Oxford Street - London Shopping Streets

Oxford Street

           Been to London is not complete without shopping. Most of visitors take their chance visiting and pleasure. The famous street for shoppers at London is the Oxford Street. Oxford Street provides enough option to shoppers. The street, most of the time is full of shoppers looking for their interest no matter what season. Each season will be display and selling new products for the customers need. 

            Located along the Bond Street and Regent Street and easy access no matter from where we are making Oxford Street as a center shopping heaven in London. Along the streets pathways there are streets performers entertaining the pedestrian and shoppers with various kind of entertainment. There are also stalls selling souvenirs and handbags and a t-shirts and a fast food outlet for any refreshments. No matter how busy he streets are there always a room for all visitors. 

The Shopping Heaven

           The street becoming a focus on Boxing Day around 26 December each year because on that day is the sales day and the price reduction are alluring. On that day all items are been sell as the lowest as it can be. Having a time on the streets makes any pedestrian forget the time seems that there is too many things to explore and select. For the fashioned enthusiast being at Oxford Streets is the choice because any latest design of fashion can be found in most of the shops along the streets. Which comes with various range of prices from men to women costumes. Spending time shopping at Oxford Streets makes us not aware of the time elapsed. At the end of the day we may realised that we had spend more than we expected.

Seni Lembing - The Art Of Custom

            Seni Lembing is an art which belong to the group of Seni Simbat and Seni Keris Tapak Pahlawan. On what part that Seni Lembing is categories in this section. Lembing are made from long hilt and since that it is long the techniques used are more on swinging. At the end of the hilt, the rod are attach together with a blade. These blades are used in making a thrust and hurling. The combination of this two techniques makes Seni Lembing is an art of mastering both the Seni Simbat and Seni Keris Tapak Pahlawan.

            Mastering the art of Seni Lembing, one must understand the criteria of the weapon. Seni Lembing commonly was made with a long hilt which using rattan or nibung or a hard wood that not easy to break. While the blade size measure of a span distance. Mostly the blades are taken or copied from the shape of bamboo leaves. The length of the spears are measured from the ground until shoulder before attach with a blade.

Seni  Lembing

            When training with Seni Lembing one should understand the techniques of making a thrust and handling the bar. The thrust are made with a twist of both hand and opposite twisting when pulling the blade out from the target. While the bar are used to block, played with a hand drill or movement an addition can be swing. Performing Seni Lembing one must make sure that accompanied by tapak Yoi because without tapak Yoi the art of Seni Lembing would not be complete. The techniques of Seni Lembing is consists of swinging and thrusting, blocking and hurling.

Seni  Lembing  In Tapak  Yoi

The Tradition And Custom

            One of the additional attire when performing Seni Lembing is the bengkong or belt that has a special measurements and size and was passed to the students in a traditional ceremony. And when training is functioning the area of training must be covered with a yellow thread and the students must stay in the vicinity while in training and must maintaining discipline. Seni Lembing will be completed after completing the custom ceremony that will be hold at a waterfall. After completing the ancient and traditional custom the students are deemed to have completed the training. Seni Lembing is an art in Silat Seni Gayong which is full with traditional and custom discipline from the beginning until the end of the training.

                                                 “Seni  Gayong  Seni  Beradat”

Seni Rajawali - The Art Of Fingers Thrust

            Seni  Rajawali is an art of the hand thrust. When performing Seni Rajawali one must have a strong finger. The finger must be trained to be hardened. In order to get a harder finger a special training should be applied. Before going any Seni Rajawali training the students were instructed to strengthen their finger. In a warming up exercise they will be asked to do finger push up for strengthening the finger. The most significant and customary finger exercise in Silat Seni Gayong is a hand exercise using the green bean, frankincense and rock candy. All those materials are blend together and special kinds of training were passed to the students for training the fingers. A repeated hand and fingers exercise at a certain days end up with a strong hand and fingers.

Seni Rajawali - The Art of Finger Thrust

            After passed all the exercise the students will be asked to thrust their fingers into banana stem. A finger thrust will be result of the fingers penetrating the banana stem and those training will be repeated. All this training are a must while in a Seni Rajawali training before going into the art of striking based on Seni Rajawali method.

Seni Rajawali Striking

           Mistaken that were made by students while training in Seni Rajawali is considering the method in Seni Rajawali are like the attack of an eagle. This were made because they were not given enough understanding what is Seni Rajawali all about. Mostly the mistakes are in the art of striking where the method of scratching and slapping using the fingers are highly used. Where else the true art of Seni Rajawali are on fingers thrust. 

Seni Rajawali - The Art

           After all the hard training on the hand and fingers ,before passing the last striking techniques, the students will be test to thrust their fingers on plywood at a size of 1cm. If they manage to penetrate the plywood they are eligible to receive the last striking techniques. The training in preparing the hand and fingers for Seni Rajawali techniques are not an easy task, it need a full concentration in training and a highly discipline attitude to achieve this art of fingers thrust. I hope with this brief explanations will enhance the knowledge of Seni Rajawali for all Silat Seni Gayong practitioners.

                                    “ Harden your body improved your skill be the master.”

London Bridge

            London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down my fair lady. Many children enchanted a lyric from a song that was taught at most of the pre-school or kindergarten which are remnants of colonialism. The history of London Bridge which has many twists and turns in its history. London unique and remarkable bridge that stand as a trademark to the city of which are one of the attraction to the city. 

