Impressed with ur knowledge about Silat

[Intan86]

Hi,

I'm really impressed with your knowledge about Silat. As a Malay, I find it quite suprising because I did not expect that Silat can be among of the popular Martial Arts like Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, etc.

Silat had been in my family for more than a century. My ancestors have passed the knowledge of silat for generations to protect the family and land.

I too learned silat but my Uncle who is the Mahaguru (grandmaster) taught me silat just as a sport and not spiritually. You know tenaga dalaman (inner power) because I'm a girl.

To learned it spiritually, one must follow strict rules (pantang larang) the do's and the don'ts. This is to avoid one from misused the art and to avoid being one with the 'Darkside'.

I hope Silat can be among the popular MAs in the near future.



"Silat adalah warisan bangsa." - Anak Melayu

[totality]

why thank you.







wait...what's silat?

[Greg-VT]

Damn you're a smart ass, Tot'e. :p

[Intan86]

My goodness! Look at Silat forum! This thread was meant for Silat practitioners!

[totality]

oh...could've had me fooled!

[krys]

Welcome Intan,

Silat isn't really that popular yet outside South East Asia, I actually have to go to the Philippines to learn it....
Sad you didn't learn Tenaga Dalam, I just strarted to learn it last August with my GM... There are different ways to train the inner power, and you have to follow some rules if you want to go far..... girls can learn it, I know a few....

Just curious are you from Continental or Insular Malaysia?
Peace.

[pesilat]

Hi,

I'm really impressed with your knowledge about Silat. As a Malay, I find it quite suprising because I did not expect that Silat can be among of the popular Martial Arts like Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, etc.

Well, I wouldn't say that Silat is popular here in America - though it does seem to gain more recognition each year. The Silat community here in America is relatively small and we're all pretty much aware of each other - and many of us know each other personally or online. There might be 300 practitioners of Silat in America - and that's probably a high estimate. And of those 300, I'd estimate that there are less than 100 people teaching Silat in America. Compared to other arts like those you mentioned, Silat is little more than a dust mote on the MA map of America :)

Mike

[Intan86]

I live in Borneo Island and not Peninsular Malaysia, Krys. 2\3 of the island are apart of Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah. I live in Sarawak. The other part is Kalimantan, Indonesia.

And Pesilat, even though Silat aren't that popular(yet) in America, it's just amazed me that MAP actually has a Silat forum. My instincts told me that Silat had gone global! And that's a very good thing for Silat.

[krys]

Thanks for answering Intan,

I live in Borneo Island and not Peninsular Malaysia, Krys. 2\3 of the island are apart of Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah.

Very nice area, you live in a place that is of great interest for me.... I always planned to visit your island and hope to be able to do so in 2005 once I'll live in the area (Philippines)....

I am myself interested in the martial arts of Borneo (my GM lived in Sabah and learned two kadazan arts) .... could you tell more about Sarawak's martial culture?

Peace.

[Intan86]

Well, of course we have Silat. My Uncle's silat is called Silat Spring 12. Actually this Silat had been in my family for like a century(I think). It's just now that my Uncle opened it to the public.

My ancestor was one of the Prince of Jawa. He's name was Datu Merpati Jepang. My ancestor leave Jawa because there was some kind of clash in the Royal family and the way the current ruler lead the empire. If I'm not mistaken, he tried to tell his opinion to the current ruler. But unfortunately, the ruler did not listen and this leads to the downfall of Jawa. So, they went away from Jawa by sea(because Jawa had been invaded) and land ashore in the borneo Island. He became one of the earliest leaders and make ties with the Sultan Brunei in Sarawak history.

To be honest to you, after my Uncle opened his school of Silat Spring 12, many people copied this true Silat form (which had not been changed) and make their own Silat like Rumpun 12. Rumpun 12 have Spring 12 basics and I was unhappy about it. But our ties as Malay, we hold deep to our culture. So, my Uncle said nothing about it.

