Convince Me That Silat Doesn't Suck Completely

**Jim_Jude** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 1:32am

Originally Posted by Hedgehogey

Wow, Silat is what TMAists think single and double legs are: Just kindof noncommitally playing around at your opponent's feet, doing this breakdance thing and begging for a punch in the back of the neck.

Also haha check the one finger pressure points.

Yeah, its kinda weird how guys like Herman Suwanda get so much respect from other guys like Dan Inosanto who do Silat but also Muay Thai and BJJ. I wish that Silat was more common. Strike that: I wish GOOD Silat was more common...

**karma2343** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 2:11am

Holy **** I forgot about this thread. Well, I have no means to make a video, but there is the possibility of a TD in the OC area sometime soon. If it is so (or if there are any other TDs in the SD or OC area) I will, as long as circumstance permits, fight someone using an MMA rule set.

**Sinister-6000** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 3:19am

Originally Posted by TheMightyMcClaw

I like how people doing Silat wrong is more impressive than people doing Silat right.

You are arrogant enough to say that you know more about what "real" silat is than a man who had been practicing silat for more than 40 years who had it in his lineage? Really?

**thatrugbyguy** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 3:35am

Originally Posted by Sinister-6000

You are arrogant enough to say that you know more about what "real" silat is than a man who had been practicing silat for more than 40 years who had it in his lineage? Really?

Welcome to Bullshido. I see you are new here.

**Just Guess** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 4:10am

Originally Posted by Sinister-6000

Those are the kind of techniques ive seen in a lot of Olahraga/ sports silat...
they got one or two kick catches along with one or two sweeps and a lot of floppy, high kicking. Old school, "martial silat" has a lot more precise footwork, low kicks, elaborate control of lower and upper limbs and usually gets in close and sticks from there.

YouTube- Herman Suwanda 1994 seminar - Part 3

check about 5:40 ...you will see the kind of quick takedowns leading into control or finish of an opponent that characterize the kind of silat that is formidable.

No Sinister, that was a rather uninspiring video of gimmicky takedowns that require you to compromise your position and mobility and some silly pressure point junk. There is nothing formidable about it.

**MisterGreen** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 4:16am

Some videos of Silat practitioners sparring with practitioners of other arts in Singapore under silat sparring rules.

YouTube- CS15NOV09 XSPARRING BOUT 10

Admittedly. the rules mean that people do all sorts of silly things like not protecting their faces at all, but it is a rarity to see silat being applied in any environment other than compliant. Also some of the bouts look like kids in the school ground having a punch up.

If you look at some of the other videos, the silat guys like their legs sweeps alot. Sometimes, it even works!

**1point2** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 9:20am

I refuse to lower my standards enough to consider the Silat sparring we're seeing here worthwhile. Yes it's fantastic that an art that we've determined (over 35 pages) to consider video the same as stealing its soul has finally decided to allow itself to be filmed. Yes it's fantastic that an art apparently predicated on the silliest of ridiculous techniques is allowing some form of sparring. Yes, there were even a few so-so kick catches in the first video.

But let's not get caught up in a swirl of "they spar! WAHOOO!" Unless I'm drastically misunderstanding the rules or goals of Silat sparring, it sucks.

**TheMightyMcClaw** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 10:46am

Is Silat pointfighting continuous like TKD or point-break like Krotty?
Because that will determine where it sits on the pointfighting shittiness scale.
I see what your saying, 1.2; I don't want to so underwhelmed that pointfighting suddenly seems like something worthy of respect, but at the same time, I want to acknowledge that these kids in Singapore are still doing a better job of being Pesilat than all of the ****-hot Silat masters doing compliant demos of ridiculous takedowns and happy slapping.
It's sort of like with Shotokan; the pointfighting kumite isn't much, but it's still a whole lot better than the "one-step sparring drills and kata and chambered blocks" aspect of Shotokan.

**Sinister-6000** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 11:26am

Originally Posted by Just Guess

No Sinister, that was a rather uninspiring video of gimmicky takedowns that require you to compromise your position and mobility and some silly pressure point junk. There is nothing formidable about it.

Actually the takedowns are to compromise (his) position and if you noticed once he is taken down the silat practitioner either has his hands free or only needs one arm to establish total control....almost in the same way a crucifix sets you up to start pounding your opponent senseless. To the observer it may look stupid or like putting yourself in awkward positions for some of those takedowns but that is the harimau practitioners game, he is comfortable with all that.

Talking about mobility silat is extremely mobile anyways. There is quite a bit of footwork training to establish speed, for flanking and closing distance. Its not like 3 beats where a guy waits for a punch, sidesteps and then flanks to the outside of the punch, silat is an art that moves in, so they have to train footwork constantly. As far as the pressure points....2nd generation indos and dutch indonesian practioners usually have a great understanding of compliance and painful pressure points. Silat teaches these usually as transitions or distractions but does not walk up to someone and try to submit them by pinching them. Mr. Suwanda was a badass though. He was one of the most respected Gurus in the silat community, and as stated before Dan Inosanto didnt just learn from him because he wanted to add some gimmicky techniques to his system or he wanted to flash up his jkd, obviously he found use in what Suwanda had to offer.

**Sinister-6000** · Posted On: 12/05/2009 11:45am

Originally Posted by MisterGreen

Some videos of Silat practitioners sparring with practitioners of other arts in Singapore under silat sparring rules.

YouTube- CS15NOV09 XSPARRING BOUT 10

Admittedly. the rules mean that people do all sorts of silly things like not protecting their faces at all, but it is a rarity to see silat being applied in any environment other than compliant. Also some of the bouts look like kids in the school ground having a punch up.

If you look at some of the other videos, the silat guys like their legs sweeps alot. Sometimes, it even works!

Yea that was crap, not very good example of the kind of video we're looking for. Not surpising though because in malaysia/singapore the government has been keen on this new tkd-ish form of silat you can use in tournaments which often starts off with a floppy, out-of-range high kick to the head followed by pushing the other guy in the chest to get out of range again for reestablishing kicking distance. I believe this form of silat was established in the 50's or 60's, I can look it up if someone wants to argue over it. If you know anything about silat you can already understand that this is not a good video because 1) silat moves in instead of pushes away 2) silat usually gets closer through a hand technique or at least a hand entry, which clears the arm or at least establishes contact for locking/grappling 3) silat does not bounce back and forth or use a particular type of hands up guard, they do block head strikes obviously but it seems from this video that there are no strikes to the head allowed.

When I saw human weapon and heard there was going to be an episode with silat sparring in it I was both excited and confused thinking, "wait is this going to be the sport kind of silat....or are they going to go in quick and do things like elbowing past the knee as a takedown, misaligning the spine, doing forearm hacks to the ribs and neck...." I though how is that going to work. Well it just turned out like this video. What a dissapointment. Not that they even attempted anything other than point sparring techniques, it was just a letdown.