Silek Harimau "Legend Tiger Martial Art"

Silek or silat (Indonesian) is a martial art that is owned by the Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia which is inherited from generation to generation from generation to generation. Minangkabau society has a disposition like to go abroad since a hundred years ago. To wander of course they should have enough stock in protecting themselves from the worst things during the trip or at the shoreline, for example, assaulted or robbed.

Besides as a preparation to go abroad, silek important for defense against threats from outside the village. Minangkabau region of Sumatra in the middle of the archipelago as other areas in the region is a fertile area and the producer of spices important since the first century AD, therefore, of course, security threats can come from the newcomers to the area of this archipelago. So the function martial arts can be divided into two namely as

• Panjago diri ( Self-defense from the enemy )
• Parik Paga Dalam Nagari ( Country defend system )  

For these two reasons, then the formerly Minangkabau society needs to have a good defense system to defend himself and his country from the threat of enemy at any time. Silek not only as a tool for self-defense, but also inspire or be the basis of a variety of dance and movement Randai (drama Minangkabau). Emral Djamal, Dt Rajo Mudo (2007) once explained that the development of art movements into silat is an ancestor of Minangkabau strategy that silat has been repeated in peacetime as well as to the distribution of "energy" martial arts which tend to heat and hard to be gentle and calm . In the meantime, if viewed from the side of the term, said the martial arts in the understanding of the tuo silek (professor of martial arts) is mancak and silek. The difference of the word is

• The word is said as well as mancak or silek Bunge (interest silat) is a form of martial arts dance movements are exhibited in the traditional events or other ceremonial occasions. These movements sought to mancak as beautiful and as good as possible as to show
• Silek word itself is not to dance anymore, but an art of fighting that used to defend themselves from enemy attacks, so the movements of as little effort as possible, fast, precise, and paralyze opponent 

The tuo silek also said jiko mamancak in galanggang, if basilek dimuko musuah (if doing martial dances in the arena, whereas if bersilat to face the enemy). Therefore, the tuo silek (professors) are seldom willing to show their skills in public how the steps they cripple the enemy. Therefore, the Minangkabau tradition martial arts festival, the audience will be disappointed if you expect the two professors (tuo silek) down to the arena to show how they are attacking each other and mutually defend themselves with deadly movement. Both tuo silek mancak and it just did not try to hurt each other their main opponent, because dropping silek tuo else in the show will have less impact tuo silek good for the "lost". In daily practice, if a martial arts teacher asked if they could bersilat, they usually answer with a fine and said that they could only mancak (martial), when in fact they were taught silek (silat). This is the humble nature of the archipelago-style community, they say, do not exalt yourself, let the facts do the talking. So the word Pencak silat and ultimately indistinguishable. Currently it is learned after silek Minangkabau by strangers, they show us how deadly attacks that they did. Silek tuo reluctance is understandable because Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch people for hundreds of years, and demonstrate the ability to fight of course will not be accepted by the colonists in the old days, this obviously harmful for their position.

There are opinions that say that martial arts came from the word silek. Silek also said some people think comes from siliek, or the clay, because so great dodge and slippery as an eel. In each Nagari have a place to learn martial arts or also called target silek, led by a teacher who called Tuo Silek. Tuo silek has a right hand that responsibility to help him teach the beginners.People who are adept at playing martial arts called pandeka (swordsman). This Pandeka degree in the time formerly dilewakan (gazetted) customarily by ninik mamak of Nagari is concerned. But in colonial times by the Dutch government suspended the title. After more than a hundred years of frozen, Koto hands of indigenous people, the city of Padang Pandeka finally confirmed the title in the 2000s. Pandeka has a role as a paga skelter in the village (the country's security guards), so that they are needed in creating a safe and peaceful country. At the beginning of this year (January 7, 2009), Mayor of Padang, H. Fauzi Bahar dubbed Pandeka Rajo Nan Sati by Niniak Mamak (Traditional Leaders) Tangah Koto, the city of Padang. This degree is awarded in honor of his efforts to reactivate the traditional silek activity in the area of ​​the city of Padang and indeed he is a fighter in his youth as well, so it deserves that title.


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Posted in: Indonesian Martial Arts