Helping others! That's what martial arts was created for. In movies and stories from the many different martial arts folklore, students were reminded by their sifus who say:
"This (martial art) was created for helping others! Use it wisely. Do not go and fight others"
I strugled with that idea. I mean, different people learn the arts for different reasons but LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE LEARNING... its a series of movements specifically designed to put the other guy on the floor! Wing Chun is a no nonsense art which people use to make sure the other guy never wake up again in the shortest time and the most minimal number of movements possible! Karate and Taekwondo are empty hand martial arts designed to hit through armour for the 1 hit 1 kill purpose. Aikido, Judo, Jujutsu and those within that family might seem soft but they have many times broken people's arms and legs. Hung Gar, Choy Lay Futt and other Chinese Arts have strikes that are both powerful and continuous coupled with pressure points strikes that really was designed to kill. Most Silat will lock you up in very awkard and very painful positions that the pain itself will knock us out!
For those of us who have been doing this long enough, we understand one thing. It is very easy to hurt and maim. My sifu hit me from a very short distance which caused me to stop breathing almost immediately (talk about POWER!). He also turned me upside down many many times without even using his hands. Taiji people are also powerful enough to throw people around like dolls. Even I was able to stop many of my friends' breathing (for about 1 or 2 days) with zero inch punches.
I guess what the sifus from the old folklore and the movies are trying to say is,
"Once you have conquered a challenge, Look for what's next (the future) and challenge yourself more so you keep becoming better and better. If something has become easy (it was hard to hurt people before but it has become easy right?) then look for a new challenge and conquer it!
So, let's go out there and look for something more challenging, something more fulfilling. I admire Cikgu Hisham Giant of the Lian Padukan for this. He and his team went around helping orphanages around Malaysia by donating stuff and giving free lesson. Check out his blog http://lianpadukanacademy.blogspot.com/ for more info. For those who can contribute, I suggest you do so. I can't wait for my Taman Tun Dr. Ismail to do this.
There are many things that are both challenging and fulfilling out there. Don't just talk. DO IT! (That goes for me too! hehehe)
Showing posts with label lian padukan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lian padukan. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Friendship is Beautiful
On the second of June, I had the privelage of attending a (to me) historical event. Abot (Mr. Ahmad Nasarudin) of Pertubuhan Gerak Silat Lian Malaysia (you can check their websitewww.pgslm.org) organized a visit to a Gayang Lima class (Pak Atan Air Batu lineage) taught by Tengku Musa (check out gayanglima.blogspot.com). Also in attendance was intructor and students of Gayang Lima (Pak Raja Ali lineage) led by Mr. Sudirman whom we visited 2 weeks before. We would have had a complete Lian representation if Mr. Hisham (Lian PadukanMaster) could come but he was stuck with work. Hope to have you along next time Cikgu!
We started by visiting Grandmaster Dahlan Karim of Seni Silat Setiabakti (checkoutsilatsetiabakti.tripod.com) who is recovering from a mild sickness. Gayang Lima is actually taught at his centre as a collaboration between two masters.
After a brief tea session, we were ushered to the training ground. Students were already training but Tengku Musa was very kind to allow us to watch. The students was practicing their "Lian" or forms as we might call them. They were also doing A LOT of practical applications. Tengku Musa's teaching methods are informal but very detailed. His students are lucky to learn from him.
I've always had much interest and intrigue in the many different styles of Silat Lian and Buah Pukul Mersing. And last night I had the privelage to watch another lineage, up close with detail. I have also seen classes taught by Cikgu Hisham of Lian Padukan and Cikgu Sudirman of Gayang Lima. In terms of technique and footwork, they are all almost exactly like our Yip Kin Wing Chun. In fact, most their techniques resemble those found in our second form (Tai Fa Kuen or Big Flower). And I personally feel Yip Kin Wing Chun has a lot more similarities to Silat Lian and to the older variations of Wing Chun in China than to the Wing Chun in Hong Kong.
