A Silat Poem

Discussion in 'Silat' started by Kiai Carita, Jun 23, 2005.

  1. Kiai Carita

    Kiai Carita Banned Banned

    Salam damai,

    Let me share this experience: While practising this morning I recalled a short silat poem penned by Rendra back in the 1970's... I remember the original Indonesian:

    Tak ada kuda-kuda yang tak dapat digempur.
    Maka itu geseran adalah utama.

    a translation into English would be

    There is no un-crushable martial stance.
    So sliding is of paramount importance.

    I translated the silat terms kuda-kuda into martial stance and geseran into sliding (or it could be slides) , it is from the word geser, which means to shift location without loosing contact with ground.

    Any thoughts, feelings, insights into this poem? Any pesilat out there who does geseran (keep the soles of feet feeling surface of ground) in their langkah? I would like to learn...

    Salam Hormat.
     
  2. bela diri

    bela diri Valued Member

    kuda kuda

    Hi first post for me

    kuda kuda is a kick in our system :)

    Regards
     
  3. Kiai Carita

    Kiai Carita Banned Banned

    Kuda-kuda a Kick?

    Welcome to the forum.

    Are you sure kuda-kuda is a kick? What system do you follow? If kuda-kuda is a kick what do you call your tendangan?

    Hormat,
    Kiai Carita
     
  4. Wali

    Wali Valued Member

    That's interesting. The Kuda Kuda is a "horse stance"-like posture. I've never heard it referenced as a kick before. What system do you practice?

    Cheers,
    Wali
     
  5. Ular Sawa

    Ular Sawa Valued Member

    I rather like the poem.
     
  6. amirul_tekpi79

    amirul_tekpi79 Valued Member

    Nice poem

    Peace to all,

    A nice Poem. Does it have only two sentences or are there more?

    Kuda-kuda a kick. Hmm...i have heard of 'tendangan kuda' in the Malaysian silat circle but never a 'tendangan kuda-kuda'. We also call kuda-kuda as kekuda here i.e. kekuda tinggi (high stance), kekuda tengah (middle stance) and kekuda rendah (low stance).

    Peace
     
  7. Kiai Carita

    Kiai Carita Banned Banned

    Thanks for the respons Amir, the poem is only two lines. It is part of an anthology called Anuning Ning meaning Things About Clarity... As far as I know in Indonesia the term kuda-kuda is also used in traditional architecture and it refers to the A beam that supports a roof...

    An other silat poem by Rendra that I like is four lines:

    Kesadaran adalah matahari - Awareness is the sun
    Kesabaran adalah bumi - patience is the earth
    Keberanian menjadi cakrawala - Courage becomes the horizon
    dan perjuangan adalah pelaksanaan kata-kata - And struggle is the realization of words ...

    I don't think I did the rythm justice here.. but there is the poem. My question to share is do you agree with the poet putting high value on awareness, patience, courage and struggle? Are these virtues truly the sun, the earth and the horizon of a pesilat?

    Hormat
    Kiai Carita
     
  8. Bobster

    Bobster Valued Member

    Hi Kiai Carita!

    [I]"My question to share is do you agree with the poet putting high value on awareness, patience, courage and struggle? Are these virtues truly the sun, the earth and the horizon of a pesilat?"[/I]

    I think this differs for everybody, depending on where you are in life, and what's important to you. Awareness, patience, and courage are virtues in ANY aspect of life, and just about every endeavor is a struggle (tell me the last time something worthwhile in your life came "easy"!)

    Silat in particular is much harder to grasp and apply than most other martial arts (to me at least) and I certianly struggle with it every day. It takes patience to persevere in the art, no question. As for relating them to elemental objects i.e. the Sun & the Earth, well, I don't agree with that as much. I mean, THE SUN is the sun, I don't need a substitute! Lot's of martial arts instructors do this, relate thier art to the elements in some way. I think it detracts from the art itself, putting focus where it doesn't belong: The mystical above the physical.

    I don't know who Randa is, but the era in which this poet was born & lived would reflect alot about the world in which they were writing at the time. Was it during the Dutch colonization? The Japanese occupation? This would make sense, because Silat was EVERYTHING to the Indonesians at that time.

