SILEK, THE ,MINANGKABAU MARTIAL ARTS AND THEIR PHILOSHOPY

Sedudoshare - Minangkabau silek or Minangkabau silat is a martial arts sport that has grown and developed in the Minangkabau region since time immemorial. Silek for Minang children is their identity, which is inherent in their daily lives, especially for their men. But it is not a taboo for women, because many Minang women master the martial arts. First, a child who would go abroad, first learn silek until cooked.

It was intended so that they could defend themselves from the attacks of thieves, or protect their relatives from anger. Because of its self-defense nature, there are rules in silek not to attack dangerous parts of the opponent's body. Silek also contains wisdom, if those who master silek well, they should have high patience. This is reflected in the steps the pesilat has, namely 3 steps backwards, and only 1 step forward.

That is, a fighter must succumb a lot, be patient, and not serve the opponent's attack in the initial stages. Three steps back gives the opponent an opportunity to undo his continued attack. Silek was also studied by the nagari children in Minangkabau to defend the nagari from enemy attacks, such as robbers, and the like. Minang boys since childhood have studied in surau. Usually they are trained by Koran teachers, who master the science of silek. Silek exercises are usually done after learning the Koran at night. The word pencak silat comes from two words, namely "mancak" and "silek".

Mancak is a flower of silek movements. Mamancak means demonstrating the movements of silat, in the form of silat dance movements that are exhibited in traditional events or other ceremonial events. Moves for splashing should be as beautiful and as good as possible intended as a show. 

The word silek is a fighting art movement that is used to defend itself from enemy attacks, so that movements are sought as little as possible, fast, precise, with the intention of paralyzing the opponent. Silek Minang The tuo silek said jiko mamancak in galanggang, if basilek is in muko musuah (if performing pencak dance in the arena, while if fighting for enemies). 

Therefore, the tuo silek (great teacher) rarely wants to show their skills in public how their steps paralyze the enemy. Therefore, at the Minangkabau traditional martial arts festival, the audience will be disappointed if they expect two great masters (tuo silek) to come down to the arena to show how they attack each other and defend themselves with deadly movements. 

The two tuo silek only did a spike and tried not to hurt each other's opponents, because dropping the other tuo silek on the show would have an adverse effect on the tuo silek who was "defeated". In daily practice, if a martial arts teacher is asked if they can fight, they usually answer gently, and say that they can only be sharp (pencak), when in fact they are teaching silek (silat). This is the humble nature of the Archipelago, they say do not exalt yourself, let the facts alone speak. So the word pencak and silat finally difficult to distinguish. 

Now that the Minangkabau silek has been studied by strangers, they are showing us how deadly attacks they are doing. Silek Tuo reluctance can be understood because Indonesia has been colonized by the Dutch for hundreds of years, and showing the ability to fight certainly will not be accepted by the colonialists in the past, obviously this is dangerous for their position. 

There is an opinion that says that silat comes from the word silek. The word silek is also considered to be derived from siliek, or the clay, because it is so amazingly dodgy and slippery like an eel. Every nagari in Minangkabau has a silat learning place or also called a silek target, led by a teacher called Tuo Silek. Tuo Silek has a right hand whose job is to help him teach beginners. People who are skilled at playing silat are called Pandeka (warriors). Pandeka title in the past was leased (confirmed) traditionally by the ninik mamak of the relevant village. 

But in colonial times, the title was frozen by the Dutch government. After more than a hundred years of being frozen, the Koto Tangah indigenous people, the city of Padang finally reaffirmed the title of Pandeka in the 2000s. Pandeka has a role as parik paga in the nagari (security guards of the country), so they are needed in creating a safe and peaceful country. On January 7, 2009, H. Fauzi Bahar (then Mayor of Padang) was named Pandeka Rajo Nan Sati by Niniak Mamak (Traditional Leader) of Koto Tangah, Padang City. The title was given as a tribute to his efforts to revive traditional silek activities in the Padang City area, he was also a reliable fighter in his youth, so that the title was worthy of being given.

There is no written evidence stating where the silek came from, and how its history reached Minangkabau. However, according to the book entitled Philosophy and Lineage of the Silangkalan of Minangkabau by Mid Djamal (1986), it can be seen that the founders of silek (Silat) in Minangkabau are Datuak Suri Dirajo, and 4 Minangkabau royal guards nicknamed Kambiang Utan, Tigers Campo, Kuciang Siam in Kuciang Siam , and Anjiang Mualim. Silek tuo Minang Datuak Suri Dirajo is estimated to have set up a silek target in 1119 AD in the Pariangan area, Padangpanjang, West Sumatra. Kambiang Utan is thought to originate from Cambodia. 

