Semar Alam Tunggal

As written in Malay Saga a quote from the legendary Malay Malacca warrior Hang Tuah when asked about what techniques he applied when defeating the Majapahit warrior, he said,”Datuk gunakan langkahan ibu Gayong sendi gedang tunggal,semar alam tunggal,belah bumi kipas nandong,kipas nandong dalam nandong.” The word with high poetic Malay meaning usually used when explaining something during that era.

What are its meaning and are that kind of techniques still exit or have been extinction. That is for us the modern and newly Malay breed to find out. I am bringing out one of the poetic terms for a discussion and point to ponder. Those quotes are, “semar alam tunggal’.

Semar alam tunggal meaning god is the creator of the whole universe and one of the creation is human. In the philosophy of Gayong it is already introduced from the beginning where all the practitioners are directed to recite AlIkhlas and it is recommended to complete the reciting for 70000 times. The concept and teaching of the said versus are beginning of understanding of the total knowledge before feeding for more.

Starting from been accepting as a Gayong practitioner or student, where how important the adat perlimau are, before and after finishing a training session where how important our way of life are, in a training session show how our life and nature of a human should be, completing by ourselves the said versus for inner training, and the training continue. What has been written here are just an opening and guide for Gayong practitioner on searching for this knowledge? In simple Malay word, “tulisan keterangan ini adalah kiasan yang perlu difikirkan untuk memecahkan ruyungnya”.

Sekadar Gambar Hiasan

Maybe it doesn’t drop in our mind and maybe we don’t have a time for all this, where we shouldn’t have this kind of attitude if we are really seeking for Gayong. Maybe it is a bit complicated to understand for someone but insyaAllah if there is a will there will be a way. Let take some phrase from ilmu Gayong, as an example in the words reciting in a bath, quote, “Allah hu ma kata suci.suci badan ku dalam nur cahaya Muhammad, suci bumi lembaga adam........” and the phrase continued. Another “amalan”, quote, “ kun kata Allah, fayakun kata Muhammad...................nun awan putih melindungi aku, Allah hu Akbar..” Some “amalan” continued for example the phrase, quote, “ la tud riku ab soru wala tud riko......” with AlMighty all those example of “amalan” for the strength of the body, being at a place without been noticed etc. Even it also stated in the poem, quote, “Gayong bercantum bersatu padu....and more , quote, “dengan bismillah mula dikata...”. Those are the steps of understanding the whole package of the knowledge, but the most and most important knowledge to be expressed here is the true understanding of semar alam tunggal. 

Gayong is myself,over there Gayong,here Gayong...”Gayong adalah diri aku sendiri, disana Gayong, disini Gayong...” If we really dig deeply this knowledge all the commotion among us in Gayong could be avoided and the true meaning of Gayong could be applied and belief we will reach the knowledge of the quote, semar alam tunggal. If not, then maybe it will be a daydream where most of us do.

May we have all the barakah and hidayah

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.