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