Malaysia has many race. There are over 100 races. But the most is Malays, Chinese, Indians and the natives. For chinese maybe you know kung fu or wushu but for Indians they too have their own MA. Its called Silambam. Silambam are great practised with woods. It's like you're using a pole of wood (or bamboo stick, I think) to defend yourself. Oh, It's incredible but too bad It's not that popular.

I hpe you can visit me in Sarawak. I live in Kuching area.

Chao!!!

[grimel]

There might be 300 practitioners of Silat in America - and that's probably a high estimate. And of those 300, I'd estimate that there are less than 100 people teaching Silat in America.

Mike

You think it's that few? What are you calling a practitioner? I could (if pushed) probably name 20 people teaching silat in the US. 6 within 4 hrs of my house and I'm in Tn.

Still even if it's 10,000 that's a drop in the bucket for kali/escrima/arnis much less TKD, karate, kung-fu, etc.

[Intan86]

No need to argue with Pesilat, Grimel. Maybe he's wrong. You said like its more than 300. How many do you really think, there is more?

[bernie]

Hi,

I'm really impressed with your knowledge about Silat. As a Malay, I find it quite suprising because I did not expect that Silat can be among of the popular Martial Arts like Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, etc.

Silat had been in my family for more than a century. My ancestors have passed the knowledge of silat for generations to protect the family and land.

I too learned silat but my Uncle who is the Mahaguru (grandmaster) taught me silat just as a sport and not spiritually. You know tenaga dalaman (inner power) because I'm a girl.

To learned it spiritually, one must follow strict rules (pantang larang) the do's and the don'ts. This is to avoid one from misused the art and to avoid being one with the 'Darkside'.

I hope Silat can be among the popular MAs in the near future.



"Silat adalah warisan bangsa." - Anak Melayu



Aloha !

I have been learning a West Javanese/Sundanese silat system , Mande Muda from the late Pendekar Herman Suwanda for some time. I am visiting INTI Kuching in March and would like to an opportunity to meet you. I have been researching into silat from Indonesia and recently Malaysia and would like to learn about your family's style of silat. Is there a way we can meet ?
An email has been sent to you directly as well
Mahalo

Bernard

[Bobster]

'Ya beat me to it, Bernard!! :D

[krys]

Hello Intan, wow a fellow spring practicioner?!? Well I didn't really learn it yet but will when I return to the Philippines.... My GM showed me some spring knive fighting once and I was really impressed...

Actually my grandmaster is also a Spring expert.... he learned spring dua (or dua belas? ) and spring muda (I am not really sure about the names) while staying six years in Sabah, also another native art, he was part of the muslim filipino rebellion and MNLF fighters were based there..... The malaysian government helped southern filipinos in fighting the Marcos dictatorship, because M. planed to invade Sabah.... even british SAS gave them instruction.....

Our filipino style is called Saudara and it is in the familly for at least 10 generations (we know 10 ancestors but cannot trace it further back...., I am part of the 11th generation).... Is it true that there are 5 spring styles? In Tawau (Sabah) there is a spring system that mimics the movements of a crocodile....
I heard Majapahit princes and followers fled to Borneo after Demak destroyed Majapahit.... javanese styles influenced Borneo's silat but I also think Minang peoples brought their own silat in the area...

I was myself in peninsular Malaysia a few times coming down from Thailand.... trained Silat Gayong Patani, in a village close to Kuala Lumpur....
Beside filipino silat I also practice malaysian silat Lincah (former silat Tarah)
Yes I've seen Silambam and these peoples are very strong with their staves..... there are also many rare chinese martial arts that are kept alive in Malaysia.... I want to climb the Kinabalu mountain and practice some silat in Borneo too, visit Kalimantan and Sarawak.... the scenery must be great there and I'd like to meet Iban-Kadazan peoples....
may see you there .....


Peace.

[bernie]

'Ya beat me to it, Bernard!! :D


Bobbe

Yup, I have another trip before the May trip but this is work related with some R & R time hopefully and what a coincidence I may get to meet and learn something new.

BC

[grimel]

No need to argue with Pesilat, Grimel. Maybe he's wrong. You said like its more than 300. How many do you really think, there is more?

