Weapons of Pencak Silat

(2) Darting Beak, Swirling Dragon.

 Blekok (Crane) Bangau (Stork) Elang (Eagle) Garuda (Mythical Bird-man)

Across the Malay world there are many "Bird" systems and it is very easy to understand this. Man as always looked to the sky as the source of something

spiritual as if being closer to the heavens (In a non Judeo Christian sense) is somehow closer to the creator.

By association then, anything that flys high is closer to the gods; and it doesnt take much searching in other martial tradions around the world to see this common thread.

Eagles are sacred the world over, souring closer than any others to the gods and Father Heaven. Indeed every culture talks of huge and powerful semi-divine beings, portrayed as birds like the Native American "Thunder-Bird, Tibetian "Tengu" and Hindu "Garuda"

In fact the Garuda as become the national emblem of some South East Asian countries even to this day.

In Kung Fu for example (I refer to the Chinese arts a lot as I came to Silat from 10 plus years of Kung-Fu) The Crane is the symbol of stillness, self-reflection, spiritual contemplation and oneness; a creature not only of the Earth but of the Heavens.

This is echoed in Cimande too it is from the Blekok that we gain our re-connetion with spirit, with self-reflection contemplation peace, internal stillness and calm tranquillity.

The weapons associated with the Blekok in our style are the longer swords ie Pedang, Padang (See above) and the almost mystical Cabang. (See below)

Sometimes called "Trisula" or simply "Sauh" (Anchor)in Malay."Mannerism Overlap" again, as Im also told there's a Monyet link to the Cabang.

Again there's a lot significance all across Asia with the trident and trident type weapons which may arch back to ancient Bronze Age India or even earlier!.

Many Hindu deities are shown with trident type weapons, both hand held and pole mounted and in other martial tradions we see Sai and the Filipino Siko-Siko (Which is a plural of "Elbow" due to its shape) and is often associated with the divine power to rule.

The Cabang differs to these type weapons in that it is very heavy almost like the Chinese "Tiger Fork" 

 (See below) 

this is a very heavy pole weapon famous in “External” schools like Hung Kuen (Hung Ga) and some Shaolin arts.

It as a central double edged blade and two curving "Shoulders" or Elbows like a Western "Sword Breaker".These are used for trapping an incoming weapon and disarming it, with a power twist of the wrist and waist, if used against a blade this will either disarm the weapon or snap the blade allowing you then to counter stab with the bladed section.

The "elbows" can also be used for trapping limbs and for percussion type stabs and powerful braking movements to an entrapped arm, due to the sheer weight of the weapon and the torching power of the waist the point also resembles the beak of an angry bird.

Pedang / Padang  is the Malay word for sword and these swords "generally slightly longer and narrower than the Golock.

there is so much diversity in these blades as individuals would have "Impu's" make specific blades to match individual tastes some longer  some shorter some wider and with varying blade shapes.

These swords in practice can be likened to the wings of a mighty bird moving fluidly within the space and contours of our body’s like a bird using its wings to groom its plumage, or to fight of threats.

one of the best training methods for this kind of body-spatial awareness is the "Body-washing" please see my previous post for more details of this.

In short we learn to roll the blade/s over our body and extremities fluidly and safely which gives us not only great fluidity and flow but a greater understanding of blade sensitivity and spatial awareness

so we don’t end up up cutting or dismembering ourselves, we learn blade appreciation and also the loss of fear from the feel of a steel against the skin, energetically we're cleaning our aura and creating a shield of light using the blade/s.

The blade of the Padang is considered in our system to be the “Circle of Creation” made physical. This is because of several reasons; firstly if you take a circle and pull on its sides one way towards the east (Fire) and the other towards the west (Water) simultaneously it will extend laterally and will form into a cylindrical type.

Also as one uses iron (Earth) in its smelting and remember too, that sometimes due to the historical lack of iron in Indonesia, meteoric iron was used (Air) in the construction of the blade so it contains all elements in its birthing.

These blades like most Malay/Indonesian blades are used either in pairs or used holding the scabbard to parry and trap/hook and leaving the blade free to cut or thrust.

Again we see that "MO" again as the Black Cobra defensive postures re-appear in the Pedang use using the empty hand movement to momentarily distract the opponents vision and then using the blade to slash from a concealed position or posture.

