7 Petua silat

1.

Ruang (Hampa Gerak - lack of motion) is emptiness, emptying, void, space and means a lack
of energy. Dissipation leads to Ruang.
2. Titik (Diam Gerak - domicile of motion) is a static point, where energy dissipates to a stop
and hovers before being redirected into another direction. Titik is the objective of a lock
(kuncian), the midway of a throw (buangan) and the beginning of a strike (pukulan). It is the
moment the glottis locks in the breath to keep the mind sharp.
3. Alif (Punca Gerak - source of motion) is the initial explosive release of energy as it speeds
away from the Titik in a straight line (as progressive Titiks) and dissipates into another Titik. It is
the Lingam of Indian arts.
4. Lam Alif (Asas Gerak - foundation of motion) is the generator of energy, moving in
continuous spirals before being released in an Alif. It is bound by centrifugal and centripedal
force. It is not a perfect circle, for man is not perfect, only Allah is.
Energy has a initial point and 'end'ing point, thus a perpetual circle would not describe the energy
well, but keeps trying to form a perfect circle. Lam Alif is seen in the orbits of the planets, the
rotation of the wrists, the spring on the foot, the gelek of the hips. It is the Yoni of Indian arts.
5. Jantan Betina (Aras Gerak - levels of motion) is relativity, not opposites. Fast is slower
than faster. Hard is softer than harder. It is not balance, for man cannot be in balance. It is
equilibrium, because it constantly seeks balance. One will always lead and the other follows, one
will always be heavy while the other lighter, one outside the other inside.
Jantan (male) is the fist, the elbow, the knees, the shoulders, the back of the head. It is the lead
hand and the lead leg. Betina (female) is the palm, armpits, the groin, the jugular, the soles of
the feet.
6. Mata Angin (Arah Gerak - directions of motion) is an aim, an objective, knowing where
you come from and where you're going. It's agility, the ability to move quickly from one to
another by moving through the Titik.
7. Jengkal (Ukur Gerak - measure of motion) is knowing when and how much to push, to
rush, to move. It is the final sprint in the race, the last rush to the Titik in a lock, the sudden
sweep in a buangan, the jet of breath as you launch a punch.

he 7 petuah is very true ... in laymen terms we have: before creation/movement/10,000 things there is
the void, differentiation and will leading to the germ of movement, covering 6 axis of freedom, within it's
limits, has binary opposites in terms of character, has direction and a quotient for energy. Kosong literally
means empty or no substance, isi means that there is substance and titimbangan means the point or
fulcrum of balance or leverage. The centre of mass in the human body exists approximately 2 to 5
centimetres bellow the navel and inside the body cavity, and forms the fulcrum as a first point of
reference. In some respects, kosong and isi on a mechanical level perform like the scales on either side of
the fulcrum. We already embody these concepts as we walk, play, sit and go about our daily business.
Silat is all about efficient balance management while manoeuvring to disrupting the opponent's balance
(I'm only talking about the physical aspect here, not the psychological). For a pesilat the concept of
kosimbang rests upon the body intelligence we have about our own body's fulcrum of balance, it's titik
timbangan and the influence of gravity (daya tarik bumi) within this relationship. It begins with the
awareness of gravity.
As we know, gravity pulls everything down to the earth surface. Our musculo-skeletal system works
continuously to keep the body structure in response to the pull of gravity. It's in the interest of any
movement art to minimise the physical effort involved in opposing gravity. Less effort generally means
less energy expenditure, which has the circular benefit, less muscular strain in maintaining integrated
structure. Latihan ngadeg or standing practice (zhang-zhuan) is the best way to begin to explore
timbangan or body balance to a refined level.
Best way to illustrate kosong is to get a friend to punch (like a boxer) your open palm as hard as they
can. You will relax and move your palm (the target) like a shock absorber to accommodate the incoming
energy ... most people will do this automatically and the person doing the punch will feel that their punch
feels ineffective ... kurang mantep. In taiji this is described as Yin accommodating Yang. If you held your
hand rigid however, the kinetic energy would transfer through your body and you would really feel it.

Another example is standing and move balance slowly from one leg to another observing the sliding scale
of effort to support the body on one leg in relation to the "emptying" of the other.Because kosong and isi
are directional, mastery requires sensitivity to adjust while moving at speed, which is why the interplay
hinges on the fulcrum of balance of our bodies within 6 degrees of freedom in space. so to finish
off kosimbang is about controlling the balance of ratio and substance, of ourselves and the objects within
our circumference of influence. It is the management of energy and mass.
It is true that in the physiological development of silat there are no secrets. The body core needs to be
strong and resilient. The legs and arms need to be strong and resilient. Understand the meaning of
dynamic relaxation. There must be good reflex and a perfection of timing. The organs need to be healthy.
You need to be able to experience and manage pain. The neurology needs to be healthy and the mind
needs to be calm, measured and focused.
Different cultures and different time periods have various ways to achieve these outcomes, some with
better results than others.
The biggest hurdle for a pesilat is to view their process with honesty and to trust their body intuition,
because in my personal experience so much (but not all!) that is peddled as ilmu is nothing less than
snake oil. Understand the role of superstition within the cultural context with compassion and intuition.
There is no need for ridicule, but there is the opportunity for personal understanding based on empirical
evidence and clear thinking ... where we each draw the line is dependant on our own choices and
conclusions.