Ambil Tapak

Questioner           :   Siapa nama kamu?

Answerer             :  Nama aku ......

Questioner           :   Apa hajat kamu ?

Answerer             :   Aku memohon izin untuk ........

Representative     :   Aku mewakili .......mengizinkan kamu......terimalah amanatku ini.

Answerer             :  Aku terima dengan berkat syafaat Baginda Rasulullah saw.

The above conversation is a request for performing a tradition and custom event in Silat Seni Gayong. It show the discipline,respect,humble,loyalty,adap and adat in the art. This event are commonly apply when starting an event such as demonstration, a khatam , a coronation etc. It can be summarise as an act of adat istiadat in Silat Seni Gayong asking permission of approval before and after an event.

The said custom discipline is made to a higher shoulder belt holder seeking an approval for an event. It is very important to understand the ranking well in order not to make mistake. A higher shoulder belt is forbidden to seek permission from the lower rank. If this is happening an event of adat of coronation should be conducted again for those who make the mistake. It meant the ranking that they being holding had fallen or forfeited.

The application for permission is not only based on the ranking of the shoulder belt but it is also accountable from the position of the person. A King is the highest position, follow by the late founder, the Imam Khalifah Agong and each rank. If it happen the permission seek through a King, a 7 steps should be taken and both hand are on the head showing respect and the conversation will be a bit different. As an example the conversation should start by the seeker with, “Ampun Tuanku” and follow by introducing himself before a permission to enter asking for the blessing approval.

Ambil Tapak

But this is seldom happen due to a very high protocol incurred. A practitioner of Seni Gayong must have this knowledge because an event can’t be predicted. Normally for seeking a permission of this kind will be done by a higher rank such as Imam Khalifah Agong or Khalifah Besar seeking permission from the King.

If we can notice the seeking of permission are done by the section of the Kegurulatihan. For those on the section of adat administration their job is only to administrate the adat istiadat of Silat Seni Gayong. If they wearing the Waris Beradat or Ketua Beradat shoulder belt they are forbidden to take charge of the event. And the people who are seeking permission are forbidden to seek approval from those shoulder belt holders. If this happen it means that the adat of Silat Seni Gayong has been abused or wrongly conducted. 

There are too many to understand on the adat istiadat of Silat Seni Gayong. It was arranged with full of secret behind the scene and each student of Gayong must seek the knowledge accordingly. Do not simply do things that we don’t have the knowledge because it will mislead and damage the custom. Seek the people who really have the adat istiadat knowledge and learn from them. The preserved of adat istiadat in Silat Seni Gayong is compulsory due to the secret in it.

May we all be bless.

Gayong - An Introduction On Healing

All the while we only have been introduced on the art of the martial. It is not completed if we don’t know the art of healing in Silat Seni Gayong. As healing in various methods, curing a blade cut, healing a dislocated joint, many more and sometimes maybe related with some spiritual aspect.

I had an experienced once in a training session a student of mine is possessed and turning himself acting like an animal. With the knowledge, we manage to overcome the situation. Must bear in mind, it is very important to be discipline when to start a training session and closing, should be done focus and reciting of AlIkhlas with full concentration. While doing so, ignore any disturbance until we really had completed the session. It is part of a method to avoid any spiritual in order inside and outside the training compound.

When training goes on, it is normal to get cut while using any sharp blade. If this happen a used of the saliva are common to stop the blood and to sore the cut. This applies on small cut maybe from the slice of a knife. The healing method is inclusive of ease the poison, to stop the blood and eases the pain of the cut.

Gambar Hiasan

As usual Gayong methods are always with the combination of petua and ilmu. On the paragraph above, saliva act as a petua while the ilmu is “bismillah Allah Hu.....” .The saliva was taken from the sky of the mouth and using mother finger. With the ilmu it was apply to the cut section. If the cut is bigger for an example in a war where the wound is greater Gayong method of healing is to expose the body to dew and a special kind of ilmu were apply in the healing. It was told that the person with the wound would recover and return back to the war zone. The way of doing it is reciting the ilmu while stroking to the wound section gently while rubbing the dew.

It is normal to get swelling in any situation, maybe from a strike in training. As a qualified instructor and knowledgeable to refrain the swelling an amal was apply by reciting “bismllah..mumazakallah hu.....”, and rubbing at the section gently.

As we view it every steps of Gayong there is always petua and ilmu. What usually done when performing boiling oil is massaging the oil to the body? Do we ever think that if the boiling oil really burns our hand when we dip into it? It happened once in Ampang during performing the event in the old days. Water was used with a special recite of a doa to recover the blister. It is very important when preparing the boiling oil one must have the full knowledge and a very high adap and discipline of the whole process.

The healing method in Gayong is a part of first aid that was generated from generation and always gets a medical assistance if things did happen. The combination of petua and ilmu of the old method with the modern medication should go in line depending on the case.

I hope with this small sharing will unbuckle our enthusiastic spirit to seek more knowledge of Silat Seni Gayong, not only on the martial side but also on the healing way of it.

