Tuan Haji Mansor Othman

This would be my first article about the Masters of Silat Seni Gayong in this Narapatinantaboga's blog. I will start it with one of my Master Tuan Haji Mansor Haji Othman, the Cheif of PSSGM Kelantan. Known as Tok Ayah Sor, he has a clinic at Gombak, that use the traditional therapies and natural medicine, and based on the Al Quran and Al Hadith.

He learn Silat Seni Gayong since 17 and now is a holder of black belt 6th DAN. He is the Wakil Mutlak (Dato' Mahaguru's Representative for the Perlimau) in Kelantan. Among his teachers was Cikgu Awang Daud, Cikgu Majid and Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman himself. He received his Black Belt in 1977 at Ayer Kuning, Perak. Because of his interest of the science of Silat, he searched everywhere that he can find any Guru that can satisfy his conquest. His journey made him learn Karate Do, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, Judo and Tomoi Siam (Muay Thai). In Kebatinan, he found Gurus in Selendang Putih, Selendang Merah and Selendang Hitam. In 1983, he was in PSTD (The Reserved Army) to learn the modern weapons and war strategy. Since 1977, he traveled a lot to Indonesia to learn a lot about the traditional and Sufi healing by using the Zikr and traditional Malay methods.

Now he has at least 40 students holding the Black Belt in Kelantan. He was the one who came to officiate my Gelanggang in France in 2005 and performed Perlimau Tapak to my first students in France, during a Gayong France: Gayong Kelantan project Program Gayong Jelajah Perancis 2005. The ceremony took place at Belgium, with the presence of Guru Jacques, a Belgium master of Pencak Silat Setia Hati Teratai. Those who took the bath with Tok Ayah: Benjamin PONS, Serge LAMIAUX, Benjamin BRUNO, Dr. Antoine, Florelle and Elodie. Hamid, Sebastien and Daoud took the bath when they came to Malaysia.

The program took two weeks, as we traveled from Paris to Lille, Lille to Mouscron (Belgium), Mouscron to Paris again, and Paris to Montluçon (where I studied for my Diploma) We intent to continue our journey to Lyon and Nice (as we had booked the Dojo), but sadly had to cancel both of the places due to the bad weather. It was in Decembre, between Christmas and New Year, and it was freakin cold. Tok Ayah, and 3 others Gurulatih, Cikgu Mohammad (his son),Cikgu Amru and Cikgu Wadi, and me, drove throughout La France to do the seminars and demos. I sent them to the airport and Voilà how was the program done! ;)