Where did I argue with him? I asked a question. If it's here in backwater US, I assumed it was relatively available in about any metro area.

[Bobster]

Where did I argue with him? I asked a question. If it's here in backwater US, I assumed it was relatively available in about any metro area.

That can actually be a large assumption. Silat is becoming a big name in the U.S., and deservedly so. There are several "Distance Programs" available that didn't exist a year ago. I was deeply involved in Kali & Silat fifteen years ago, and I can only think of a handful of people (about four) that were publicly teaching in the U.S. at that time, some of which are dead now. As I look around nowadays, I see that many of the bigwigs either live in "backwater" (Steve Gartin, Stevan Plinck) with a few in metro communities (Seni Gayong in N.Y., DeThouars and Inosanto in L.A.) It's definately not a "One on every corner" art, say like Karate or TKD. Intan is one of several Malay-Indos I have met who cannot believe a Blanda (westerner) has heard of Silat, let alone has any in-depth knowledge of it. Also, it's often taken for granted in the archipelagos, like basketball is here.

My point being, you could simply be living in an area that has a saturation of silat teachers/practitioners, but if you look in an unquestionably a huge metropolitan mecca, you may find very little.

Bobbe Edmonds

[Intan86]

Wow, a lot of you came so far away just to learn Silat. I really really appreciate your will to learn. Hey,Krys if you're coming here in Sarawak, post me soon ok! I live in Kuching. Bernie said he'll be coming in March. Maybe you would like to join him?
What do you say Bernie?

[pesilat]

You think it's that few? What are you calling a practitioner? I could (if pushed) probably name 20 people teaching silat in the US. 6 within 4 hrs of my house and I'm in Tn.

Still even if it's 10,000 that's a drop in the bucket for kali/escrima/arnis much less TKD, karate, kung-fu, etc.

Well, I consider a "practitioner" to be someone who trains specifically in a Silat system. There are a lot of JKD guys who do some Silat training - but that's a different thing from training specifically in a Silat system.

Where are you in TN - I'm probably within 4 hours of you, too, so that might make 7 who teach within 4 hours of you :)

However, a 4 hour radius covers a lot of ground. You're talking about a minimum of 180,000 square miles. 6 or 7 instructors in 180,000 square miles isn't very many. Given that the entire United States (which is what I meant by America), including Alaska and Hawaii, is 3.6 million square miles, taking a direct mathematical calcuation to get an estimate you're only looking at 120 - 150 instructors. So I was a little low if that's anywhere near accurate.

I know you've got areas like Los Angeles that have a denser population of Silat instructors. But you've also got vast stretches of land in Alaska and the deserts of the southwest where there is no one at all - much less anyone teaching Silat :)

There might be more than 300 practitioners - that might have been a bit more of an underestimate. There might even be 2000 practitioners (assuming each instructor has 10 - 15 students) but I think that'd be a bit of an overestimate.

The short version, though, is that when you're looking at a population of nearly 300 million people, a couple of thousand practitioners is still nothing that can be considered "popular" by any stretch of the imagination :)

Mike

[bernie]

Aloha Intan !

Well, I will be in Kuching for a short time period only as I am there on a work trip but can spare sometime to meet you and anyone else who can make it during that time is welcomed. I do need you to contact me via my email as I will be in Malaysia on March 1 but not Kuching immediately.

Mahalo
Bernie

[ICT]

There might be 300 practitioners of Silat in America - and that's probably a high estimate. And of those 300, I'd estimate that there are less than 100 people teaching Silat in America. Compared to other arts like those you mentioned, Silat is little more than a dust mote on the MA map of America :)
Mike

Mike,

Do you mean serious on-going continuous students of silat? If you put in people who have studied silat but now only continue to practice by themselves and/or with a couple people or who studied kuntao/silat I can tell you the number is in the thousands.

Masters like Willy Wetzel, Willem Reeders, Jim Ingram, Herman Suwanda, Willem DeThours, Eddie Jafri, etc.. have taught thousands upon thousands of people to one degree or another.

