SENI PISAU

photo from Cikgu Nasir's blogspot

Pisau (knife) has many forms in Malay archipelago (Nusantara). Every tribe and ethnic of Malay has their own type of Pisau. Every form indicates the philosphies of the tribe. Since Pisau is one of the most frequent tool that is used in daily life, the Tukang (blade maker) makes the blade and the holder depending on it's use. As one of my Master said, a man must have a real Pisau, at least during the Raya Haji (Eidul Kabir) eventhough he doesn't know how to use it to fight, as he can participate during the sacrifice ceremony of the animals. In Silat Seni Gayong, we use both a single blade type and double blades type of Pisau. However, the double blades Pisau will be taught after one has completed learning the single blade.

Dato' Mahaguru had arranged a brilliant learning system in Gayong. We start with Asas Pisau, which exist in many forms, of 14 steps, 21 steps or simply the Senaman Pisau (exercice of Pisau). Then, we learn the Elakan Pisau (escape), the most basic technics, but actually the most important training that one must make it as a daily rutine. In Pisau attack, we grab rarely the enemy's hand, as it can be dangerous to do so. The best thing to do during the Pisau attack is by blocking and avoiding the attack in certain natural steps and hit the enemy back during the right moment. This is the purpose of Elakan Pisau.

photo from Gayong Warisan

After having a "good habits" of avoiding the Pisau, then student can learn the Kombat Pisau and Buah Pisau. Kombat is a punch-claws-elbow-kick and bare hand technics to bring down the enemy, while the Buah Pisau is a lock type Pisau counter attack.

The best moment for most of the student is the Pentas Pisau: a choreography or prepared combat. In the syllabus, students are taught how to counter attack the knife barehandedly, to counterattack the knife with a knife, and to counter attack two knives with two knives. Finally, one must train the technic of knife throwing of a static and moving object. A Pentas of counter attack of the Simbat (stick) with two knives is one of the conclusion of the syllabus of Pisau.



In a real street fighting with a knife, one can't avoid from being cut, except that you are so good and fast, which is not the case for everyone. That's why in Silat Seni Gayong we learn also how to minimize how many times we are stabbed or cut, and also to protect the vital points and minimizing the injuries. Maybe some of my students were not aware about this, but we had done some hand drills with the knives last time as a "echauffement'' (warming up) before learning the Asas.



InsyaAllah, God willing, I'll look forward to explain more about other type of Pisau. ;)