Tun Fatimah Sri Kandi Melaka

Indonesia fighters keen to retain `pencak silat' gold haul

Indonesian pencak silat fighters will be heading to the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos next month confident of retaining supremacy at the biennial multi-event sporting showcase.

"All of the 13 fighters have a chance of winning gold medals," team head coach Indro Catur Haryono told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

"It's hard to maintain past achievements but we are confident we can," he added.

Indonesian fighters bagged five gold, four silver and three bronze to emerge as overall medal winner in the event two years ago in Thailand.

About the same medal count will be required for the team to maintain its supremacy in the sport, which originates in Indonesia.

The lead-up to the games by the nine men and four women fighters in the squad has been optimistic.

The team includes two gold medalists from the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam earlier this month and four gold medal winners at the Asian Martial Arts Games in Thailand in August.

Those victorious in Vietnam were Annisa Pangestina and M. Shodiq, while the winning squad members from the Thailand mission were Ni Nyoman Suparniti, I Komang Wahyu, Pujo Janoko and Lutfan Budi Santosa.

Suparniti was also one of the five gold medalists at the last SEA Games.

Lutfan has added a title from the 2007 World Championships to his laurel along with Sofani Rahmaliani, who is also competing in Laos.

Hamdani and Yusuf Effendi, who won gold in the men's doubles at the Asian Beach Games in Bali last year, will also make up the lineup for Laos.

Vietnam's squad has the potential to spoil Indonesia's hopes as it pushes to regain its dominance in the sport.

Having turned to Indonesian coaches to help develop the sport, Vietnam dominated at Brunei Darussalam 1999, Vietnam 2003 and the Philippines 2005 before being relegated to second place in 2007 by collecting only three gold medals.

"The fighters from both Indonesia and Vietnam are on a par in terms of technique and physique. Nonetheless, with a burning desire to win, our fighters will go all out," Indro said.

Nineteen gold medals in pencak silat are up for grabs. However, due to quota regulations set by the organizing committee, Indonesia can only participate in 12 disciplines to be held at the Laos International Trade Exhibition and Convention Center.

After their last sparring matches against Balinese fighters, the Indonesian team is currently undergoing a cooling-down period before embarking for the games, which begin Dec. 9.

Sourced from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/11/21/indonesia-fighters-keen-retain-pencak-silat039-gold-haul.html

Preserving culture

Silat has been a part of Tuan Faisal Azmy Tuan Kob’s life for the past nine years. At least twice a week, he makes his way to his Seni Silat Cekak Ustaz Hanafi centre in Subang Jaya, Selangor, where he conducts silat classes.

Faisal, a 29-year-old engineer, first took up silat when he was studying in Multimedia University. Silat, a Malay martial arts form that comes in hundreds of different styles, is a graceful method of self-defense made up of numerous stances and footwork.

“I was the last in my circle of friends to join the club actually,” says Faisal. “Most of my friends were taking it up and it grew on me. Ironically, now I’m the only one left who is still involved in it.”

Faisal even put up a silat performance when he was studying in Manchester, Britain.

“Coincidentally, it was Malaysia’s 50th year of independence at the time, and I was invited to give a silat performance during the celebration,” recalls Faisal.

The Kelantan native, who is also active in theatre, is serious about preserving the art form and passing it on to the younger generation.

Tuan Faisal Azmy Tuan Kob believes in preserving culture, and he is doing so through Silat, an art which he hopes to pass on to his children someday.

“If we don’t keep culture alive, it will be lost.”

Faisal also thinks it ironic that it is he, the most urbanite in his family, who is practising the ancient art form.

“It’s funny how my family is the one that moved to Kuala Lumpur, while my parents’ siblings and their families remain in Kelantan. And I’m the one taking up this traditional art,” he explains.

Silat, he says, humbles him. Once he walks through the doors to his class, everything that separates him from his fellow martial artists in status and rank is shed away, and everyone is equal.

“In my class, there could be rich kids or farmers, but we’re all the same at that moment in time. Being a part of something like this unifies people. We learn mutual respect and this is what we need to uphold in our society; it’s not just about having knowledge about the moves and stunts.”

