My Days with Golok Betawi "Seliwa"

[hummdee6]

Ohhh ..
its seem Uda SK who play with the trident.

[Antara]

All right, so I joined a knife workshop held by Defense Factory in Bandung.

Just like all concept derived around Bruce-Lee’s “the method of no method”, the workshop is about practicality, usefulness, and reasonable techniques of self-defense. While in silat I learn the ‘how to perfectly anticipate an aggression’, in the workshop (and I believe it is reflected in all JKD’s training) I learn about ‘how to effectively anticipate an aggression’.

Now, I can sense some people got their toe stepped on. What is this all about being perfect and being effective? What is the difference and which one is more superior? Hang on there.

Here is an illustration.
Doing Seliwa, I learn about form and its application, and there are drills to enhance our receptivity to anticipate an aggression. In short, Seliwa (and I could safely say that it holds true with most of silat system I know) focus on enhancing our ability to ‘see’, ‘feel’, ‘sense’, ‘hear’, or basically ‘detect’ any incoming aggression. The better we are with the system, the earlier we can anticipate an attack. The premise is that the earlier you can detect an attack, the better we can anticipate it. Even at the idealistic level, we should be able to neutralize an attack without inflicting any harm to the attacker.

As with modern (and I believe to have titled ‘realistic’) way of self-defense, the premise is that human’s perception is limited, or even if some people acknowledged that such enhanced sensory skill is real, the method to train it is no longer available or simply impractical for modern life. Hence the practice is stressed on how to effectively react with whatever you have. If somehow you only realize that there is knife coming to your stomach, and you realized it only after it is approximately two centimeters from its target, you just have to react with the few options left… and please expect a cut or two… hopefully not lethal.

You see… for an open minded, there is value in both approaches. Some will pick one approach, and some another.

As for me, both are fun, and that’s the only thing that matter. They don’t contradict each other.

I have Bang Husin to train with, someone who has reached that sort of sensory skill that by exchanging blows with him, I can learn to enhance my sensitivity too (that’s the conclusion Kang Abu Zakka and I drawn sometime a go. You must do the drill with your master, not with other student, so you can appreciate the true feeling. Of course, you need to actually ‘challenge’ your master to prove that he is indeed a master – we in Seliwa did, I don’t remember any training without me get injured ). On the other hand, the mind-set of always be ready and practical when called for, also holds its precious value. It is like balancing between religion and science. Hold your vision up high, while keeping your feet on the ground. Be dreamful and practical at the same time... (and for me... to have fun!! )

All in all, I do enjoy the workshop and looking forward to have some experiments with the gang in Seliwa.

[Mantrijeron14]

So you have joined the WS... mmmm I failed to participate just because... some of "you know what- domestic affair" my negotiation skill required to be re-evaluated

Can't wait to have you shared with us the WS materials, further I think... a true silaturahmi of martial artists is conducted through that particular way of ws, in which everybody will feel the real touch of the respective discipline.

Seliwa blades technique, particulary knife, shall develop to adjust with the currrent situation. The technique is there, the approach probably different with the old time teaching.

wassalam,
 
cogito ergo sum

[Antara]

Guess we all know better than trying to negotiate those 'domestic affairs'

Something I like from the WS is the attitude where training ground is much like a lab where ideas are tested and got either promoted or discarded. I imagine it would be fun to constantly have sessions of experiments and improvements.

... and I do believe we in Seliwa are taking exactly the path, looking at how much our training has differed from the first time I joined which was only few months a go... ha..ha..ha... 

[Antara]

I have been resting for approximately three months now, thanks to my shoulder injury. I hurt my rotary cuff and deltoid sometime in late January. Cannot really understand how and when it happened though. I just woke up in the morning and found my right arm immovable. My Buddhist friends simply said, “It is karma getting paid. When the time is due, it doesn’t need any cause.”

Looking back at my younger days, I don’t want to imagine how I would pay some of the old karma .

* * *

There is a maxim in bodybuilding, “it is the rest between exercise that gives you bigger muscles, not the exercise itself.” Well, let see how my resting period have contributed to my silat.

First of all, I realize that we are more fragile than what we think.
Lets return to our youthful imagination when we join any martial art. We want to be invincible, or at least able to knock down an average thug.

What would I do if –suppose- today I had the opportunity to prove my prowess? Say a beautiful girl, next of kin of Spanish guitar, radiant face, emeraldish eyes, and strawberry-like lips is being bullied by skinny macho wannabe (oh, add that the girl is rich )… (and the thug is skinny )

Well… I need to consider that I have crippled right arm.

Movie heroes usually survive series of fights against gauntlets of opponents regardless of blows taken. I don’t think it would work in real world. Survival in numbers is always the best option.


Secondly,
Since I cannot move my right elbow too much away from my right ribs, I discovered that I couldn’t do much Pu’un, but still have workable Kembang. Hmm, I found another difference of the two categories. They have different effective range and different way of channeling power.


… and Third,
I gained weight…
Apparently I still need to develop ‘rasa’ on having good match between my activity and my appetite.

[Antara]

Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic.

...

Hehehehe... yes I want to reply, please

***

Home, finally. Lets hope that I don’t have to return to those jungle soon, at least not until after lebaran. The last four months was awfully exciting for those who enjoy adventure, yet, while I do love adventure, being married brings different flavor in life, even for the most reckless adventurer (assuming they care to get married at the first place ).

