D.I. SILAT TIP 14 - "The Pendekar's Way" part 1.
From the Dobles Institute News, December 2007, V4
SILAT TIP 14 - "The Pendekar's Way" part 1.
I believe that the word PENDEKAR is something we should all strive to
become the more we train SILAT.
Silat or the title pendekar is not so
much about a title or a piece of paper that says you can fight but its
something deeper that we should strive to achieve internally as a
Martial artist.
The highest form of Self Defense is to be able to
diffuse issues with out fighting. That takes a lot more skill that
punching someone. Usually when one carries themselves with certain
attributes they automatically avoid conflict (Target Denial).
In
mysticism there is a belief that you tend to attract that which you
resonate with internally. So its best to resonate with things that
keep you out of trouble and keep you in balance. The more you train to
fight and defend yourself the more you should also study how to heal
and be a better person.
A pendekar is someone who protects Mother Earth, his tribe or village
(these days that would be your circle of friends and family) and
teaches and empowers others to be better people through Silat and its
various aspects (Tenaga dalam breathing and meditation, Ilmu,Healing,
Kejawan ..Internal training and shamanism).
We all strive and come to martial arts to find in the martial arts
some form of Inspiration, Guidance, Empowerment, Growth, Shelter,
Confidence, Trust, Strength. Usually if you look inside yourself you
can find the root causes of why you choose to train martial arts. What
aspects of yourself on a deeper level actually need training.
Humility, Service, Healing, are equally important in learning Silat to
the combative aspects. If you are not becoming a more well rounded
human being it does not matter how much fighting you know you are
still loosing the battle of every day life and being in contact with
others.
Dr. Morris my qi gong and ninpo teacher told me once that the
best fighters/warriors also know how to heal.
Guru Cliff when he
knocks some one out he knows exactly how to restore and bring the
person back to full consciousness.
Always ask yourself what are you doing to heal yourself physically,
mentally, energetically, prevent illness, balance your darker sides (
we all have them)?
What are you doing that may be of service to others?
What do you do to be more generous with others on a daily basis?
How much time to do you devote to your family?
How much time to we spend criticizing others and other styles instead
of training ourselves in the art?
In my book my teacher Guru Cliff Stewart is a real Pendekar. He has
always been a protector to his circle. He looks out for his family,
students, and he is extremely generous with his knowledge. I have
never once felt like Guru held back information. If you empty the cup
he would fill it each time you saw him. All you had to do was ask him
and he would show you plus show you what you didn't even know how to
ask for. He is in my book the most dangerous man alive when it comes
to Martial arts. He is one of those people that you feel he could end
your life in seconds if he really wanted to. I am lucky to have him as
a teacher and to be able to share his Silat with my students.
Another inspiration to me and who also is a REAL pendekar in my book
is Guru Stevan Plinck. He is the real Pendekar of this generation of
SERAK. He is another one that is truly one of the most dangerous men
alive yet very humble and down to earth. His ability to produce
"Fajing" or explosive power in silat is uncanny.
I can not stress enough that if you get a chance to meet and train
with Guru Cliff or Guru Plinck, DO IT! You will get things from both
that can really enhance your training and can show you insight to how
Pendekar Paul de'Thouars evolved his Serak/Silat.
Here is a challenge my teacher and mentor Guru Cliff Stewart made to
the silat community last year It really hits home and helps one
realize the ideals of Martial arts and Pencak Silat: To All Silat
Players:
I Challenge you to have fellowship in the art of Serak & all styles of Silat.
I Challenge you to leave the art better than when you entered the art.
I Challenge you evolve the art and improve the art for all practitioners.
I Challenge you to share the art for the better of the community.
I Challenge you to treat all with respect and honor with in the art regardless of organizations & associations or styles.
I Challenge you to train and learn to your best ability.
I Challenge you to control your ego within the arts and outside the arts.
I Challenge you to not to challenge each other physically within the art.
--A challenge issued by Guru Cliff Stewart May 2, 2007
www.cliffstewart.com
Some more "Dangerous Men Alive" who have I have also been inspired by
and who are also extremely great warriors, humble and good people
worthy of mentioning who in the silat world would be considered real
"Pendekars":
The late Dr. Glenn J Morris Internal Martial arts expert, Hoshinjutsu,
ninpo , Qi Gong Master and healer (Doc was real master of Internal
work, Qi Gong and Kundalini. I would need many news letters to write
about him. Luckily he wrote 2 great books! "Path Notes" and Shadow
Strategies...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM. We miss you doc he passed almost
3 years ago)
The late Pak Herman Suwanda ( I never met him in the flesh but his
spirit is very much alive. I have seen footage of him that really
shows you he is the real deal when he needs to be.)
Wing Chun and Qi Gong Master and healer Sifu Francis Fong (Fastest and
scary trapping skills! There is a saying ...."there is Wing Chun, and
then there is "FRANCIS FONG" Best trapping skills I have seen a real
CHINESE BOXER. I have seen this man do healing with his energy and
palms and fingers that looked almost like something out of an xmen
movie. Some say CHI does not exist but that would easily be dispelled
when you see Sifu Fong in action. I have seen him do chiropractic
adjustments with out actually touching someone using only Qi gong
alone. He can make bones and ligaments go back into place by waving is
hands!)
Guru Dan Inosanto FMA, JKD Maphilindo Silat ( a truly nice man and man
of all trades in the Martial arts world and if you had to fight him
make sure he has no stick or knife in his hands!)
Uncle Bill Dethouars (one of the nicest and sweetest people on this
earth with the best animal movements and attitude I have seen. I would
hate to get hit by him. He told me once he practiced his juru parries
and entries off of a 45lbs steel pipe daily for 20 years. A friend of
mine witnessed him seriously denting a steel door once with a strike.)
