Breaking - A Request

I am thinking about what to be share with all the readers. Did anyone have a suggestion? Now I remember there is a request from one student of Silat Seni Gayong asking me to write about the technique of breaking. He told me that he is entering an exam for the upgrade of his ranking and one of the syllabuses is breaking. He request me to share the knowledge of breaking because he wasn’t been taught this techniques. How is a student that doesn’t been teach and ask to do breaking in a grading? Is there something wrong somewhere in the system or it just making easy for the instructor? Before going to any grading the student must be equip with all the knowledge. From my view something must be straighten up on this matter in the sake of preserving the quality and knowledge of the art.

Breaking A Stone On Chest

In Silat Seni Gayong there is way of doing a breaking. We must place the roof tiles properly on each edge, usually using brick. How to place those roof tiles accordingly? It must be place technically about 1in from each end on the brick. When placing the roof tiles on the brick we must make sure that it will not move. In order to know whether it moves or not just used your palm and press it gently and hear and see and feel whether the roof tiles are in proper placing. After finish we must test the position of standing when intention of breaking it. The leg must be place accordingly; the left leg is at the same level of the roof tiles if you are right handed and vice versa if you are left handed. The knuckle if the tool used for that breaking, you must position it at a point where you wanted to do the hit. The point must be one quarter from the edge that you choose. Make sure when you do the punching the hand must be in straight level with your shoulder. Judge the point of hit, making breathing in and out at least 3 times and then break it.

A Woman Practitioner Breaking Roof Tile With Elbow

Must remember roof tiles have two types, there is cement which is harder and there is clay which is softer. For a starter using clay is better, but must remember the clay when is broken is sharp and it could cut your hand. For safety cover it with a cloth. You should also ask your instructor as well the ilmu of breaking. There are some mentera recite when doing breaking. For example, “kun kata pecah.Fayakun yang memecah.....”. Refer to your instructor for this, because in Silat Seni Gayong everything has a petua and ilmu even in the movement itself.

What I share is only on breaking roof tiles that was place on a brick. There are many types of breaking, such as: breaking roof tiles while holding it, breaking brick, breaking cement drain etc. All this breaking can be done variously using knuckle, elbow, palm, head, knee etc. The only thing is that we have to be taught of the proper petua and ilmu of it and in order to have that we must have a true knowledgeable instructor. Must also remember breaking is good to do at least every six month for each person in order to protect the hand from feeling pain when age is increased. That’s why we perform mandi minyak to correcting any muscle plus vein on training activities. May the simple explanation helps for the student who make the requisition.

Mayang Gesit - The Malay Throwing Art

In the art of Silat Seni Gayong there lie a techniques called Mayang Gesit. What is Mayang Gesit? How the techniques do works? All this questions circling in our mind, because the words used are old Malay words. In the dictionary Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu, one of the meanings for Mayang is thin slice and Gesit is agile, swift or quick. 

Mayang Gesit is a tool to flick a bun used by Malay female in the old days. It usually made from cooper, sticks and even from gold for the aristocrat. The size of its maximum to a span of the hand distances the middle finger with the thumb. It was used by the Malay women silat practitioner as a throwing tool.

Sekadar Gambar Hiasan

Anything that are design this kind are been called by this terms. It is like a throwing darts used in the art of Silat Seni Gayong. The balance, size, length is the main criteria of this kind of getting an accurate throwing. The target of the throw is point that can weaken the enemy or kill. Mayang Gesit should be place on the palm if it were wanted to be used for throwing. It must be place at an exact spot on the palm in order to get an accurate throw. The techniques of throwing play a significant role when performing the art.

When throwing Mayang Gesit the hand should be in the correct position. A slight error in handling will result in accurate throwing and missed the target. The tool maximum distance when throwing is around 7meters and it is depends on the material used when making the dart. The speed of throwing is much related in the way it was handle and the hand position when throwing. The training is done on banana stem from a bigger stem until small. This is to train the accuracy of the throwing and the exact spot targeted in each throwing. In the old days poison are sometimes place on the sharp edge for a more serious impact.