Sincerely,
Eddie Ivester

[pesilat]

Mike,

Do you mean serious on-going continuous students of silat? If you put in people who have studied silat but now only continue to practice by themselves and/or with a couple people or who studied kuntao/silat I can tell you the number is in the thousands.

Masters like Willy Wetzel, Willem Reeders, Jim Ingram, Herman Suwanda, Willem DeThours, Eddie Jafri, etc.. have taught thousands upon thousands of people to one degree or another.

Sincerely,
Eddie Ivester

Good point. I was actually thinking in terms of "serious on-going continuous students of silat" - but I'd also consider people who still actively practice in private to be practitioners.

But the point is still that there aren't that many of us - even thousands, even 10,000 would be far less than 1% of the number of people who train in, for instance, TKD. And even TKD's lofty estimate of 5 million practitioners in the US is less than 2% of the nation's population.

Obviously, my original numbers were low - but the gist of the statement was still accurate. Silat is far from anything that could be considered "popular" in America :)

Mike

[ICT]

Good point. I was Obviously, my original numbers were low - but the gist of the statement was still accurate. Silat is far from anything that could be considered "popular" in America :)
Mike

Mike,

Aint that the truth!! I ran into a TKD instructor at Master savelli's seminar recently that had just himself recently heard of Silat & Kuntao.

I don't know maybe it's just me but ever since I was 8 years old I tried to learn as much about the Martial Arts as I could. I read & talked to anyone that knew, saw or heard of a Martial Art style, no matter what I was studying I wanted to know what else was out there.

I run into so many people now a days with blinders on, just seeing in one direction and never looking to the sides. I mean it is so easy now with the internet to look up almost every style out there. So why don't they do it????

Sincerely,
Eddie Ivester

[krys]

Hey,Krys if you're coming here in Sarawak, post me soon ok!

Thanks Intan, I unfortunately can't come to Sarawak in March but will go to Borneo in one year I think.... I will e-mail you then....
I heard a lot of interesting things about your country, the peoples and their martial art culture and would like to see it... Spring is one of four martial arts I have to learn from my Grandmaster and it would be very interesting to see your spring system...

Just another question on a different topic, you mentioned Simbalan, is it only staff or do they also train empty hands?
All the best.

[pesilat]

Mike,

Aint that the truth!! I ran into a TKD instructor at Master savelli's seminar recently that had just himself recently heard of Silat & Kuntao.

I don't know maybe it's just me but ever since I was 8 years old I tried to learn as much about the Martial Arts as I could. I read & talked to anyone that knew, saw or heard of a Martial Art style, no matter what I was studying I wanted to know what else was out there.

I run into so many people now a days with blinders on, just seeing in one direction and never looking to the sides. I mean it is so easy now with the internet to look up almost every style out there. So why don't they do it????

Sincerely,
Eddie Ivester

Yup. They don't because, often, they don't want to know. They believe - by choice or by training - that art/system they study is the only one of any worth.

And there are a lot of people out there who've seen some Silat at a seminar then they claim to be Silat practitioners. Or they've had some Silat training but didn't reach anything beyond surface - so when they try to do the Silat they have they end up having to muscle their way through everything. To me, these people aren't "Silat practitioners" either.

Mike

[butterfly_knf]

I too learned silat but my Uncle who is the Mahaguru (grandmaster) taught me silat just as a sport and not spiritually. You know tenaga dalaman (inner power) because I'm a girl.

To learned it spiritually, one must follow strict rules (pantang larang) the do's and the don'ts. This is to avoid one from misused the art and to avoid being one with the 'Darkside'.


Hi Intan,
I really think you shouldn't worry of the spirituality stuff BECAUSE you're a female. You see, women WILL learn quickly and easier than men ;p
The mentality strength in a female's body is very very adaptable & supportive.

Lol
Don't hesitate :Angel:

[grimel]

Well, I consider a "practitioner" to be someone who trains specifically in a Silat system. There are a lot of JKD guys who do some Silat training - but that's a different thing from training specifically in a Silat system.

