Your Ultimate Guide to the Karambit Knife 2024
The Karambit knife is the curved blade of the Minangkabau people of Sumatra, Indonesia, and one of the deadliest edged-weapons in the art of Pencak Silat. Discover the history, culture, meanings, and usage of this fascinating knife of ancient legends.
Pencak Silat Must Evolve
In the age of artificial intelligence, drones, autonomous robots, is Pencak Silat still as relevant and as lethal as it was? An artform used by warriors for centuries to fight wars passed from one generation to another through rigorous selection, practice, and training, one that was feared by colonists and local enemies alike, that so lethal and vicious it was called a "cheating art". A truly superior art of war. It was a tool to gain leverage, a tool to lie and deceive the enemy, a tool used to survive, used to maim and kill effectively, and definitely, a tool to protect one's Maruah (Dignity) and Tanah Air (Homeland).
Makiwara, Iron Penis, and the Legacy of Martial Arts Conditioning Methods
Muay Thai and Silat practitioners kick banana trees, Kung Fu practitioners smash iron with bare fists, and Karate practitioners punch Makiwaras. Iron Body Training in Martial Arts is akin to forging and tempering a sword. With much pain, practice, and proper healing, the body becomes hardened into a fighting tool capable of dealing with the rigors of real combat. The mind is also conditioned to prepare for the intensity of human combat.
How Effective is Silat in a Real Fight?
This strong relationship keeps Pencak Silat relevant, ambitious, and most importantly, in a state of learning, as the instructors see and hear what really happens in violent military or street confrontations by either being in the field themselves as employed members of the corps, or from their brother practitioners who share knowledge with them during training. Either way, good Silat develops and adapts so it can win, while still respecting the heritage of its origins.
Tok Janggut : Malaysia’s Rebel Pendekar
Born 1853, Haji Mohd Hassan bin Munas or more famously known as Tok Janggut (Old Man with Long Beard in Bahasa) was the son of Panglima Munas and Che Mah. He was born and raised in Kampung Saring, a small village in Kelantan, East of Peninsular Malaysia. His father, Panglima Munas was a man well-known in the village for his Silat fighting skills, learning Silat from his father, Tok Samad, who was a famous master in the district and later on diving deeper into the art from Panglima Puteh, one of the royal guards at the time.
The Ultimate Pendekar: Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior who lived in the 15th century during the Malaccan Sultanate. He was said to be one of the deadliest fighters among the Laksamana who served the Sultan and is considered one of the greatest Pendekars who ever lived in the Malay Kingdom.
The Secret Story of the Sarong
Sarong is one of the oldest styles of clothing still worn today, and the national clothing of countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen, Burma, and Somalia. A long fabric made of cotton, silk or rayon, it is worn as a wide piece of cloth around the waist to cover the lower part of the body. And in extreme cases, used as a weapon for self-defense in the various arts of Pencak Silat. The Sarong has a long history in the Nusantara (Indonesia and Malaysia) but…
The Rise and Fall of Malacca
The start of the trials of colonialism faced by the Malays following the conquest of the Sultanate of Malacca. And how Pencak Silat withstood the onslaught of one of the most advanced naval forces of the day: the Portuguese Conquistadors. For the citizens of the Sultanate of Malacca and their successors, the resistance to the conquistadors proved to be as much a political, religious, and cultural struggle as one of the force of arms.
Silat Sharaf : The Balance of Life and Death
How it translates into your life, how you interact with other people, how you treat other beings. Your mindset and mentality – dominance in any aspect of work or war, the mentality to always win with a minimal resource as possible, the mentality to use only the best, and be the best. Being a good leader, a good member of the society, giving something back to the people around you and also the community.
Pencak Silat and The Future
In the age of advancing technologies, weapons industries, artificial intelligence, autonomous robots, is Pencak Silat training still as relevant and as lethal as it was? Can it still be counted on for self- protection? What are the odds of using silat and winning against killer robots or enhanced human beings? While everything is evolving rapidly, Pencak Silat MUST EVOLVE. Either the art evolves, or it dies, or you die.
Weapons of Silat
Until the early twentieth century, the people of the archipelago have forged weapons primarily for their daily use and self-defense rather than using it for offensive purposes. People mainly use these weapons as a tool for their daily chores and activities such as hunting, gathering firewood, care for their crops, and building their shelter. As the cultural and social systems developed, the functions of the weapons have also evolved and changed.