The Sign

            The first bridge that was built in London on the riverbank of Thames River connecting the opposite end of the city in the 17^th centuries. With a well built passage way along the river makes a comfort walk towards the bridge. There are many activities and event around Tower Bridge. From theatre shows to jazz band, food festivals to market stalls there’s always something exciting to capture imagination. 

Me And Cikgu Anuar

            The Tower Bridge houses four unique and exquisite values; the high level walkways, offering spectacular views of the Thames, the luxurious North Tower Lounge, the majestic Victorian Engine Rooms and the charming Bridge Master’s Dining Room. 

Crossing The Bridge

            Tower Bridge is the most famous bridge in the world. The bridge has views all over London from its two walkways and its Victorian architecture provides a spectacular setting for the presentation of art to the public. The bridge is like presenting the Londoners ‘to express their taught about the country through exhibition and events that was run at the venue. Visiting London is not complete unless a visit to the bridge is made.

Seni Pisau

           Seni Pisau or Knife is a thrust technique. The techniques of Seni Pisau are consists of the art of thrusting, the art of grappling and striking. When training with a knife there are three method of thrusting. The straight thrust, vertical thrust and parallel thrust. The straight thrust is a technique where the knives are thrust straight at a level of the shoulder and the hand that holding the knife are pointing straight. While performing this method must make sure that the knife eyes are facing downwards. That also goes to the others method of thrusting. Whether vertical or parallel, where in vertical the blade eyes are facing forward and for parallel techniques the blade eyes will facing forward as well.

           Often mistakes are made when thrusting the knife. They turned the knife eyes to the right or opposite and the hand that holding the knife are twist like performing a punching. The confusion are neglecting the different between a keris thrust and knife thrust. There are two different techniques in these two different weapons. The thrust of a knife leave behinds a small cut and when the knife were pulled out the cut will be cover and an internal bleeding will take place. As for the keris the cut is more bigger and when a pulled out is made the cut is horrible because the cut will pull out all the contents. The thrust from the keris are more dangerous and cause severe injury.

Knife  Combat

           When trained with knife the students must also make the hand familiar with changing the position of the blade. This is to master the art of the blade. When changing are made as quickly as it can, can be confused to any opponent. Sometimes the knife is used for throwing. A method of handling the knife when throwing must be hold in the palm of the hand. And the hand must be straight in order to generate speed and accuracy of the throw. Without doubt a master in handling blade could handle the blade without detection of an attack to be carried out. Perfection of blade handling is through continuous training in the handling of various hold.

Malay Community In London

           United Kingdom has colonised most of the world countries. Upon independence some of the colonised citizen permanently became British citizens and reside in UK. That’s a choice made by some of the Malay from Malaysia. I often visit the community whenever I was in London. The lived about 30minutes journey by underground tube from the centre of London. In order for them to meet each other they formed an association which were named as Association of Malaysian Community London. The purpose of a forming a club is to tighten the relations between the minority Malay living as citizen in London. 

The Club House

             The club house was the centres for the group to meet and discuss the problem arise from their minority members. The club house was located at Cricket field Road London. Formerly they rent the apartment for the club activities until at certain time they manage to buy the premises. Every Friday most of the men will gather at the club house after Friday prayer and chatting while having Briyani Rice. They spend about one to three hour chatting about many things before returning home. The club house also used for many activities such as a centre of learning religious, reading Quran, daily prayers and social activities among the communities.

The Club Members

              Most of the members lived surrounding the club house and that makes it a centre gathering place for the members. The club house received an income from rental of an apartment on the first and second floors. Sometimes as a traveller we can spend our night there for few days. It acts as a hostel for those who needed at a certain time. Overall the club house plays a bigger role in tighten the community of the Malay in London and a centre of activities in preserving the culture of the Malay.

Sepak Lurus - Lambong Kemudi - The Concepts

            In Silat Seni Gayong , front kick were divided into two. Both looks similar but the terminology are already different. Sepak Lurus or front kick can be defined as a movement of leg kicking or thrusting forward at a certain speed. Lambong Kemudi can be defining as a lift or swing of a leg to the higher level in a motion or movements.

            Let elaborate on Sepak Lurus. Performing a Sepak Lurus is at a level of a waist and thrust with the ball of the sole in doing kicks. Sepak Lurus is techniques of destroying an attack. With a correct Sepak Lurus it generates energy, speed and power of the kicks. The targets of a Sepak Lurus are in the area of the groin up to the chest. The Sepak Lurus are used to destruct any attack. 

Sepak  Lurus

            While Lambong kemudi is training techniques to generate speed, stability and flexibility of the kicks. When performing Lambong Kemudi makes sure we kick our leg as high as we can and both hand with grasps covering the groin. From this training techniques will prepared the Silat Seni Gayong students before performing the Sepak Lurus. 

Lambong  Kemudi

            What a beautiful arrangements of method in Silat Seni Gayong in making ready and understanding to their practitioners in the art of front kick. Most of the time we always mistaken that both of the techniques are the same when performing or delivering a kicks.

            That’s why Lambong Kemudi is taught in the beginning stage of Silat Seni gayong syllabus to prepare the students for the next stages. There is where the stability and flexibility, speed and power were really enhanced before were teach on Sepak Lurus which are more on destruction. With such arrangements of, in training will prepared the students not only know the exact techniques but to be a mastered of this lovely ancient art of the Malay. I hope with these brief explanations on Sepak Lurus and Lambong Kemudi will making sure that we have the better understanding on both concepts. Have pleasure and great training.

                                                       “ Rahsia DiSebalik Rahsia”