The Silat Lian style was brought to Malaysia by Arab traders who came to Malaysia from China in the late 1800s. Yip Kin came to Malaysia in the 1920s and spread his Wing Chun in Malaysia. By looking at the timeline, Lian and Yip Kin Wing Chun might be the older versions of Wing Chun and therefore the similarities. Who knows? And frankly, I advise you not to care though. What's more important is to keep practising and improving whatever it is that you are learning. Only by that way, you'll make your self and your system good.
We ended the session by having a good "teh tarik" session. I was touched looking at the three Lian future grandmasters sitting and talking like they are old friends. They were so engrossed, I couldn't find opening to go into the conversation!!! Well, by being a kungfu guy I was the ODD man out!
Lesson learned was, MAKING FRIENDS IS A LOT MORE FUN AND PRODUCTIVE than letting your ego take over and make enemies. It's also a lot better to have friends who can watch your back than having to look at it your self! (And we can't even see our backs unless we've broken our necks).
I extend my deepest and utmost appreciation to:
1. Mahaguru Dahlan Karim for receiving us at his home and allowing us to visit his training grounds. We wish you a speedy and complete recovery.
2. Cikgu Tengku Musa and his students for receiving us and allowing us to watch their training.
3. Cikgu Sudirman and his students from Gayang Lima (Pak Raja Ali's lineage) for joining us and sharing their valuable time.
4. Cikgu Ahmad Nasarudin (Abot), Cikgu Abdullah and their students from PGSLM for allowing me to tag along.
5. Mr. Fahmi (Lian Padukan student) for letting me hitch a ride.
We started by visiting Grandmaster Dahlan Karim of Seni Silat Setiabakti (checkoutsilatsetiabakti.tripod.com) who is recovering from a mild sickness. Gayang Lima is actually taught at his centre as a collaboration between two masters.
After a brief tea session, we were ushered to the training ground. Students were already training but Tengku Musa was very kind to allow us to watch. The students was practicing their "Lian" or forms as we might call them. They were also doing A LOT of practical applications. Tengku Musa's teaching methods are informal but very detailed. His students are lucky to learn from him.
I've always had much interest and intrigue in the many different styles of Silat Lian and Buah Pukul Mersing. And last night I had the privelage to watch another lineage, up close with detail. I have also seen classes taught by Cikgu Hisham of Lian Padukan and Cikgu Sudirman of Gayang Lima. In terms of technique and footwork, they are all almost exactly like our Yip Kin Wing Chun. In fact, most their techniques resemble those found in our second form (Tai Fa Kuen or Big Flower). And I personally feel Yip Kin Wing Chun has a lot more similarities to Silat Lian and to the older variations of Wing Chun in China than to the Wing Chun in Hong Kong.
The Silat Lian style was brought to Malaysia by Arab traders who came to Malaysia from China in the late 1800s. Yip Kin came to Malaysia in the 1920s and spread his Wing Chun in Malaysia. By looking at the timeline, Lian and Yip Kin Wing Chun might be the older versions of Wing Chun and therefore the similarities. Who knows? And frankly, I advise you not to care though. What's more important is to keep practising and improving whatever it is that you are learning. Only by that way, you'll make your self and your system good.
We ended the session by having a good "teh tarik" session. I was touched looking at the three Lian future grandmasters sitting and talking like they are old friends. They were so engrossed, I couldn't find opening to go into the conversation!!! Well, by being a kungfu guy I was the ODD man out!
Lesson learned was, MAKING FRIENDS IS A LOT MORE FUN AND PRODUCTIVE than letting your ego take over and make enemies. It's also a lot better to have friends who can watch your back than having to look at it your self! (And we can't even see our backs unless we've broken our necks).
I extend my deepest and utmost appreciation to:
1. Mahaguru Dahlan Karim for receiving us at his home and allowing us to visit his training grounds. We wish you a speedy and complete recovery.
2. Cikgu Tengku Musa and his students for receiving us and allowing us to watch their training.
3. Cikgu Sudirman and his students from Gayang Lima (Pak Raja Ali's lineage) for joining us and sharing their valuable time.
4. Cikgu Ahmad Nasarudin (Abot), Cikgu Abdullah and their students from PGSLM for allowing me to tag along.
5. Mr. Fahmi (Lian Padukan student) for letting me hitch a ride.
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