May all of us be bless.

Petua Nafas

Banyak amalan dalam Silat Seni Gayong ini. Salah satu amalan yang diperturunkan pada anak-anak Gayong adalah amalan nafas. Amalan nafas ini adalah amalan dalam merasa keluar masuknya nafas kedalam tubuh melalui hidung.Amalan-amalan ini biasanya diamalkan semasa hendak melakukan sesuatu sebagai contoh hendak memulakan perjalanan, berdemonstrasi, baik dalam acara adat atau sebagainya.

Bagaimanakah merasai turun naik nafas ini? Nafas ini ada yang panas dan sejuknya, ibarat matahari dan bulan.Ianya tidak berhenti masuk dan keluar kedalam tubuh manusia selagi hayat ada.

Dalam petua nafas ini ada ketikanya masuk dan keluarnya adalah sama nadanya dan ada yang berlainan. Buat kali ini kita hanya akan berkongsi  sedikit tentang masuk dan keluar nafas dalam kadar yag berlainan dan bagaimana kita dapat memanafaatkannya.

Sekadar Gambar Hiasan

Dalam petua memulakan perjalanan maupun memulakan berdemonstrasi, pada suatu ketika dahulu kami diingatkan dan diajar agar mempraktikkan amalan rasa nafas ini. Tujuannya agar jika ada sebarang musibah yang bakal menimpa dapat diselisihkan dengan IZINNYA. Petua nafas ini dikenal pasti dengan meletakkan belakang tangan ke hidung dan merasa nafas yang keluar darinya. Jika nafas yang keluar itu kuat dari salah satu arusnya, itulah langkah yang perlu kita ambil. Bila sudah dikenal pasti, mulakanlah langkah dengan arah tunjuk nafas itu tadi. Dilengkapi ia dengan amalan bacaan pelangkah agar salin lengkap melengkapi. 

Petua nafas ini dkembangkan lagi semasa bertempur. Peredaran nafas yang dirasa ketika ini dengan IZINNYA menjadi petua kepada hulubalang Gayong menewaskan musuh mereka . Ianya menjadi pakaian dalam melangkah hulubalang.Bukan itu sahaja pergerakan tangan dan kaki serta rasa petua nafas yang sempurna boleh mendatangkan kepaduan semasa melakukan tumbukan. Nafas ditahan sambil tapak tangan menarik untuk mengengam sambil dilayangkan dipusat menjadi petua kepada berat penumbuk. (Bagi yang ingin tahu kaedah yang betul perlulah mencari guru yang arif).

Petua nafas ini bukan setakat itu sahaja ia juga boleh dihembus ketapak tangan, dihembus kepada seteru kita dan sebaginya yang menjadi pakaian para hulubalang Gayong dahulu.Semua kaedah petua Gayong ini disertai dengan amalnya , ada jasad ada roh, ada bumi ada langit begitu jugalah kita ada amalnya ada petuanya .Apa pun petua nafas ini perlu dituntut untuk difahami agar ianya dapat dimanafaatkan dalam perjalanan kita  mencari khazanah hulubalang Gayong.

Shield , Gada-Gada and Machete

Shield, Gada-Gada and Machete is the entry title. Anybody knows “Gada-Gada”? Or hear about it before. Gada-Gada is an additional Silat Seni Gayong weapon. Why it was called Gada-Gada? It was name that way because anything that is located at the edge and swing are defined as Gada-Gada in the Malay proverb or meaning. Usually Gada-Gada comes together with a shield. The size of Gada-Gada is various depend on the sharp object at the edge which is calculated from the length.

Where else Shield of the Malay is a tool in round those beings hold with full arm. Normally the size of a Malay Shield is a length of middle finger and the mother finger on each side of the tool. The objective of the Shield is to protect from any kind of attack especially from Machete. It is the tool of protection and Machete or Gada-Gada is combining as tools of destruction or making an attack. Shield despite as a protective gear it also being used as attacking tool. The attacking are apply in a motion of striking using forearm.

Malay Bugis Shield

Machete is a kind of sharp weapon with a size of the head length. The criteria of this weapon is to strike from the side, horizontal, stabbing, slicing, cutting etc .Shield will be used as a protective gear and Machete will do the striking.

The used of Shield does not bind only with Machete or Gada-Gada. It is also can be apply with Spear, but in the Malay Martial Art the used of Shield are consistent with Gada-Gada or Machete.

Example of Gada-Gada

In order to master these techniques a student must really know the art of Machete and the art of weapon which are kind of rope or chain that tight with sharp object. The philosophy of the art of the Shield, Gada-Gada, and Machete is blocking with Shield and striking either with any of the used weapons and once a while striking are necessary with the shield.

Silat Seni Gayong highlight many kind of weapon in making the student familiarise with all kind of different criteria of tools and combination of each tools as a way of the warrior. It is up to the student which kind of weapon they want to master. As a proverb said hold the weapon hard don’t let the enemy seized it from you.

With all the best for every practitioner seeking all the treasure of the ancient warrior art, Silat Seni Gayong.

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.