Campo Tigers are from the Champa region, Kuciang Siam is believed to have come from Siam or Thailand, and Anjiang Mualim came from Persia. It was during the Datuak Suri Dirajo that the Minangkabau silek was first mixed, and the martial arts movements of the four bodyguards helped color the silek itself. Their names are indeed like the names of animals (Goats, Tigers, Cats and Dogs), but of course they are humans, not animals according to the allegations of some people. 

The origins of Kambiang Hutan and Anjiang Mualim indeed up to now require a deeper study of where they actually come from because their names do not indicate the place specifically. Considering hundreds of thousands of years of trade relations between the west coast of the Minangkabau region (Tiku, Pariaman, Air Bangis, Bandar Ten and the Kingdom of Indrapura) with Gujarat (India), Persia (Iran and surrounding areas), Hadhramaut (Yemen), Egypt, Campa (Vietnam now), and even reaching Madagascar in the past, it is not impossible that the Minangkabau silat had the influence of the martial arts they possessed. 

Meanwhile, from the east coast of Sumatra through rivers from Riau Province that have upstream to the current West Sumatra (Minangkabau) region, the Minangkabau martial arts relationship with martial arts from China, Siam and Champa can occur because of trade, religion, economics, and politics. Martial arts is a cultural product that continues to develop based on the needs of the time. 


Mixing and mixing between martial arts is very possible. How this integration occurs requires further study. The beginning of the research could have started from the genetic relationship between the people in Minangkabau and the nations mentioned above. So it can be said that silat in Minangkabau is a combination of local martial arts, coupled with martial arts that come from outside the archipelago. If traced further, it is known that the typical silat step in Minangkabau was the result of their work. The step of the Minangkabau martial arts is simple, but behind that simple step, there is high intelligence from the initiators hundreds of years ago. 

They have made the move in such a way that silek becomes plastic to be developed more complicated. Skillful silek or pandeka teachers are people who truly understand the secrets of this simple step of silat, so that they can process it into forms of silat movement to infinity. 

Such tips are illustrated in the proverbial jiko dibagun sagadang bijo pumpkin, jiko in natural saleba (if concluded only as big as pumpkin seeds, if described would be as wide as nature). Broadly speaking, Silek Minang has several streams, such as Silek Tuo (Old Silat), Silitar Sitaralak (Silitar Sitaralak, Silek Lintau (Silat Lintau), Silek Luncua (Silat Luncur), Silek Kumango (Silat Kumango), Silek Hari (Silat Litar) ), Silah Pauah (Silat Pauh), Silo Gulo-Gulo Tareh (Silo Gulo-Gulo Tareh), Silek Ulu Ambek (Silat Ulu Ambek), Silek Patai River (Silat Patai River), and Silek Baruah (Silat Baruh). 

Silek Ulu Ambek, according to him, is not classified into the flow of silek, because it emphasizes inner strength rather than physical contact. Sitaralak Silek, Lintau, Kumango, Luncua are famous for reaching Malaysia. Sitaralak silek is a hard and strong winged silat. There are several other names of silat styles that have names, namely Silek Tiang Ampek, Silek Balubuih, Silek Pangian (growing in Kuantan Singingi Regency), and Tarok Fruit from the Shadow, South Coast. The origin of the silat genre is also complicated and full of controversy. Examples of Silo Tuo and Sitaralak. 

Silek Tuo some consider it to be the oldest version of silek, but other opinions say that silat came from Tuanku Nan Tuo from Agam District. Tuanku Nan Tuo was a member of Hari Hari Salapan, another name for the Paderi who fought against the Dutch in West Sumatra. The relationship between sitaralak and silek tuo is an interesting study to explore more deeply. 

Silek movements were taken from various kinds of animals in Minangkabau, for example Tiger Silek, Cat and Silek Buayo (Crocodile). But in its development, there are silek targets, generally silek from the tarekat or ulama groups eliminates the elements of animal movements in their silek movements, because they are considered to be contrary to the teachings of Islam. The Minang people follow the philosophy of Nature takambang to become a teacher. Philosophy is a universal concept of natural Minangkabau culture. 

