. Another Silat style active within the Jeet Kune Do circle would be Guru Cass Magda’s Buka Jalan Silat.
He is a student of the great Guru Inosanto. Basically, the Jeet kune do group
Silat base are quiet authentic,if they practice the old styles.
The last but no least are styles
pop up in the British & International Silat scene popularity driven by you
tube. I call them the you tube sensation Silat Gurus. Most are former students
of Mahaguru Richard De Bordes and mine; others are students of our students who
just like their Gurus left the parent
organizations to become new founders. There is also Guru Maul Mornie who is
also a you-tube sensation who came from one of source of Silat which Brunei
Darul Salam.
Silat made in UK and
other countries not the source of Silat.
Next, we have a few new styles pop
out of the UK which is the result of politics and power. They are basically created
in UK or outside UK by you tube popular Silat instructors. These experts are mainly
empty hand Silat people. Some studied Jeet Kune do and Filipino martial arts
concepts here and there. I can see from their Silat weapons performance are rather incomplete.
This is probably due to their minimal knowledge learned from the source. Their
weapons techniques are based on logics and mainly extension of the hand.
However, these guys are doing very well flying the flags for Silat, but soon
they will run out of material to teach. When this happens; normally the stealing
and lying begins. Most would travel for friendly visits to old gurus in
Malaysia , Indonesia, Singapore and possibly Holland ; stole their techniques
and market it to rest of the world in their seminars. Some are so bold that
they said they exchanged techniques with the old Mahagurus. Exchange? Wow! A young
dude with less than 30 years of Silat training exchange techniques with a 70
years old Mahaguru? Please, give me a break guys!
The stealing and lying has to
stop. First, this is very unethical for Silat man and second their versions are
bastardized techniques with shallow interpretation. Based on their creativity
and marketing skills; these guys got away with it. But how long are they going
to continue doing this unethical practice? Sooner or later, the truth will
surpass creativity. When this happen their Silat teaching business will disintegrate.
This is sad, all the hard work will be lost. Their names tarnish.
My message to these young Silat
brothers is go back to school. Enough playing top dog with limited Silat
knowledge. Learning a system from an old guru will no tarnish your reputation.
Look at Guru/Ustad Inosanto, he trained under so many teachers and yet still
very famous. He is not afraid to reveal who are his teachers. I trained under more than 30 grandmasters and
I am proud to tell the world who my teachers are. Let’s face it, without them
there will be no us. So guys enough
borrowing/stealing, acting and last but not least misleading your students and
seminar participants. Go back to your old guru and continue learning real
Silat. Or come and train with the old Gurus from the source. In Malaysia I have all the contacts, you can always
contact me and I will connect them to the old Guru. But remember, do not abuse
the old Guru teachings.
I would like to end the article
with a famous saying from Silat greatest warrior of all time. Dato’ Laksmana
Hang Tuah who said, ‘Tak Melayu Hilang di dunia’ which roughly means Malays
will never vanish from this earth. He is actually referring to the Malay
culture(adat &adab) and the way of life which will not vanish. Silat is a
way of life with adab and adat. Anyone who practise and live the way of Silat is doing what the great warrior
said. To all Silat teachers and practitioners, from the bottom of my heart I
would like to wish Terima kasih meaning thank you for keeping the Silat torch
burning wherever you are. Last but not least thank you MAI for publishing this
article.
See you in part 2 of Silat
...through my eyes, where I will be talking about the Keris the weapon of Malay Pendekar ( warrior). See you next month.
Take care.
