HARIMAU MINANGKAU PENCAK SILAT IN INDONESIAN HISTORY

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, lying on the equator between the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, is home to more than 200 million people. As diverse ethnographically as it is geographically, a compelling ethnic and cultural mosaic that is as rich in its diversity and depth as the breathtakingly beautiful, at times unforgiving, landscape which they inhabit. Dominating many of these islands are a chain of highly active volcanoes that figure prominently in the consciousness of the Indonesian people.Located strategically on the trade network that linked the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, the cultural exchange that took place along the trade routes contributed towards the proliferation of fighting systems and styles that exist throughout the islands. It is against this backdrop that the art of Pencak Silat developed.

Existing in a wide variety of forms throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, the many different schools or aliran of Pencak Silat were shaped by the particular social and geographical environment in which they were practised. The Minangkabau highlands of West Sumatra are the home place of Harimau, or "Tiger" style Silat.The Tiger is revered throughout Southeast Asia for its strength, agility and ferocity. It is these attributes that the Harimau Pencak Silat player embodies as he emulates the actions of the tiger. Dropping to the ground, the Harimau player will stalk his adversaries, even from a prone position. Much emphasis is placed upon the development of leg strength, and from the ground the Harimau practitioner is able to use a devastating array of kicks, sweeps and leg locks to disable his adversaries.From a high posture the Harimau fighter will disappear from sight by assuming a low stance, only to spring quickly and forcefully upon the attacker with terrifying ferocity.

The Harimau system that is mostly practiced in United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Central and South America, Ukraine, Russia and Africa today  is that of the Hanafi family, and was predominantly  introduced and propagated  by Pendekar Suchi Maha Guru Richard Crabbe de Bordes and his chosen offshoots. In recent years the practice of Pencak Silat has undergone a transition, many perguruan (schools) being of relatively recent innovation. In addition the introduction of olah raga, the sporting component of Pencak Silat, has in some cases led to a downgrading of the effectiveness of Silat as a combative art.Silat as propagated by the Hanafi family is the legacy of a warrior tradition tracing its ancestry back to the sixteenth century and the great warrior and founder of the clan Lubuk Ngantungan, Poyen Lebeh
Pendekar Suchi Maha Guru Richard Crabbe de Bordes, nicknamed "Machan Hitan", the "Black Tiger", places heavy emphasis in his instruction on Bela Diri (self defence). Continuing the warrior tradition of which he is a part, there are no sporting applications to the Silat that he teaches.
Maha Guru de Bordes specialises in warfare and conflict resolution, the practical means for self preservation and protection. The system that he teaches is studied by law enforcement and special forces groups around the world. Coming under the auspices of the Palero Beringin Sakti Pencak Silat Association International, he and his students are guided by the blessing of Maha Guru Adityo Hanafi, his father, General (Rtd.) A. M. Hanafi, and the forefathers of the art that have gone before them.
 
Maha Guru de Bordes continues to research into the applications of Silat in high risk situations. The Silat that he teaches is practised as easily in combat boots as baju silat. He has taught and acted as advisor to many special forces groups and police tactical teams, also have acted in a capacity as presidential security aide.

ENCOUNTERING HARIMAU – PENCAK SILAT

Casting my mind back about some thirty years ago during my uncertain years in TAE KWAN DO and KARATE, I started searching and browsing through countless martial arts and fighting magazines and periodic flyers through door ways until my eyes and imagination caught a little ad in one of the fighting magazine’s of the time in Paris – France. I must admit that the name looked strange, not like the KARATE’S – TAE KWAN DO’S and KUNG FU’S I knew about, apart from having trained in some of the above-mentioned arts. I did frequent the grand cinema halls on the RUE MONT MARTRE, PIGALLE AND PLACE DE CLICHY. Those were the good old years of BIG BOSS, RETURN OF THE DRAGON, WHEN TAE – KWAN DO STRIKES and countless others of good old memory. I did how ever call, and finally after days if not months of talking with this Gentle Indonesian (who one day was going to be my teacher, mentor and friend), he invited me to visit and possibly sample a class. Thus, my hasty and curious rendezvous at the social hall, RUE ALESIA, Paris 14th.Rhythmic Drum beats fades into Indonesian “GAMELAN” GONG music, while arms and legs form graceful patterns.These seemingly innocuous moves look so flowery depending on one’s time of entrance and exit. The untrained eye would probably mistake them for a tribal dance ritual. Don’t be fooled. The Harimau or TIGER is at play.