Ok, back to Seliwa.
My wrist is healing, only feels little uncomfortable when turning it outward. I started to recover my Pu’un, but my golok still need to wait.

Consider it blessing in disguise, I have been practicing Pu’un with unconsciously trying to protect my wrist, hence no tension at the end of strike (a punch, snap, or turn). To my amazement, it led me to personal discovery of how a typical strike should be done in Seliwa. No tension at all.

It took me enormous effort of adaptation. I used to delivered strike the way people thrust spear through muscles, i.e. tension. I found here that total (almost extreme) relaxation could produce similar result, but with greater flexibility to anticipate any change. Only certain part of my hand need to be tensed to protect it from impact, somewhere far at the tip of the hand, and only for fraction of second. I hope this will lead me to understanding of “kosong-isi” and “tenaga ujung” philosophy I’ve been hearing about.

Well… maybe another year of adaptation will do. It is great overhaul for me. Completely unlearn and relearn my muscle anew.

The good news is, it all lies in Pu’un . I can feel it now that those simple movements are actually conditioning of this particular way of striking. Do all the six pu’uns everyday, and you’ll eventually grasp the essence in it. Even without understanding of its principle. I found it hard to practice Pu’un with my current state of muscle habit, now I know that it needs different approach, and forcing me to learn it. Repetition will do its part. All I need is patience.

Interesting isn’t it? Instead of talking a techniques or concept to the death, all you need is practice. A carefully tailored set of movements by a genius long time a go will do its job for you. I believe even more now that a good style –not just style with sets of fighting movements-will take care most of your learning for you. You don’t even need to have a talkative master.

… start counting months.

[luri]

dah lama banget ga liat tulisan2 omAntara, akhirnya ada yang bisa disimak lagi nihh
 

[Antara]

Thank you for the ‘thank you’ button, Bang Luri… where else could we get thanked by rattling around?

Captain’s log, star date –312,363.4 (we are still two hundreds years before star date is invented, so the negative sign).

Feel strain in my left deltoid, apparently my left arm needs more effort adapting. Kinetically speaking, I waste some energy by uneccesarily lifting my left arm to puch the Seliwa way. This especially true when facing with right side forward.

Found that punching ‘the relaxed way’ is easier when started from relaxed elbow at approximately in front of centerline, then propelled by using only triceps. The Wing Chun way.

There is however, a slight challenge. As far as weight distribution and striking side concerned, Pu’uns take all permutation into practice. Especially after Pu’un 3. Take striking side (with left or right arm) and combined them with weight distribution (on left or right leg). If that gives me four permutation, which I could say ‘naah, not much’, Pu’uns are always done with one leg in front of another (almost linear), so there is front leg or back leg factor to consider when shifting weight. This gets even more crucial since Seliwa emphasizes reverse striking, which we often find ourselves punching with left arm while standing at front right stance, but with weight put on left leg. Oh, the left hip is thrust forward to support left arm, so while weight is 80% put on the left leg, the left hip is at more advance position then the right. It gives you lower back pain and ankle strain to stay at this position for long time. But that what makes Betawi silat its typical swaying flavor.

In nutshell, while I can refer to Wing Chun for relaxed fighting principles, I need to make minor (yeah, minor, right ) adjustment (since I know only basic principles of Wing Chun).

I wish I’d pay more attention when my father told me to practice my ren-zuki before switching to more stylish boxing guard. When doing correctly, standard ren-zuki drill gives you the same relax power by keeping elbow at the side of the body, and not swaying (which is actually the content of Pu’un 1 and Pu’un 2. I no longer wonder why the first two Pu’un are remarkably similar with Karate’s sanbon or ren zuki. It is about progressive learning. Learn the relax punch with static posture first, because after Pu’un 3, we will twist your body at the mercy of our imagination ).

I often observe my friends doing Seliwa’s rapid strike with no hip twist, body sway, or weight shifting. The result is quick but non-committed strikes. While it has its own merit and very useful when applied under the right tactic (Bruce Lee has his own very effective ‘rapid blast’), but that is not how Bang Husin does it. Bang Husin’s rapid strikes are committed and powerful, he employs hip twist and body sway to large extent to support his strike, yet, the successive strikes are still pretty fast. I believe the key is strong and flexible core muscles (because I learned that when I try to imitate Bang Husin’s performance, I need to have a toilet nearby ).

Uh, that reminds me of Seliwa breathing method, extreme pressure at lower part of stomach. The Taoist breathing. Oh, my. (See, that’s the benefit of having a practice diary… you know where you did it wrong )

The lesson is…

First,
Walk all the Pu’un slowly, no matter how easy it may look. One Pu’un will create solid base for the next one. Watch for every details, including breathing. Jumping to more fancy Pu’un hastily, or skipping some details, you’ll find yourself back with earlier Pu’uns (that’s good for learning actually, I did it, but don’t go in circle for too long. Unless if you didn’t have enough ride with Merry-go-round in your childhood ).

Second,
Listen to dad when he talks!

[Pemulung]

Always superb essay !
Full of soft-gently humour, philosophy and MA expertise. 
Keep write and explore-journey to it-your self  pak antara.