    Just my opinion.
     
  9. Kiai Carita

    Kiai Carita Banned Banned

    I don't know who Randa is, but the era in which this poet was born & lived would reflect alot about the world in which they were writing at the time. Was it during the Dutch colonization? The Japanese occupation? This would make sense, because Silat was EVERYTHING to the Indonesians at that time.

    Just my opinion.[/QUOTE]

    Rendra is Indonesia's most famopus and influential poet since the 1950's, he was born in 1935. ... In Indonesia from what I see, silat is everything for many people especially in traditional schools or families.

    Hormat.
     
  10. bela diri

    bela diri Valued Member

    Hi thanks for the welcome

    I study harimau Palero pencak silat in uk under the Guru Richard De-Bordes lineage. :)
     
  11. Wali

    Wali Valued Member

    Hiya, welcome to the forum!

    Where do you train with Guru Richard? I went to Jubilee Hall in Covent Garden about 3 months ago after work, to check out the class, but was told you had moved to a different location.

    Cheers,
    Wali
     
  12. bela diri

    bela diri Valued Member

    harimau london

    hi wali

    Harimau Palero pencak silat is taught by Guru Randolph & MasterCharles gore at

    Tottenham sports centre
    701-703 high road
    Tottenham
    London
    Weds 7.00- 9.00
    sun 11.00-1.00

    Guru De-Bordes lives in Africa still doing presendential body guard duties. There will be in the future a new website for Guru de-bordes and his generation of students its half way finished at moment and will be complete with video etc and regular articles and memoirs. I dont train in london as i live Birmingham but i travel to Knaresborough every saturday and have a good 2-3 hour private lesson with master Paul Deans well worth it. If you live in London I fully recommend the London class. Guru Randolph is the only student of guru debordes to be given the title of guru when you see him move you will know why.

    regards
    bela diri
    :)
     
  13. Wirana

    Wirana New Member

    Gamelan Kayangan

    Hello to all fellow warriors,

    Here's an original poem by me that hints at essential mystique intrinsic to silat. See if you can figure it out.

    Andainya ku punyai gamelan kayangan
    Diukir dengan emas, eboni dan pancalogam
    Kemerduan, kepukauan dan kebatinan
    Siang, malam dan waktu kelam
    Akan ku bersilat mempertahankan dirimu
    Tapi aku, jauh dan sepi, hanya punyai mimpi-mimpiku
    Akan ku dendangkan semua mimpi-mimpiku untuk hatimu
    Menarilah menyisi, selagi kau menyanyikan mimpi-mimpiku


    Many martial artists especially foreigners who train in silat seem to ignore the metaphysical properties that are bound together whenever Silat is used. It's not just about techniques, stances or the graceful movements... Quite unlike other martial arts, when two people are fighting in silat, there is a transcendental transformation of the self, the surroundings, the trancelike state that creates the magical "world" that is the stage, the ring, or the battleground, thus what seems impossible can become possible, and selected "elements" found in the physical world play an important role in reinforcing the imaginative state of mind of the silat warrior.

    Although silat that is practised nowadays, even in Rendra's time tend to promote religious fervour as a result of the religious influence in the later stages of Malay history, it IS a fallacy that silat is tied to religion, since originally the ancient practitioners kept it as a close guarded secret among the elites. Instead it transforms a lot of "universal" observation of the physical plane in order to achieve the higher or superior state of being that is critical in silat fighting.

    There is a significant difference in outlook and practice between the mystical minority and the religious majority though I can't elaborate here.

    Of course many practitioners these days will defend their religious uprightness, but there are those REAL traditionalists who would like to see the freedom of expressions and movements essential in the mystical style back into the core of silat. Some even say that the practise of religion of today stifles creativity thus silat today has lost its shine somehat and merely a regurgitation layered with a lot of religious cream on top.

    PS: Hello to Hannah. Saw you at the world pencak silat championship in Singapore 2004. Knew you wanted to approach me but I thought at the time it's better you concentrate on the competition. Your performance was wonderful. The poem above is for you.

    Shah Wirana
     

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