Faisal says that apart from the physical benefits of performing silat, the art is built on pillars of beliefs, all to do with respect.

“This is why I will teach my children silat because it teaches you to respect your teacher, parents, and others. It teaches you to uphold good values, apart from knowing self-defense,” notes Faisal.

He believes that young people should stay in touch with their heritage, in any way possible.

“It’s about having a cultural identity in our society. If we don’t keep it alive, we’ll lose what contributed to making us what we are today.”

Written by Nasa Maria Entaban
Sourced from http://rage.com.my/writeups/story.asp?file=/2009/10/7/rage_issues/20091006173406&sec=rage_issues

Back Up Programmes In States Can End Shortage Of Silat Exponents

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 (Bernama) - Back up programmes in states can end a shortage of silat exponents and ensure continuity of silat exponents with caliber to represent the country says the Malaysian National Silat Federation (PESAKA).

PESAKA coordinator Osman Nok said three silat exponents from back up programmes had recently displayed superb performances when Malaysia won seven gold medals at the World Silat Open Championships in France early in March.

The three from the back up squad were Ahmad Iqram Rahim, Norfarhana Ismail and Mohammad Faizul while Ahmad Shahril Zailudin, Emi Latip, Fauzi Khalid and Faizal Abdullah from the elite squad won the remaining four.

"This is a tremendous development and an indication that the country's prowess in silat can be revived or maintained by the young exponents and go on to replace the elite exponents one day," he told Bernama.

Osman said there were 14 back up programme centres throughout the country and has about 1,000 young exponents between the ages of 11 and 17, undergoing training.

To ensure such programmes continued to progress, Osman said the National Sports Council (NSC) had agreed to pay allowances for silat coaches in the states.

Osman said to attract youngsters to take up silat, PESAKA had provided a number of guidelines for coaches, including to focus on the combat form of silat (silat olahraga) as compared with the artistic form (silat seni).

"In the past, youngsters regarded silat as a boring activity because its movements were more of a dance form, very artistic, compared with other combat sports like taekwondo or karate. But such perception has changed," he said.

Sourced from http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newssport.php?id=441443

UBD's Silat club aims to preserve cultural heritage, marks new semester

A demonstration of the locking technique. - PHOTOS: FAISHA

The Kelab Silat Varsiti Geak 41 UBD (KSV G41), a branch of the Perguruan Seni Pencak Silat Gerak 41 (PSPS Gerak 41) and one of the most established clubs at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, has started its new training session and activities for Semester 1, 2009/2010.

More than 20 martial artists from KSV G41 recently came to participate in the Majlis Pembuka Gelanggan. The function is a tradition for KSV G41 members to begin their new training session every new semester.

On the day, the event began with a recital of the surah al-fatihah led by Raieham Salleh and the 'pembukaan gelanggang' led by Hadi Salalu.

KSV G41 President in a group picture with the club's trainers and participants.

KSV G41 President Himahazman Barahim then made a welcoming speech for the club's new and old members. One of the PSPS G41 trainers, Nurfairuz Nazri Salleh, was also present to give proper instructions and guidance during the training.

He is the President of the UBD Student Council (MPP) as well as the Head of Secretary for PSPS Gerak 41. UBD's undergraduate or postgraduate students who are interested to know more can come to the training ground at UBD Taman Rakis on Tuesday or Wednesday between 4.30pm and 6pm.

Last semester, KSV G41 worked together with PSPS Gerak 41 and organised a friendship visit by the Silat Gayung Fatani Malaysia to Brunei.

The visit by the Malaysian delegates was to strengthen the relationship between two countries (Brunei and Malaysia), as well as to introduce the beauty of the Sultanate and its cultural heritage to the outside world. The PSPS Gerak 41 is now planning to repay a visit to Malaysia.

For this semester, KSV G41, as one of the PSPS Gerak 41 branches, is already planning to hold various activities successful in terms of national standards, such as Silathon and Silat Festival.

Their purpose would be to explain and inform the public in detail about Silat. At the same time, they will also be done to preserve the Malay cultural heritage. With this plan, it is hoped that the cultural heritage could be preserved from generation to generation.

Sourced from http://martialarts.com.my/community/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1640