I hope with this introductory of the art will bring a strong spirit to explore the ancient art of Silat Seni Gayong.I humbly request that we maintain and preserved our tradition and the way of the Malay Warrior.

                       Mayang Gesit diberi nama,

                       Tari dari wanita Melayu,

                       Seni baling pusaka bangsa,

                       Dari tapak tangan hingga ke bahu.

Machete Full Concept

Silat Seni Gayong early training with mastering the langkah and empty hand techniques consists of grappling, striking etc. Upon mastering it continues in handling the weapons, started with a weapon with the criteria of thrusting, flipping or hacking, combining of those two methods etc. I would like to share with you the art of flipping or hacking using the machete.

In Malay Archipelago there are various kind of machete for various used. The used of machete in self defense of the Malay are also consists of variety of design and purposes. I am only going to share the art of machete in the concept of Silat Seni Gayong. The most important criteria of getting a machete that are suitable to be used are calculated on the length and size of it. The length must be calculated from the size of each individual that was measure from the size of the head. The width of it is at the size of two or two and a half of the fingers size. The important of the size taken is for making it suitable for the user in terms of manoeuvring, weight and handling when it is used. 

After all the measurements and the machete are ready, it was given to the instructor to check. The instructor will recite a doa to neutralise the iron blade so as not to cause a severe injury if any mistake happen during the training. Only a knowledgeable instructor has these abilities, and in the old days of training these steps is apply. Nowadays the traditional way was left out and many of the adat and adap were no longer followed.

Seni Parang

When everything is in order accordingly the students will be taught the art of hacking. It is started with a flipping downwards with a ninety degree horizontal position, vertical, forty five degree position, attacking techniques from top to ground and varieties attacking manoeuvre. Then it continues with avoiding techniques which are related to the attacking movements for making the students familiar working in pairs in a continuously movements.

The art continues with striking, grappling and pairs movements with speed, timing and footwork for the students truly mastering the total concept. The application of training once they had in the unarmed combat helps in this category in making speed, endurance, timing, accuracy etc. 

The training doesn’t stop only on the techniques, it continues in first aid if any unnecessary things happen especially in the pair’s application movements. The method of petua nafas is also taught in order to the students be equip as a master in this art of machete.

Overall the training in the art of machete in Silat Seni Gayong in the heir days is well complete and this style of training has changed nowadays where many only concentrate only part of it. I really hope the style of training in the old days been preserved of making sure as what we called the art of the Malay warrior of Silat Seni Gayong uplifted as it was before.

                                                Seni parang indah sekali,

                                                Jika kita mengetahui,

                                                Jangan kita rasa berpuashati ,

                                                Yang ada belum pasti diselami

Kekalkan Tradisi

When referring to the application on spiritual testing in Silat Seni Gayong in the heir days and at present they are great changes. Things that never been done or never made as a test has been add in it. It is good in a sense of knowledge but from my point of view without realising it we are leaving the traditional off slowly. The questions are what went wrong? Or is the knowledge that we had before faded from the hand of ours.

I still remember anywhere any place any time during the heir days when performing the demonstration, the normal spiritual ability or strength show are only, breaking huge log stone on the chest, jumping or rolling on a broken glass and bending the iron rod. Those are the few spiritual abilities only shown to the public. Beside that the testing also circling in hang, drives thru a vehicle on the hand, flip with a machete to the body and so on.

Flipping Machete To The Arm

Lately they add breaking a bottle full of water using the palm, which are never been seen or maybe taught by the founder as far as I am concern. Maybe I missed of learning that but I think I am not. The application of breaking a bottle full of water normally is by Kung Fu practitioners in most of their spiritual ability performance. Yes I do agreed it is knowledge and there is no harm or wrong doing it but the questions is the originality of the art itself that I am concerning at.

Walking on Hot Burning Charcoal

I would stress why we don’t show our way of the art although we have the capabilities to do various applications. That is the good part of it because with good Silat Seni Gayong training and understanding we can understand whatever kind or way of spiritual abilities no matter from what style.

