Pencak Silat styles (that are authentic) have common elements. Sometimes these elements are hard to appreciate if you are an uneducated investigator. These elements may be shown in demonstration but, not knowing Pencak Silat yet, they just don’t quite register with you, unless the demonstrator bothers to explain them. Some prospective teachers of Pencak Silat will NOT explain these until they believe you have the right attitude and character.
These common elements of Pencak Silat, to my way of thinking are as follows:
1) Silat is weapons oriented. The training is always weapons oriented or weapon applicable to some degree. “Empty Hand” technique is instantly adaptable to weapon bearing application. Training assumes the possibility of the weapon in play… you have it, your opponent has it, you both have it. The weapon may be seen or, as yet, unseen. Weapons may be purpose built or improvised. Weapon training, in and of itself, may be such that training one weapon actually is training, within reason, many other weapons once you understand and can unlock the methodology.
2) Silat takes in to account multiple opponents. Footwork, body positioning, visual scanning and opponent manipulation are all programmed to deal with multiple opponents or those who decide to join in after the fight begins. Footwork and turns executed during a counter can be used to allow one’s visual field to automatically check all points in a room and can be easy ways to keep the body in motion and place an opponents’ body between you and his buddies.
3) Silat practitioners can fight anywhere. The ability to fight from where you are at – from the “disadvantaged position” and on poor terrain is crucial in Silat. The opponent is not expected to allow you the luxury of assuming an optimum fighting stance. You have to fight from where you are attacked. Footwork and body positioning are used to overcome the disadvantage and move you away from the focused point of the attack. Many Silat methods have ground fighting work. However, this does not mean that a silat man skilled in an art like the harimau methods, which are known for ground fighting skill, would preferentially drop to the ground when encircled by opponents. Ground fighting skill again, facilitates the “fight from where you are at “ concept of Silat. If you slip and fall, if you are tripped or thrown to the ground, if you are caught and attacked while on a bed/sofa, working low (as in changing a tire or checking under your car) or even crouching behind cover and concealment you can remain calm and fight from where you are rather than panicking and losing your focus because you simply must stand to fight.
4) No submissions in Silat. “Locks” practiced in class are for safety. We do not align the planes of motion and approach the physiologic barrier to threaten the opponent with injury if he doesn’t “give” during an altercation. The resistant opponent may not be controllable long enough for that. In combat, Silat instantly meets and exceeds physiologic barriers. Locks are safe ways to practice destruction of tissue.
5) Straightforward fighting concepts. In Silat training, there is material that can instantly be applied for combat after only a few classes. This is balanced with material that takes considerable time to master and apply. Your teachers should define these elements for you and they should be able to show the “fight enders” that are, many times, not pointed out to visitors or during the setting of the “open to the public” seminar or a “free introductory lesson”.
6) Strike Support. In training, a student may be shown a pristine sweep , throw or joint attack, but in the real world setting, it is understood that for these to be used effectively, in most cases, there must be some sort of striking happening to take the opponent’s mind off resisting the technique, to stun him or even incapacitate him to the point that the intended technique is not even required. Motions that pass by one’s fellow student may later translate into upper or lower limb blows meant to soften up the opponent. These may not initially be taught, so that the student can focus on the specific mechanics required to execute the technique.
7) A conceptual approach. In the training setting, students are often taught in relation to routes of motion and lines of attack with a consideration that the path of force could be fast like a punch or kick, could be a push or a grab or could the the path of a weapon. The student learns to evade , move around or counter a represented attack. There may be specific formal explanations of movement of a solo movement set called a jurus but the tools and movements contained within that set are understood to be applicable to many other situations and applications and can be combined, if necessary with tools and movements from other sets. So, in demonstrating responses found within a specific jurus , the demonstration may appear as if it is a specific response during a specific example of a fight happening or it may seem a bit fragmented, as if it is showing two or more things that might not string together in the flow of a real altercation. The point is that even in demonstrating the application or buah to the jurus, there is not an expectation that “this is how a fight will go down”. It is meant to give tools and responses that can be assimilated and applied for “what fits the moment” and the unique events that happen during the uncertainty of combat. Many times the drill will move past the “fight ender” to go on into other locks and positions. This is merely to practice for counter for counter work. These are some of the “what ifs” students may have. “What if the technique really doesn’t finish the fight”? “What if he tries to punch me”? “What if he tries to re position or grab my leg or arm”? This is meant to keep the student from having to learn a specific defense for every possible attack under the sun. Drills may flow to teach the student to remain fluid and continuous in motion, however the goal is not to flow in application. As in learning ping pong, there is great skill development in you and your partner “keeping the ball going” , but to win , the instructor emphasizes to the student that you stop the flow to win. The man who can hit the ping pong ball in a way that the opponent can’t “flow” and return the ball is the one who wins. In some cases, students will work versus some specific attacks and counters. The point is not that the attacker is stupid for attacking the Silat man but, instead, to give student regard for a dangerous attack for which one must prepare for. The attacker is not being a foolhardy victim by having the audacity to attack. It should be emphasized that, often, the student on the “attacker “ side of the drill is training in a technique that the silat man better have awareness of and preparation for. Our idea is that our enemies and opponents are smart and dangerous, not idiots who unfortunately for them, do not know our Pencak Silat.
8) An understanding that there is no fair fight. A good Silat man cheats in any real fight. He pokes eyes, pinches, pulls hair , bites, slaps groins, kicks shins, grabs a finger, throws sand in the eyes, throws you on bottles and fire hydrants, pushes furniture in your way or on you. If he has a weapon, he uses it. He may know poisons, toxins and noxious chemicals – he’s okay with firearms if appropriate. While there are sport competitions for more modern methods, older Pencak Silat methods are focused on winning the fight through cleverness and deception as well as technique.
9) A “loose grappling method” compared to some systems. This again flows from and allows for elements 1 and 2 . The Silat practitioner has to be able to scan for weapons and needs to be able to stand up and walk out of, or roll out of a hold in case of multiple attackers.
10) An awareness, respect and acknowledgement of “Relationship”. Generally speaking, this is outlined as relationship to: One’s Higher Power, One’s Community, One’s Family/Parent’s /Elders, One’s Teacher , Nature and One’s Self.
All this being said, I am by no means the final authority on “all things Pencak Silat”. Pencak Silat systems may have some techniques taught that don’t always exhibit every single one of these elements , but globally speaking the Pencak Silat style should still have these elements. Additionally, many Pencak Silat styles will have their own unique areas of emphasis and special considerations that make them a specific method apart from other Pencak Silat styles. If one reviews the above elements they will also note that these are also shared with many other good combat methods as well, so it would be incorrect to conclude that these are exclusive to the realm of Pencak Silat.
Written by Guru Doc Dority
1 comment
Keep on trucking doc.
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