MY TEACHER

ADITYO (BAN BANG) MATARAM HANAFI
Master Hanafi was born on the 3rd January 1947 at JOGYAKARTA in CENTRAL JAVA (JAWA – TINGA) Indonesia.The child of Sumatranese father and a Javanese mother, this union of Sumatra and Java is a unification of two out standing warrior families dating back for centuries.Master Hanafi’s premier contact with Pencak – Silat (SILEK) and eventual commencement of practice was at age 11 when he accompanied his father a Royal and clan Chief of Lubuk – Ngan tungan (TIGER) CLAN of WEST Sumatra to a Durbar of chiefs and warriors held on his behalf. On the phenomenal occasion, young Adityo Hanafi assisted practitioners and warriors in the celebration and performance of Pencak – Silat (SILEK).This event was an eye opener and Adityo never looked back in the practice of both physical and spiritual Pencak – Silat. With the best teachers from both paternal families who specialized in Harimau Minang – Kabau (Sumatia) and maternal family with specialty in SETIAHATI (JAVA). He was also blessed to have been adopted and studied under the famous Pencak – Silat warrior and grand-master KIAYI HADJI KOMAR TJIREBON legendary repute in Pencak – SILAT “JAVA BARAT” including style like TJI-MACHANG who quickly rose through the ranks due to his dedication and become the grand – master’s “favorite Disciple”. At a young age of 17 in the land of great warriors and combatants, he was already instructing tactical defense to one of Indonesia special command unit.In 1964, he joined his father in Havana – Cuba where he was the Resident Indonesian Ambassador.After English and Spanish intro studies, he entered the University of Havana where he read anthropology and AFRO – CUBAN CULTURE.He was an active player during the Cuban revolution and instructed elite groups in the Cuban Military and the infamous SEGURIDAD ESTADO (CUBAN STATE SECURITY).

MY GRAND – TEACHER

GENERAL RTD. ANAK MARCHAEN HANAFI
General ANAK MARCHAEN HANAFI was born on the Island of Sumatra from a Royal family, educated in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Holland. He joined the officer corps of the then Dutch Indonesia army as a career SOLDIER, rose through the ranks to a FIVE STAR GENERAL.Also adapt in MinangKabau martial arts and body culture like his father MIRA KABRI PESIRAH AND HIS GRAND FATER NEKO RADJO API a prominent warrior and master of the arts, who led numerous rebellions against the Dutch colonial rulers and earned the nick name THE OLD KING OF FIRE and legend referred to him as invisible.AN ARCHITECT OF THE FIRST REPUBLIC and Indonesia Independence. The general, after military service carried numerous SENETORIAL ministerial/portfolios and finally become an ambassador to the Republic of Cuba. Also retiring in Paris – France after the over throw of the SUKARNO regime.

MY FOSTER TEACHER - GRAND MASTER DR IBRAHIM

I was introduced to GRAND Master DR. IBRAHIM by my mentor Grand Master Hanafi in the late 80’s during one of his UK visits.Related partially to my teacher DR. IBRAHIM a native of Sumatra and a practitioner of STERLAK SILAT (SILEK) was also then the resident DIRECTOR OF INDONESIA program with the BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION (B.B.C).My about three years un-structured indept studies into Sumatran (STERELAK) martial arts and BYE LAWS (ADAT) was memorable.GRAND MASTER C.N. TURPIJN (1929-1996)
My first encounter and subsequent training with the legendary Grand Master Turpijn of Setia Hati Teratia was in the summer of 1980 when this remarkable teacher, a close friend and Silat brother of The Hanafi’s, visited our school at Centre rue d’alesia, 14em, Paris. I must say the fluidity of his jurus and sheer beauty of his kembangang was just amazing. But this is a real soldier who was part of the selected resistance forces during the struggle for Indonesia’s independence.