Arjan Chai muay thai master (best thai form I have ever seen)
Pak Harold Koening Mustika Kweetang "Jakarta Style" master(the most
physically fit and scary Silat Old man I have ever seen and witnessed
in action. He is a master of moving like an animal and hitting with
his whole body. Also a master of the "Tarik-Donon" Push/Pull in Silat.
If I had to fight Pak Harold I would RUN THE OTHER WAY. The problem is
he would catch up with you cause he is Bruce Lee fit and he would
still beat your ass! I have seen him drop on the floor and fight like
a spider and leave you helpless. Also I have seen him strike concrete
with his knees and bounce up in the air like a monkey and hit you in
places you would not suspect humanly possible...remember he is OLD
TIMER too! Aside from being a great warrior he is a real healer and
shaman. I can attest to his healing abilities to even deal with people
who suffer from cancer and REAL health problems. My favorite thing
about Pak Harold is every time I run into him he is SMILING!)
Last but not least: Pendekar Paul deThouars master of Serak, Bukti
Negara pentjak Silat. He was my teacher's teacher. I never met him nor
trained with him personally but I have certainly felt his energy and
presence through Guru Cliff and Guru Plinck. I have seen footage of
him that really shows he is a real master of Silat. A real knower of
the art and science behind Serak. I was told by Guru Cliff that he is
the Real deal and truly a bad ass at what he does. Many have felt his
energy and all have attested to his ability in Silat. Another "old
man" I would not want to meet under the wrong circumstances. Rumor has
it even Sijo Bruce Lee took private silat classes with him. THAT SAYS
A LOT......"Absorb what is useful!!!"
Internal Tip: Some times when we train we can get very YANG or "Hot"
so you need to heal and cool down and redistribute the new accumulated
energies from training otherwise you can get chi blockages, or "Chi
sickness/ Kundalini Syndrome" which is common in many martial artists
who do not take care of themselves, energies and attitudes. This is
why many martial artists are prone to heart attack. The yang energy
gets to be too hot in the heart region so you have to find ways to
equally train the yin as-well.
One method is if you train hard, then spend 10 to 15 min training soft
with deep breath for example a kembangan or go out for a nice walk
with deep breathing, sit and do meditation,m lay down for 10 minutes
and do a meditation while relaxing on earth. If possible go for a
swim. My indonesian friends tell me that after a long day of silat
training they go to the local river or ocean and submerge themselves
in the water up to their necks and do deep belly breathing meditations
to absorb yin healing energies from the water and the moon. PAY
ATTENTION TO THIS.....
The moon is yin and a magnet so is the earth (yin) and water is yin
and conducts energy......Yin is rejuvenating, restoring, nourishing,
cooling, releasing.
Like I said you train hard physically and mentally you need to "Cool"
down and also train the relaxation.
After a usual session with Guru Cliff Stewart he makes the students
either do deep breathing slow (the exercises he does tend to run the
micro cosmic orbit in a ying cycle which cools down the body
automatically and begins a rejuvenation process in the body.) And then
he usually makes people lay down on their backs to relax for a few
minutes and re integrate/ center/ release tension and also settle all
the energies after training. This is a common exercise in Yoga known
as "SHAVASANA" or Corpse pose.
Here is a simple method you can start to learn and after 30 days you
should notice huge differences in your Health well being and mental
state and attitude.
Meditation Technique:
A safe method to "cool down" and to remove stresses, anger, ego
management, tension is the Inner smile technique from Taoist QI GONG.
This meditation was taught to by my teacher Soke Glenn J Morris.
THIS IS TO BE PERFORMED WHILE DOING DEEP BREATHING WITH LOWER DAN TIEN
BEGIN BY SMILING AT THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD DOWN AT YOUR SELF.
FEEL THE SMILE MOVE THROUGH YOU LIKE A LIQUID OR AND ENERGY VIBRATION.
FEEL THE SMILE PERMEATE ALL YOUR INTERNAL ORGANS
FEEL THE SMILE PERMEATE YOUR BONES, BLOOD STREAM, LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
FEEL THE SMILE GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO YOUR FEET AND THEN TO THE CORE
OF THE EARTH SO YOU GROUND AND ROOT THE EXPERIENCE WITH MOTHER EARTH.
ONCE YOU FEEL THE CONNECTION TO EARTH AND THE RELEASING OF TENSION
SMILE BACK UP AT YOUR SELF FROM FEET BACK UP TO YOUR HEAD.
REPEAT AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WISH.
LEARN TO DO IT WHILE SITTING IN MEDITATION, LYING DOWN, WALKING,
TRAINING, UNTIL EVENTUALLY THE INNER SMILE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU.
Try to do it even when you are training or you are doing drills with a
partner. The more relaxed you are in training and in combat the more
you can transfer energy and power. Guru Plinck told me in his back
yard that you need to be like a piece of paper or a whip in order to
Generate POWER. Not stiff but totally relaxed. So you must find ways
to relax as much as possible with full awareness. The Taoist method of
Inner Smile is one of the best and fastest ways to do this very fast
on a mental/energetic level and ultimately a physical level. When you
smile your body releases good feelings and hormones that balance you
out and keep you blissful.
I once heard that if you get hit smile enjoy the hit and then give it
back generously!
The idea is to grow old with the art so even at an old age you can
defend yourself and heal yourself as well as others.
In indonesia the masters say to remain calm, relaxed and happy no
matter what situation you are in. Study this!
Peace
Guru Santiago Dobles
www.DoblesInstitute.com
