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Lian
Padukan is a form of Malay martial art (Buah
Pukul) and yet it is quite distinct from
other forms of Malay martial art. Lian means
"way" while Padukan means
"fortified strength".
In
the 21st Century the Martial Arts have come of
age with many exponents cross-training in a
number of disciplines in order to ensure that
they develop a weel -rounded range of skills.
Silat
Lian Padukan
embodies this ethos of constant improvement
and innovation so that an art which was
brought to Singapore in the 19th Century by a
part Arab-part Chinese Moslem has grown to
encompass the Malay
art of Silat
and the Thai
art of Muay
Thai. And always this art has been put to
the test with generation after generation of
exponents fighting both armed and unarmed to
prove the efficacy of their art.
The
Master
who gave this art its current name,
Guru
Tua Pak Mat Kedidi, is no exception having
earned the nom de guerre of The Black Beetle
when fighting his way to become a Thai
Boxing champion in southern Thailand. He
acquired this name because of the buzzing
sound his kicks made as they cut through the
air and into the opponent with unswerving
accuracy.
Pak
Mat took
the art handed down through successive
generations from the time that Syed
Abdul
Rahman Al-yunani came to Singapore in 1836
and combined it with his experience in
numerous other styles of Silat
as well as Muay
Thai (Tomoi)
to create the 99 forms of Lian
Padukan.
Included
among the Lian
are the two principal weapons of the art,
the staff and the tekpi
(iron three pronged truncheons known in
Japanese Marial Arts circles as Sai).
Although
the entire syllabus maybe learnt in 6 or 7
months of intensive study, to become fully
competent takes the average student two years.
Those who wish to further their study
may undergo the formal Khatm
ceremony after which they will be eligible to
learn the advanced techniques including the
infamous Tujoh
Makam (also known as the Buah Seminggu), which involves seven days of
intensive training with each and every hour
spent one on one with the teacher.
Now,
for
the first time ever,
Silat
Lian Padukan is being taught to
non-Moslem, non-Malay students. The art is being taken out of the
kampongs of South
East Malaysia and has been brought to Europe
by Che'gu
Nigel Sutton.
Che'gu
Nigel
is a student of Guru
Mohammed Hasyim and is only the ninth
person to successfully undergo the Khatm
under his supervision. With Guru
Hasyim's blessing Nigel
has been appointed Chief
Instructor of Lian Padukan Europe and has
been charged with promoting this art in the
West. |
