Silat Fighting Magick

Combat - August 2003

Many of today's martial arts today have grown sterile. Extreme physical conditioning, often resulting in overstretched tendons and ligaments, have replaced inner power and meditation. The body has grown bigger while the mind and inner strength have deteriorated.

The internal aspects known as Kebatinan (mysticism) and Ilmu (sorcery/magic) are intrinsic parts of the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat. Students from other arts that do not contain these aspects have mixed emotions when faced with them for the first time.

First, one must realize that our art was designed as a moving ritual intended to gather forces from within and without the practitioner. These include the principles of Father Sky and Mother Earth, and all the elements associated with them - Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Spirit. The spirit - Raja Naga - symbolizes the embodiment of everything propelling the Tenaga Dalam (Inner Spirit/Power).

Trying to make the art work on purely physical skills alone is akin to using a coffee percolator as a paperweight. It may be partially effective by accident but it certainly is not being used to its designed potential!

After teaching Pukulan Cimande Pusaka Pencak Silat for many years. I can assure you we don't lack outer physical aspects! The art contains 18 Jurus (sequences of upper body movements) performed both left handed and right handed.

Each Juru contains thousands of applications. It also contains Langkas (moving forms), dozens of specialized moves, and footwork patterns such as, Web patterns, War wheels. Pukulan Wall and Wedges. with Tiger. Snake, Monkey and Crane animal styles. So the physical dimension has great depth! Indeed many students from other styles have been completely overwhelmed at all these aspects!

With all that going for it, why study Kebatinan and Ilmu?

We follow a line of development from purely physical skills, beginning with the first level - joint destruction. This is the most physical and the easiest to develop. It causes energy damage to the opponent because his bones store Tenaga Dalam (Inner Power). However, delivering the strike requires no inner power by the practitioner (though all strikes can be intensified with it, of course!).

The second stage is muscle and nerve damage. This requires more physical skill in terms of accuracy. Again, inner power would intensify the results but it is not necessary to cause damage.

Third stage involves nerve damage. This requires precision and is very effective! Inner energy could greatly increase this kind of damage.

The fourth stage involves energy damage and it is here that we cross the line. because no physical power can cause this kind of damage. Application is transferred directly to the practitioner through the acupuncture points. This can be accomplished at a distance from the opponent with sufficient training.

The student's Tenaga Dalam has been developing all the way through these steps if s/he has been taught the art correctly.

The correct understanding, of the Kebatinan and Ilmu make the development take place. The last step will never occur without this so the potential of the other areas will he weakened.

The moving fighting ritual of Pencak Silat leads to altered states of consciousness which produce the desired combat attitude in the tighter. Attitude has been called a warrior's primary weapon because it allows functioning of the physical body without it being held back by doubt. fear and apprehension. These negative feelings can actually halt physical skills. Altered states allow isolation of physical attributes. which in turn sharpen specific skills.

Altered states in effect open a pathway, linking into the animal spirit lighting skills contained within that most ancient portion of the human brain, often referred as the 'Reptilian Brain'. This area is most closely associated with survival and real fighting skills - not tournaments or other such games.

An opponent facing someone who has turned off his conscious mind is facing someone without fear; someone who is intimidated by neither size nor talk. This is someone who will fight with what we term controlled recklessness'.

This is what Pencak Silat is all about! So embrace the Kebatinan and Ilmu of Pencak Silat, and you will win in the end!