Where are you in TN - I'm probably within 4 hours of you, too, so that might make 7 who teach within 4 hours of you :)

...

The short version, though, is that when you're looking at a population of nearly 300 million people, a couple of thousand practitioners is still nothing that can be considered "popular" by any stretch of the imagination :)

Mike

Actually, you were one of the 6. 4 of the 5 others are in the same tjabang of Serak. You've given your KY location in a few posts.

As I said, it ain't but a drop in the TKD bucket. I'm sure there are a thousand TKD players in the Knoxville metro area alone vs 12 Serak players (but we could take 'em :p ) in all of east TN. I was just astounded that of 300 I KNOW 20 and "know" another 80 about 1/3 of your initial estimate and I'm a nobody. So, I was wondering if you were considering only Guru level people as practioners.

[Intan86]

About the Silambam, Krys. They do have empty hand combat. But the use of a stick just amazed me. And other weapons too. Well, actually I'm more amazed with their weapons combat. It's just amazing!

Oh, Bernie I thought I did e-mail you. You didn't get it? Better check it.

[pesilat]

Actually, you were one of the 6. 4 of the 5 others are in the same tjabang of Serak. You've given your KY location in a few posts.

As I said, it ain't but a drop in the TKD bucket. I'm sure there are a thousand TKD players in the Knoxville metro area alone vs 12 Serak players (but we could take 'em :p ) in all of east TN. I was just astounded that of 300 I KNOW 20 and "know" another 80 about 1/3 of your initial estimate and I'm a nobody. So, I was wondering if you were considering only Guru level people as practioners.

Nope. I was just underestimating.

Actually, just for the record, I'm not a Serak practitioner. I trained in Serak - Pak Vic to Guru Ken to me - for a few years. I've had quite a bit of exposure to it from various sources. My primary influence is Guru Ken - and his, Serak-wise - were Pak Paul de Thouars (via Bukti Negara), Pak Vic, Guru Dan Inosanto (back in the Bukti Negara days), and the Serak that's in Mande Muda from Pak Herman Suwanda, and some exposure to Guru Stevan Plinck's flavor, and probably some others that are slipping my mind. Me personally, I've been exposed to Serak from Guru Ken, Uncle Bill de Thouars, Pak Vic, Pak Herman Suwanda, Ibu Rita Suwanda, and Guru Stevan Plinck.

But while Serak has definitely had a hefty influence on the Silat that Guru Ken (and, by extension, I) do, we're not formally Serak practitioners these days :)

I know, it's pretty pedantic but I like to keep things straight so they don't come back to bite me later.

Anyway - tangentially, where are you in the Knoxville area? I get down that way sometimes. And who do you train in Serak and PT with?

Mike

[bernie]

About the Silambam, Krys. They do have empty hand combat. But the use of a stick just amazed me. And other weapons too. Well, actually I'm more amazed with their weapons combat. It's just amazing!

Oh, Bernie I thought I did e-mail you. You didn't get it? Better check it.


Intan

I did not get anything in my email box , please try to send it again. I get into
Kuching on March 4 and out on March 7. Please use the email address I sent you the other day as it is different from the listed here.
Mahalo
BC

[grimel]

Nope. I was just underestimating.

Anyway - tangentially, where are you in the Knoxville area? I get down that way sometimes. And who do you train in Serak and PT with?

Mike

Oak Ridge. Jerry McCleary in NW Knoxville.

[pesilat]

Oak Ridge. Jerry McCleary in NW Knoxville.

Cool. I'll have to let you know the next time I'm going to be down your way.

I'm not sure but I think I've met your instructor somewhere - possibly one of Pak Vic's Serak events. I found a couple of pics of him on the web and he looks familiar - but it's kinda hard to tell from the pics.

Anyway, hopefully we'll be able to meet at some point :)

Mike

[grimel]

Cool. I'll have to let you know the next time I'm going to be down your way.

I'm not sure but I think I've met your instructor somewhere - possibly one of Pak Vic's Serak events. I found a couple of pics of him on the web and he looks familiar - but it's kinda hard to tell from the pics.

