But in Indonesia ...

by Pendekar Sanders, April 18, 2006

I wanted to supply a little bit of interesting information for my students. Lately on the MAP web site there have been a "few" people who have in general questioned the use of titles. Particularly they say by Americans who if they would just go to Indonesia would see these titles are not used or given out or you would not be called that, a rose would be a Magnolia blah, blah, blah.

Now, for sure in some cases this is accurate. If a person just decides to call himself a certain title whether it is Chinese Sifu or just the word Master or what ever it can certainly raise eyebrows, just like if some one makes themselves a fake degree or military records. I also admit many US Silat teachers have gone over the top adding Godly exploitative to their rank etc. Also many of these ranks, where they came from are unverifiable or just don’t exist making one ask why even bother. I agree with all of that.

Here is what many of them, if they are referring to me, don’t even know. I carried the title of Pendekar Moeda with John Malter many, many years before I ever went to Indonesia. However after meeting with Pendekar Jafri I felt it was NOT appropriate for me to use that title, given to me in the USA, not used in the way it was so I did not use it and took it off my uniform. If I was looking for a reason to use it I did not need to go to Indonesia I already was given it in writing and I DECLINED its use, so much for title glory hunting.

But then years later when I went to Indonesia and Pendekar Jafri took me to Banten, after I trained there and was with them and Pendekar Sirait and Jafri etc tested me, I came home and was informed they had granted me the title of Pendekar of Cimande and wished me to spread the art in the USA etc. This was a big surprise. Now I felt I could use this title, since it came FROM INDONESIA and respected Silat Masters.

Years later after Pendekar Mama of Cimande saw what I had done and taught me his Cimande, he again directly from Cimande Village gave me the title of Pendekar in his Cimande.

NOW I see a few guys, Indonesians, saying this and that about us poor American not knowing the use of these titles. In my case gentleman please return to your home county and place your argument on the steps of your own Elder Cimande people. Before you apply this logic to me realize I would not accept the title nor use one already given until it was bestowed from top Indonesian teachers of the highest respect from Java. So for my students who see these things a kindly reminder to them that these titles came from their home land and most highly respected elders (all of the Cimande village elders signed my appointment) might be appropriate. 

The next thing they complain about is the use of titles in class, like Guru, another silly gripe. Show me a traditional art from any culture that has no respectful titles being used like Sifu for instance, who complains about that? These are just signs of respect used in the school that mean teacher and nothing more and are also fine on a business card the person worked hard to earn to be able to be called that, like a college degree and should be respected if they earned it in a school for just that reason by the other students. If someone was never given a title in his or her training it is ok, the material still speaks for itself, but if some one did earn it in their school no use in running them down for it.

Of course if you get the person who then says, "the guys who gave the titles probably could not read or write or they misspelled a word on line three that proves its a fake, "you are faced with a very embarrassed, humiliated individual who is grasping at straws in a vain attempt to remain credible.