Pencak Silat Tapak Naga

I started to learn Silat Seni Gayong when i was form one at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kamil, in Pasir Puteh district (Kelantan). Previously, the form one and form two students schooled at 2 p.m and finish at 6 p.m. One afternoon, after finishing our A'sar coummunal prayer with the Ustaz and teachers, we were told to go to the school field for a silat demonstration. The demo was TOO awesome. Machete fighting, super combat with one long stick versus two short sticks, Keris and Pisau pentas, really impressed me. However, i was quite ego by not expressing my 'impressness' in front of my friends. I even didn't show them how interested I am to learn that Silat. A week after, I registered a member of Silat Seni Gayung Pusaka Malaysia.

11 years later, knowing that Silat Seni Gayong's Mahaguru (The Great Grandmaster) Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman bin Daeng Uda Hashim has a "Bugis" lineage that traced back to the Sulawesi island in Indonesia, I had always searched a sort of original form of this deadly "Bugis" martial art. By chance, I met Guru Besar of Pencak Silat Tapak Naga, Pak Andi Halilintar from Sulawesi. He is teaching the PSTN at Munchen, Germany. After contacting him, he was agreed to welcome me and teach me little bit his "Dragon Steps style". He was really strict when teaching, yet he's kind and funny. From my intuition, he is someone who has a large knowledge, wisdoms, devotions and sincerity in developping his passion.

What did surprise me is that his purpose of teaching Pencak Silat is to help the unlucky children in Indonesia, mostly at his born place at Sulawesi. From the fees and donation given by those who attend his class, he sends it directly, with his association ADIK to the NGO at Indonesia to build up the orphan house, schools or even the nutritous foods for the poor.

So what is the silibus of this Pencak Silat?

Langkah Empat (4 steps)
Langkah Enambelas (16 steps)
kombinasi 4-8-16 (combination)

Gergaji ("SAW")

Patah (breaks)

Buang (throws)

Pinjam Tenaga (borrows the energy)

Pengaliran (tranfers)

Tendangan (kicks)

Pukulan Jarak Pendek (short distance attacks)
Langkah Kucing (cat steps)

Jurus Kalajengking (scorpion movements)

Jurus Elang (eagle movements)

Jurus Gabungan: Harimau-Naga-Ular (combination Tiger-Dragon-Snake)
Jurus Permaisuri Memetik Bunga (Princess picking the flowers)

Jurus Putri Memetik Bulan (Princess picking the moon)

Jurus Pendeta Menyambut Ramah (Priest greetings)
Jurus Payung (umbrella)

Jurus Tongkat Pendek Dua (2 short sticks)
Jurus Tongkat Tengah (medium length stick)
Jurus Tongkat Panjang (long stick)

Jurus Badik (bugis knife)

Jurus Trisula (Tekpi/sai)

Jurus Parang Pasangan (2 machetes)
Pemanasan dan Pelemasan
Aturan Pernafasan
Jurus ("12 X 12")

With a little time, I just managed to see the general form of PSTN. From what I've seen, I can say that Silat Seni Gayong has much similarities with PSTN. The Bugis people are known in the Nusantara as the warriors. There are talented and have a superior level in martal arts skills. (By saying this, it does not mean i'm degrading other ethnics skills or specialities!) Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman learnt Silat Seni Gayong from both Grandfather from his father and mother. His great grand father was Daeng Kuning, or known as Panglima Hitam. He came to Peninsular of Malaysia with six other princes of Sulawesi. Others continued their journey, while he stayed.

Talking about the silibus, the weapons used in PSTN are same with Silat Seni Gayong. Two short sticks (Simbat Suk), medium stick (simbat), long stick (tongkat panjang), Badik, Tekpi and 2 machetes (Parang dua). Two main animals form in Silat Seni Gayong are Tiger and Pheonix(Rajawali). However, some movements are also named with animals too. Sawa Berendam (Sinking Python), Sambar Jerung (Shark's Strike), Libas Buaya (Crocodile Sweep), Lompat Helang (Eagle Leap) or Tapak Yoi...

My encounter with Bang Andi also make me met one of his student from Danau Toba's Batak ethnic. For the first time in my life, I had a "close-contact" with a Batak guy, whose ethnic was feared once by the Nusantara people, as they were man-eating and blood suckers. He told me that, from what he learnt from his community, it was started when the Dutch came to colonize them and started to preached them the christianity. Most of their cultures and traditional rituals were forbidden by the white people. Fearing that their heritage will perish, they raged a war against the whites. And of course, to show their angers, they ate the flesh of dead white poeple and drank their blood.....

I prefer not to play with his nerve this guy! LOL

I was a great pleasure learning something different. I did learn a lot with Guru Besar Andi Halilintar. Undeniable, he is a true master of his style. Sincerely, I'd rather spend more money on traveling to learn from a true master, than learning with the non-original pencak silat "self-claimed master", which exist a lot in europe. These 'Orang Putih', learn basic pencak silat, then mix it with other martial arts, and "sell" it by making DVD or books. That is really disgusting!

By the way, i'm still searching any place in my schedule, to pay a visit to Munchen once again. Hopefully my comprehension will get larger, my physical skills would be much better and my mind and my soul will be stronger! InsyaAllah!