Combat Silat Kerambit

The videos I've been posting recently of Kerambit techniques are nothing more than taking our empty hand methods and converting them to a weapon, considering the leverage of the weapon itself. The more you understand of Combat Silat, the easier this becomes since the entire system is based on general movements with specific attributes that are developed for extracting from empty hand to weapon and or weapon to empty hand.

Mostly what you are seeing demonstrated are simple hand entries and trapping and counter trapping methods. They can be finished in any number of ways from Leher Patah (Neck breaks) or Timbilan (Takedowns) or Kuncian (Locks), it just depends and what happens next. This refers to our general system saying of Langkah Dari Batu Ke Batu or Stepping from stone to stone. The idea being that you cannot plan out even 2 or 3 moves ahead in the dynamics of combat. You must be adaptable and that requires that you have built a training method that accounts for failure. No other martial art I have ever studied has been so deliberate in it's training for failure than Combat Silat. In fact, every other silat, kali, arnis, kung fu, kuntao, karate, aikido, or judo system I've studied has done nothing more than provide lip service to the idea.

Few people, even within Combat Silat are aware of the way the fail safe system of Combat Silat works. I cannot honestly say that I have it mastered but I am aware of it. Part of the way it works is this: If you study the trapping methods of Combat Silat (PSP), you'll notice that when you strike to specific targets you will draw reasonably similar responses from most anyone. As a result, you can recognize the failure of it by practicing it repeatedly. Then, when it does fail, you have a response that is built in.

So why not practice a strike that doesn't fail? Well, if there was such a thing I probably would but in reality, any strike (kick, or whatever) can be blocked or messed with so with that in mind, it seems judicious to practice with that in mind and just pick the strike (attack) you feel most comfortable in delivering and countering. If the attack succeeds GREAT! If not, "langkah dari batu ke batu."

Think about it!