The word "nature", comes from the Sanskrit language means the same as the living environment or region. This concept was also translated by the founders of silat in the past into silat movements. Between silat and other cultural products in Minangkabau is a philosophical unity, so to explain silat, the proverbs that are commonly spoken in traditional ceremonies can be used.

Every nagari has a target of silek, this is a must. Like a country, it is impossible not to have an army. The concept of the nagari is the same as the concept of a country. The relationship between the nagari and other nagari is the same as the relationship between countries. Alam Minangkabau is a binding union between the nagari that they are a cultural concept. 

Culturally, the so-called Minangkabau people claim to have come from Mount Marapi, precisely from Nagari Pariangan, West Sumatra, which is a place called the satadang gadang satampang baniah (broad rice fields, seed-like). From the nagari, the seeds of culture which were conceived, were arranged and then developed into the surrounding area (luhak nan tigo). 

Because the nagari in Minangkabau is no different from a mini republic, everything is complete from the territory, government officials, defense, to its inhabitants, so almost all villages have silek targets, so that variations of silat movements cannot be avoided at all. Variation of the movement of the silek occurs because the time span that is so long from the start of the silek is formulated; Pancarian surang-surang (new discovery by the teacher whether intentional or not); Differences in interests; The results of pandapek fighting (the results of discussions between fellow warriors); and the influence of other martial arts Nevertheless there are similarities in the concept of the silat movement in Minangkabau. 

Therefore it can be distinguished between silat from Minangkabau and silat from other regions in the archipelago. Some of the concepts of the Minangkabau silek are Tagak jo Steps (Standing and Steps). The hallmark of the game of silek is the pattern of standing and stepping. 

Tagak means upright or standing, where does the pesilat stand? He is standing in the right path (rhyme in nan bana), he is not a person who likes to look for chaos and destroy the natural order, and social life. In the spells are often also expressed as upright alif, pitunggua adam, step muhammad. 

In the martial arts game, standing position is the first lesson that is given, which is called as step book (tide attitude) of a Minangkabau silat player. Martial arts players must be sturdy, for this exercise they used to walk against the flow of the river. The steps in the Minangkabau silek game are similar to the walking steps, but the position is generally lowered. A circular stepping position consisting of gelek, balabek, hoops and baliak. 

The pattern of steps used by the Minang fighter include the tigo step (step three, the pattern of steps that make up a triangle). The ampek step (step four, the pattern of steps that make up a rectangle). The step step (step nine), which is usually for sharp (pencak) In martial arts it is very important to understand garak and garik. Garak means instinct, the ability to read something will happen, for example a fighter can feel there is something that will endanger him. 

Garik is a movement produced by the fighter in anticipation of the coming attack. If this word is translated into Indonesian, it does not fit, because in Indonesian, motion is movement and gestures are complementary words for the movement. Whereas in the Minangkabau language garak (motion) it is the ability to smell danger (instinct), and garik (gestures) is the resulting movement (action).

A true fighter has Raso jo Pareso (Taste and Check). Raso (sense) can be interpreted as the ability to make the right movements without having to think about it, like someone who is skilled in carrying a vehicle, he certainly does not think how many centimeters should step on the brakes to stop properly without shaking, but by feeling the brake footing he can stop smoothly. Pareso (check) is the ability of analysis in a short time or reason. In the battle of the phrase Pareso is the ability to use something in various battle situations, in an effort to obtain victory. 

For example, if we fight in the afternoon, try to position not facing west, because it will be dazzled by sunlight. So between raso and pareso the way is paired, it can't be left alone. We must not rely too much on feelings without using thoughts, but we must not also think without using feelings. There is a saying that raso dibao kaiak, pareso dibao down (the taste in the good goes up to the realm of mind, check is brought down to the realm of taste). That is roughly the purpose of raso jo pareso expressed by the silek teachers. The mindset of the Minangkabau people has the concept of pairing. 

This is evidenced by the many sayings that have the contents of sentences in pairs, for example: looking for the good manulak nan cursing (looking for good things and rejecting bad things), manitiak from ateh, mambasuik from earth (dripping from above, cleaning from the top earth), tiok ado pambukaknyo key (each key has an opening) and tiok kabek can be removed (each bond can be removed). The same thing applies to silek, every movement of silat has its destruction, every lock has a technique to release it. Therefore, a pair of skilled silat players are capable of continuing to fight without breaking up by just flowing. They only stop when they are tired or tired.