| Silat is an ancient & deadly combat fighting art | | | | their fighting arts through sport competitions but |
| from South-East Asia in the region known as the | | | | the remote areas of the Malay Archipelago still |
| Malay Archipelago which encompasses | | | | use their fighting arts in much the same manner |
| approximately 13,700 islands around the following | | | | as their ancestors have for 1,000's of years. Yes, |
| countries; Indonesia, Malaysia and Southern | | | | the Indonesian & Malaysian governments have in |
| Philippines but Silat can reach as far West as | | | | recent years promoted Silat as their national sport |
| Burma and as far East as Papua New Guinea. | | | | and brought fourth Silat competitions both |
| Each S.E.A. country has it's own term for Silat | | | | nationally and internationally, however Silat still |
| pronounced (see-lot). In Malaysia it's called Bersilat | | | | remains a vital part of the average Malays daily |
| (bur-see-lot), In the Philippines it's called Silat and in | | | | life in order to insure their continued physical |
| Indonesia it's called Pencak Silat (pen-choc see-lot) | | | | existence in the harsh jungles and remote islands. |
| by the Indonesians and Pentjak Silat (pen-jock | | | | Understand that most of the inhabitants of the |
| see-lot) by the Dutch who occupied the country | | | | Malay Archipelago still live hundreds even |
| for about 300 years from the 16th century until | | | | thousands of years behind American & European |
| the 20th century when in 1949 Indonesia claimed | | | | industrialized technology. Even in the new |
| it's independence. All of the names mentioned | | | | millennium as you read this there are still head |
| here are just generic terms used to describe the | | | | hunters on the remote island of Borneo |
| indigenous fighting arts of the Malay Archipelago | | | | (Kalimantan) and many inhabitants of the Malay |
| much as the term Kung Fu is for the Chinese arts | | | | Archipelago still hunt with spears, blowpipes, bow |
| and Karate is for the Japanese arts. | | | | & arrows and live in grass huts. They have no |
| Silat is a weapons system that employs empty | | | | running water, no electricity, no telephones, no |
| hand techniques based on weapons usage and the | | | | indoor plumbing, no modern transportation and |
| most common weapon being that of the knife | | | | rely on walking or canoes as their primary mode |
| sword (keris). Silat is a natural flowing art utilizing | | | | of transport. If a tribal law has been broken or a |
| techniques that move naturally with ones skeletal | | | | conflict between villages and/or villagers arises |
| and muscular systems in ways that you normally | | | | they can't dial 911 and instead must rely on their |
| move your body & limbs throughout everyday | | | | own physical ability to handle the situation. If it |
| life. Two such examples are "Brush Hair" and | | | | calls for policing, fighting or war then they need |
| "Slap". Brush Hair is an upward elbow strike | | | | proven reliable combat fighting techniques that will |
| simulating combing your hair and Slap is an open | | | | ensure their victory in any combat situation. |
| hand palm strike that is done similarly to slapping | | | | Situations like that of an attack by a wild animal |
| someone in the face. | | | | such as a tiger, a sneak attack by a lower rank in |
| The Malay Archipelago has approximately 250 | | | | the caste system trying to raise his status, or an |
| different Silat systems encompassing everything | | | | attack by multiple warriors of an enemy tribe. All |
| a person needs for self-protection from stand up | | | | of which are part of the daily reality in the Malay |
| fighting techniques to ground fighting techniques to | | | | Archipelago lifestyle of today. |
| weapons training. Of these approximate 250 | | | | Since an attack can come at any time from |
| systems there are literally 1000's of individual | | | | anywhere they can't spend years or decades |
| styles that have been created. Each system has | | | | learning a style before being able to protect |
| it's own number of particular styles that make up | | | | themselves so the training has to be streamlined |
| that unique system and some systems of Silat | | | | and easily learned. As a result they have |
| have been created using as little as 5 styles while | | | | developed ingenious training methods that allow |
| others may have been created using as many as | | | | you to be able to learn a system in as little as |
| 50 different styles to formulate their system. | | | | three years and some styles can be learned in as |
| Some masters have even blended techniques | | | | little as a few months and still yet there are |
| from 100's of different styles together to create | | | | styles that can be learned in only a few weeks. |
| their own personal Silat system of combat and it | | | | Of course true mastery of a Silat system can |