In all Silat Seni Gayong spiritual abilities there applies the petua and ilmu and this is very significant in the Malay art of the warrior. I made an example here and hoping the readers will understand it. We choose one of Silat Seni Gayong spiritual abilities, bending the iron rod; the secret behind it lies on the iron rod itself and that what we call petua and the additional of ilmu were applied in understanding the origin of it. In the petua there are a point of gravity located on the rod and apply with versus of ilmu, the bending will be done perfectly.

Bending The Iron Rod

The difference between the Malay spiritual abilities testing is complying with the ilmu and petua, which I presumed petua is science and ilmu is spirituality. Another example, breaking the bottle full of water with hand palm, the water in the bottle will act as a tool moving the oxygen for greater reaction from the air blow form the hand .This reaction generate greater force that broke the bottle. A knowledge great to be known but it is not original Silat Seni Gayong spiritual application.

I am really hoping as a Silat Seni Gayong practitioner, we should hold on our original tradition without leaving others as our additional. We have so many spiritual abilities only a matter of knowing and seeking from a correct person who preserved this kind of secret.

Walking on Hot Charcoal - Testing The Confidence

One of how Silat Seni Gayong testing the spirit of the practitioner is a test walking on hot charcoal. The charcoals were made through a burning of wood in a heap. Before burning the wood a safety measure must be made especially if the wood is a used board, making sure there is no nail stick to it. Sometimes they do use this kind of material. If it was collected in the forest there should be no problem.

A place was choosing before the ceremony start and the placed choose must be clean up. The cleaning is to make sure there is no stone on the ground and the ground has to be extracted a little in making sure all the stone is taken off. After all this is prepared the event start by burning the wood and waiting until it turns into charcoal. It is depends on the amount of the wood to turn into charcoal. If the amount is bigger than it might take longer time and vice versa.

The leader or we call it “dalang” is the anchor person who are responsible for the event. He has all the full authority of the ceremony from the beginning until the end. If anything mishap is under his responsibility. To be a “dalang,” one should have the knowledge .The knowledge of petua and ilmu of the ceremony. Not many people are lucky to have all the knowledge, only a few were passed the art by the founder. Before starting the event normally the “dalang” will select among the student to assist him. This student will do the necessary things that instructed by the “dalang’. 

A Women Student Testing Her Confidence Walking on Hot Burning Charcoal

The participant is the students who are under the supervision of the “dalang” during the event. The student whom are not been selected to assist the “dalang” will wait patiently for the wood to turn into charcoal. Normally for this event s student selected are only a few because the work is not that great. Only to prepare the wood, extracted the ground, burning the wood and the others will be done by the “dalang” in making sure the event is smoothly.

A Male Student Testing His Confidence Walking on Hot Burning Charcoal

When the wood has turn into charcoal the “dalang” will level the charcoal smoothly. He will recite a doa for the safety of the event while smoothing the charcoal. According to the knowledge after everything is ready he will instructed a student to make a walk on the hot charcoal. Before doing this the student will shake the “dalang” hand asking for the permission and blessing. The student will be instructed to recite “basmallah” seeking the merciful from the ALMighty .

The reason for walking on burning charcoal is to test the spiritual side of the student, whether they have confidence and brave and pure heart. In some event a little burn appears on sole of the students, only a few do face this kind of experience. When this happen the “dalang” will make a medicine and pour it to the little burn to ease the burn. Normally when pour the traditional medicine which is from water reciting with doa immediately it recovered. A “dalang” is not only as a leader conducting the event but he must well equip with knowledge if unnecessary things happen.

Walking on hot charcoal usually done with bath with boiling oil which cooked from coconut milk for the purposed of traditional massage in healing the body from the hard of silat training. All this traditional and ancient Malay custom is such for testing the practitioner along their way learning Silat Seni Gayong. The test is a way of building the spirit, bravery, loyalty, obedient and brotherhood of the art.