Anyway, hopefully we'll be able to meet at some point :)

Mike

He makes most of the events (ROF and the camps). Pak is coming here (health permitting) sometime in April.

Jerry is 5'8"ish 220ish pounds. He's on the Blades of Thunder tape.

[Intan86]

Bernie...Did you get the e-mail? I post it like you said so. PMsg me okay.

[pesilat]

He makes most of the events (ROF and the camps). Pak is coming here (health permitting) sometime in April.

Jerry is 5'8"ish 220ish pounds. He's on the Blades of Thunder tape.

Then I almost certainly met him. Especially if he was at ROF 2000. My primary instructor, Guru Ken Pannell, was one of the instructors that year.

I haven't been involved in any way with Pak Vic since 2001. Our parting wasn't bad - but it wasn't good either. I'm not sure how he'd react to me showing up at a seminar. I respect him immensely and still refer people to him if they're looking for Silat in the L.A. area. But he and I had some personality conflicts :) ROF 2000 was pretty much the end of my personal association with Pak Vic. My instructor continued with him until 2001 - or maybe even early 2002 (when did Serak: The Tsunami come out? It was shortly after that when Guru Ken and Pak Vic parted ways). So, until Guru Ken and Pak parted ways, I was still peripherally associated with Pak Vic and still talked to him on occasion. But since they parted, I haven't talked to Pak at all.

I'm sorry to hear about his poor health. I just recently heard anything about it. If you don't mind, could you shoot me a PM or e-mail with some more details about that. If you're not comfortable doing so, I'll understand.

Mike

[Intan86]

Bernie, I send you a Private Msg. Did you get it?

[bernie]

Bernie, I send you a Private Msg. Did you get it?


Yup, and i sent you an update as well so hopefully we can meet in Kuching

[krys]

Hello Intan,

Do you have some pictures/images/web-links of Silambam weapon training?
Did you try it yourself?
Thanks,
peace.

[Intan86]

I'm not sure about Silambam's websites. And I did not try it because I don't have time to do so. I know its awesome because they did this documentary on my national tv and they showed off their skills. That's how I know Silambam. But maybe you could try searching on the net. Maybe you would get lucky and found one!

[krys]

Hello Intan,

Yup, I was lucky found some on silambam:

this is more on staff
http://www.silambam.com/

and one with other weapons and empty hands:

http://www.geocities.com/internationalsilambam/index.htm

You are right it looks also good with other weapons and empty hands.

Peace.

[bernie]

Yup, and i sent you an update as well so hopefully we can meet in Kuching

Aloha !
You got my update I assume and let me know as I get into Kuching on Thursday , March 20 in the early afternoon and can meet your uncle and you that day.

Bernie

[diligentmantis]

Hi Intan , I'm very interested in silat , Where in kuching is it taught? me and my wife will be in kuching last week of may. What styles are taught in Sarawak?.


Regards Sean

[milamber]

I too learned silat but my Uncle who is the Mahaguru (grandmaster) taught me silat just as a sport and not spiritually. You know tenaga dalaman (inner power) because I'm a girl.


"Silat adalah warisan bangsa." - Anak Melayu

Hi Intan86. I mean no disrespect to you and I may soon be corrected by our community. Tenaga dalaman is not a spiritual practise. It involves an understanding of the elemental forms in silat - such as fire, air, water, earth and metal. Rexa Diri - a 40 days seclusion - is the spiritual side to silek tuo, which I am sure when you ask your uncle will tell you that is the case. I am not privy to tell you more but it is common knowledge in our sasarang. as for being a girl I hope that your uncle teaches you the traditional family style from now on - ask him about Sat Guru Ma Prem who also escaped from Jawa and is of royal lineage.