| is not uncommon to find Chinese (Kuntao & Kung | | | | take a lifetime of study. |
| Fu), Japanese (Karate & Aiki) or Indian | | | | Since the early 90's and the introduction to "No |
| (Kalarippayattu & Silambam) arts mixed into a | | | | Holds Barred" tournaments and "Mixed Martial |
| particular Silat system as the Malays borrowed & | | | | Arts" the new fad is to cross train in Brazilian Ju |
| adapted anything that was useful and worked in | | | | Jitsu for ground grappling, Muay Thai for knees & |
| combat. | | | | elbows, American Boxing for punches, Karate for |
| All Silat systems adhere to similar principles & | | | | kicks, and Kung Fu for hand techniques. While this |
| concepts, which makes for an easy transition | | | | is a well-rounded approach to training for |
| when learning multiple styles. This is apparent in | | | | tournaments it still lacks the necessary arsenal |
| the fact that all true Silat systems have a | | | | needed for combat self-protection in real life |
| multitude of styles woven together to make up | | | | encounters. The one thing that combines all silat |
| that system and in a true Silat system it's styles | | | | systems together is the fact that they are a |
| flow together as one void of any transitional | | | | complete combat fighting art encompassing every |
| discrepancies. A Silat practitioner can go from | | | | type of training that one will need for a life & |
| "Blekok" (crane) a stand up fighting style too | | | | death confrontation. |
| "Harimau" (king tiger) a ground fighting style in | | | | The following 10 training components are what |
| such a smooth transition that it would have the | | | | make a Silat system complete: |
| viewer believe that they are seeing the exact | | | | Stand Up - hand strikes, kicks, elbows, knees, |
| same style performed instead of a completely | | | | head strikes, stepping patterns, ranges and more. |
| different one. | | | | Ground - grappling, strikes, takedowns, weapons, |
| A Silat style can be taught in a relatively short | | | | offensive & defensive postures and more. |
| period of time unlike most martial art styles that | | | | Grappling - throws, sweeps, pressure points, joint |
| require many years to learn and to be able to | | | | manipulations, holds breaking and more. |
| apply effectively. Silat is very defensive, yes but | | | | Multiple Attackers - stances, evasions, strikes, |
| it's also quite offensive and is therefore quite | | | | body placement, escapes and more. |
| brutal in it's application. Unlike most martial art | | | | Spatial - ranges, angles, heights, stances, stepping |
| system's stylist who fights in tournaments for | | | | and more. |
| trophies, medals or glory a Silat practitioner fights | | | | Weapons - knives, sticks, staffs, swords, clothing, |
| in the real world to preserve their life! In Silat | | | | offensive & defensive techniques and more. |
| there are no rules, no un-sportsman like conduct, | | | | Terrain - styles that work best for mud, jungle, |
| no such thing as low-blows and nothing referred | | | | grass, concrete and more. |
| to as cheating that Americans & Europeans are | | | | External - calisthenics to build & tone muscle, |
| use to. In fact a Silat practitioner is encouraged to | | | | increase tendon strength, toughen skin, enhance |
| use weapons, trickery, sneak attacks and | | | | cardio vascular system and more. |
| anything else that will ensure their victory in | | | | Internal - breathing methods to manifest & |
| combat. | | | | control the electrical current in the body for |
| Here is a little known historical fact about Silat; In | | | | health, longevity, power, speed, striking, blow |
| WWII the .45-caliber pistol was introduced to the | | | | protection and more. |
| United States Navy in order to combat the lack | | | | Spiritual - mind abilities for healing purposes, |
| of stopping power that the .38-caliber pistol had, | | | | hypnosis, altering reality, distorting time and more. |
| which was virtually of no use against the charging | | | | All of the above 10 components are what make |
| attacks of the ferocious Moro warriors on the | | | | Silat a complete combat fighting system for any |
| Philippine island of Mindanao due to their effective | | | | self-protection situation whether it be in a remote |
| use of Kali-Silat. | | | | jungle, a big city alleyway, a suburban night club or |
| Let's think about it this way for a moment, most | | | | a rural country town. |
| martial art systems from Japan, China, Korea or | | | | So if you want a combat fighting system where |
| other modern countries do not use their fighting | | | | all the "cross training" has been done for you by |
| arts the way they did 100's of years ago to fight | | | | centuries of experienced combat masters then I |
| or war with and have graduated to preserving | | | | suggest you try a Silat system on for size. |