Other weapons used or linked to "the Birds" are a longer and more sharply right angled version of the Karambit known locally as "Kuku Elang"(Eagles Claw") and a much smaller ring version known as"Kuku Ayam" (Chicken / Rooster Claw) which resemble the blades tied to the legs of roosters and chickens during "Cockfights" a popular sport all across South East Asia.

Naga (Mythical Dragon-Serpent)

No article on Malay/Indonesian weapons would be complete without mention of the mystical Keris/Kris.

(See below)

There's so much detail and history and magic wrapped up with this weapons its very hard to separate fact from fairytale with this beautiful weapon.

It is symposiums with the Malay people and while the academic arguments go back and forward on this weapon regarding its origin and history. I will try and stick to the facts as far as its use in strictly martial sense and leave the reader to research the rest at sites like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris

Keris the name, seems to have come from Java and may have originally been called "Nigiris" which means to stab or to wedge. "Kris" is the western rendition of the word “Keris”.

Keris where a symbol of free men and nobility a very valuable weapon passed on from father to son stretching back for many generations, hence some Keris are called "Pusaka" which roughly translates to "Heirloom"

Like the mystical Naga the keris carries in its design elements of all animals, blended and then drawn out to a perfect stabbing point, the very material of the pamour looks like a whirlpool of different elements swirling and fighting each other, yet like the Chinese symbol "Yin Yang" mutually supportive one cannot survive without the other.

Some very old keris where made from meteoric iron from fallen meteors, which were very prolific in the centuries past and the blades are said to contain a living spirit or presence, some good some bad.

There are many strange tales regarding these spirits and I have a had myself some very odd things happen while working with them (Which I wont mention in this medium)

Safe to say keris are very strange and you can’t just go and pick up any and use them, they're to be treated with respect and reverence it is said the keris finds the user not the other way around. like the naga the keris contains all animals, the abilities to stab, cut, snap-cut glancing slice and parry. These are not slashing weapons like the FMA War Kris, as the shape denotes it is primary a thrusting weapon, normally used in conjunction with the scabbard the thrust comes from ever changing and obscure angles hidden by the body and the scabbard to areas which are fatal one hit one kill.

Historically these where envenomed with a strong neurotoxin made from small poisonous spiders and worms so if the thrust missed the slightest scratch would be fatal.

Often times the parries and blocks are made simultaneously and the blade drawn only in very close range to make a lightning type blow and then returned to the scabbard; like a bolt of lightning striking and “earthing” when it reaches the ground symbolised by the Scabbard.

Also like the naga itself, which is a mystical serpent with the head or actually several heads of dragon (remember, that in eastern philosophies naga / dragons are considered bringers of great luck, good fortune! symbols of divine energy, nothing like the fire breathing monsters Christians demonized here in the west) they are beautiful mystical insubstantial beings that move through the clouds flowing snakelike and ever changing the keris is constantly moving high and low in a constant flow coiling and evading using parries and set ups like a chess master looking for that finishing move.

Keris where even used as a method of execution! the criminal was made to kneel down and the executioner would stand behind him to his left with a longer form of keris and with a single thrust would stab down between the clavicle bone and the trapezes muscle straight into the heart causing instant death, so precise and clinical was its thrust

In combat snap cuts are produced to arteries and vital targets as set ups but its strictly business no messing truly an advanced and beautiful weapon.

To us the naga is the mystical blending and BECOMMING of all animals and elements, so any weapon can be used with the mannerism its the mannerism and delivery system that counts.

Keris are said to contain their own spirit, imbued to them by the “Empu” (maker of the keris,) These supernatural weapons are referred to as “Keris Sakti”

I've had a very vivid experience with a particular keris, which was to powerful for me at the time and it let me know it. This particular one was, I believe used in an exorcism and I got a visual re-play of the whole event!

It’s said that particular entities (whom I wont mention here), fear keris and this explains why my keris may have been used in this way, and why we use them in our circle work

Once you get to the level of using the keris; spend time with it, talk to it, sleep with it meditate with it and after a while things will happen, trust me ;)

Thanks for staying with me through that one it was a long one and we didn’t even scratch the surface one could write entire volumes on each of these weapons and I just wanted to give a taste of the rich cultural heritage

of the Malay and Indonesian peoples.

We didn’t talk about the "lembing, Tombak; Menikam"(Spear), "Kapak"(Axe) "Sumpitan" (Blowpipe) "Busur" (Bow) and "Perisai""Agang"(Shield's) all weapons used by all tribal cultures all over the world.