Best wishes and good luck with your training,
Milamber

[pesilat]

Hi Intan86. I mean no disrespect to you and I may soon be corrected by our community. Tenaga dalaman is not a spiritual practise. It involves an understanding of the elemental forms in silat - such as fire, air, water, earth and metal. Rexa Diri - a 40 days seclusion - is the spiritual side to silek tuo, which I am sure when you ask your uncle will tell you that is the case. I am not privy to tell you more but it is common knowledge in our sasarang. as for being a girl I hope that your uncle teaches you the traditional family style from now on - ask him about Sat Guru Ma Prem who also escaped from Jawa and is of royal lineage.

Best wishes and good luck with your training,
Milamber

Well, "tenaga dalam" literally means "internal energy" or "internal dragon" (I've heard both translations but if you look up the word "tenaga" in a Bahasa dictionary it says things about power and energy. But "naga" is dragon so I can see why that translation is sometimes used, too.

Anyway, as I understand it, "tenaga dalam" is the Indonesian term for what the Chinese refer to as "chi" and the Koreans/Japanese/Okinawans refer to as "ki".

I wouldn't say that it's inherently spiritual but I know that some systems take a very spiritual approach to develop it.

Mike

[Wali]

Well, "tenaga dalam" literally means "internal energy" or "internal dragon" (I've heard both translations but if you look up the word "tenaga" in a Bahasa dictionary it says things about power and energy. But "naga" is dragon so I can see why that translation is sometimes used, too.

Anyway, as I understand it, "tenaga dalam" is the Indonesian term for what the Chinese refer to as "chi" and the Koreans/Japanese/Okinawans refer to as "ki".

I wouldn't say that it's inherently spiritual but I know that some systems take a very spiritual approach to develop it.

Mike
Hi Mike,

There are different types of practice, which are sometimes labelled under the 'Tenega Dalam' banner.

What Milamber is reffering to, isn't the internal practice in the sense of breathing, chanelling energy, etc... which would be the direct parallel to the Chinese definition of Chi that you mention.

He is referring to a spiritual practice, which is independant of breathing, or physical development, and relies on the 'unseen', and learning to place your trust on the Creator. I realise this sounds crazy and cuckoo, but it is something that has to be experienced for it make sense. If you believe in God, which I most certainly do, then you have the promise of his protection, which is the aspect that Milamber refers to.

People need to be very careful with this type of pratice, as many teachers sadly meddle with things they don't understand, and lead their students into something they shouldn't.

But to re-iterate, you are correct about the internal energy etc, but thinkthat what Milamber is referring to is something else, which can also be labelled 'Tenaga Dalam' but is slightly differet.

Cheers,
Wali

[tellner]

The Malay/Indonesian/Philippine archipelago is huge and broken up. There are hundreds of ethnic groups, languages and dialects. There's a lot of nuance in the languages about exactly what different words mean, and context is important. It's a little odd for a foreigner to claim to know what the meaning of something like "tenaga dalem" is under the circumstances.

There are skilled practitioners who come out of different traditions where it can mean anything from advanced body mechanics to animist magic to reciting verses from the Quran to pray for Divine protection.

[milamber]

Hi Mike,

to quote you,

I wouldn't say that it's inherently spiritual but I know that some systems take a very spiritual approach to develop it.

I am sure that you are right. I was just being pedantic and making a clear distinction between the spiritual practise within Silek Tuo and the breathing and elemental forms that are also part of the Sastira's armoury.

[sabr silat]

H milamber,

What is Sastira ? Where they warriors ? If so please can you tell me more

[milamber]

A Sastria is a warrior. What would you like to know more about?

[ICT]

Intan86,

Tenaga Dalam is the internal energy aspect of Silat and it can be used as generic term for many things. I would bet that you have already been taught many aspects of Tenaga Dalam such as breath control, circulating energy, striking with internal power and etc..

However the spiritual side of Silat is Ilmu which is a higher level than Tenaga Dalam. Ilmu can be both good & bad just depending on how one is going about achieving it. Ilmu is done with the mind and not with physical technique or movements.

Hope this helps,
Teacher: Eddie Ivester

[sabr silat]

A Sastria is a warrior. What would you like to know more about?

Basiclly all that there is toknow. ,if you don't mind. Its damn fine itnereting.

Many thanks for sharing the know....