Oh La Vie! The Way of Gayong

There is a Malay saying "Perigi Tak Cari Timba, tapi Timba yang Cari Perigi". A Well doesn't search for a Bucket, but the Bucket searchs for a Well (a small bucket, tied with a rope used to take the water from the well). The meaning behind this expression is that "A Teacher doesn't seek a student, but a student will have to search a teacher".

The Malay word used for the bucket here is "Timba". Other Malay word for "Timba", is "Gayong". Gayong, literally, has two meanings. The first meaning, is a tool to take and to contain the water, the same meaning of Timba, using when one takes bath, cleans himself or ablution. If we take this definition, we can remake the saying as "The Well doesn't seek the Gayong, but the Gayong needs the Well".

This expression clears us the way of Gayong. The way of learning this art. We can read the histories of how the elders (seniors Gayong masters) had lived to learn Silat Seni Gayong with the late Dato' Mahaguru. They travelled hundreds of kilometres, from Perak to Singapore, from Selangor to Kedah, from Penang to Melaka and so on. The one who seeks the teacher, spends money and time for it, and develop his own Gayong group when he returns to his home, is the one who understands the way of Gayong. How many Gayong seniors, at the time when they learned with the late Mahaguru, sacrificed their own priority just because this is the only pure and original Malay heritage that still survive until now. They did this, because they thought and think of us, the new generation. I was still a child when one of them had an road accident when going to Mahaguru's house, and he is still teaching Gayong until now...

What really make me sad, is those who don't appriciate when a Master is around him. They have the opportunity to learn, to develop, to make them a true Anak Gayong, but seems that their priority is in other thing then Gayong. Who doesn't have problem in his life? Everyone does. But only the one who is sincere and determine will realize what he wants to. As a student, we don't wait a Master to come to us. It's our duty to come, to help, and what makes our master happy most is to continue his effort by developping this art as much as possible.


The other meaning of Gayong is as same as Silat. Bergayong, or to do the Gayong, is to do the Silat or to fight. When we learn Gayong, it means that we learn how to fight, and how to defend ourselves. Learning to defend and to fight is an obligation for every human being. World was not created free from demons and bad creatures. Even the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once said, when asked by one companion: "What if someone broke into my house, and want to rob my goods or to hurt my family, and I fight him?" The Prophet (pbuh) said: It's your duty to protect your goods and your family. He asked again: "What if he killed me?" The Prophet (pbuh) answered: You are going to paradise. He once asked again: "What if I killed him?" The Prophet (pbuh) said: He goes to hellfire. (au kana kola Rasulullah sallahualaihi wasallam)

Gayong it self, was defined by the late Mahaguru. Gayong, spelled by Jawi (Malay-Arabic spelling), is from the letters of Ga, Alif, Ya, Wau, Nga.

Ga stands for word GENGGAM (grasp tightly)
Alif stands for word ANGKAT (lift high)
Ya stands for YAKIN (believe and convinced)
Wau stands for WARAS (rational and intelligent)
Nga stands for NGERI (fearful, grisly)


We grasp tightly our oath, and never break our promises to our teacher. Never reveal our secrets to the stranger, but teach everything to our member. We lift high the name of Gayong, and the name of the late of Mahaguru, and never let people disgrace Gayong. We lift high our faith and never give up to protect it. We believe in God, we believe in his messengers,and we believe in what we learn in Gayong. We are convinced that we can protect ourselves and our family and our nation by learning this deadly martial art. But we don't abuse of what we had learnt. We are here, not to be individual, but to help the weak and the poor. We are intelligent, think wisely, and act rationally. We fear of the judgement day, the day that our actions will be judged. We live to prepare a good life after the death. But it doesn't mean that we throw away our life on this world. We must have a good life, and have good people around us, and good gayong training too! Make a Gayong training and demonstration look grisly and powerful, because this is our way. The way of Silat Seni Gayong!



"GAYONG BERGAYUT, KATA BERSAHUT"

ZAAATTTTTT!!!!!!