Harimau-Monyet Simple Application

First I want to show you the way we used it for exercise, flow, adaptability, coordination and general attribute development. Though you don't want to do this all of the time, I do teach and share by randomly chaining things together so that people can learn: A.) There is no right or wrong way to chain things together for purposes of learning. B.) Chains can generally apply in many different ways. C.) Different things connect naturally and out of a flow.

There are other lessons learned by such an activity.

Then I like to actually let them apply it so they can understand how to value movement and learn principles of application like—leverage, angles, power, time ratio, etc.

Within this application video you should be able to see the previous article come to life.

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Sean 

Entering the Fight

It has been my experience that the majority of martial arts focus on evading or avoiding engagement and on what to do once you're engaged in combat. Both of which are completely necessary and should be studied.

Of course, when I say the majority, it has to be understood that my scope is not large. I've been involved with several martial arts at depth and a bunch more in passing.

Then there are those that I only know based on magazine articles, books, videos, etc. Of which, I don't actually watch, read, or buy any more—I'm over it. That being said, it's quite possible that the information I have is out of date.

However, of the several that I have personally studied at depth, very few ever address in an organized, intentional way, the actual process of engaging—although many assume skills at this piece and focus on the engagement component.

That's a natural consideration and at first blush it seems complete. However, it has in my own fighting, not addressed all that there is a need to know and a need for skills at.

In reality, what I encountered in many of the engagements that I'd had—both inside and outside of training and against trained and untrained fighters—was that much of what is critical takes place during the process of engaging.

Think about it like this...if you have been in a fight and you've been hit, it gives the person who hit you an advantage typically. How big that advantage is, depends on the hit and the target.

I've seen people get knocked out cold with one hit. I've come close to that myself. I've also seen people get overwhelmed after they have been hit the first time by an attackers follow ups. I've also been the one overwhelming someone.

It's not always the case, but with regularity the advantage will go to the individual(s) who land the first blow or blows.

Now imagine if your ability to understand that process of engaging were increased as both the receiver and giver. Do you think that might make a difference?

In Pencak Silat Pertempuran we call it Entering or Masuk. Through the study of the process of engaging many other small but important areas of learning begin to manifest themselves.

One such example is the understanding of telegraphic and non-telegraphic movement in both offensive and “defensive” actions. True, meaningful understanding of this one aspect can dramatically change your abilities in combat.

A second example is a deeper understanding of the nature of defensive versus offensive engagement. Acting defensively in a manner that will bring you combative success requires certain skills that are specifically for “turning the tables,” such as:

• Recognizing when an attacker is committing to attack, versus merely feinting
• Offering, as bait, options to draw an attack
• Being aware of attack generation points
• Learning to effectively Zone attacks
• Countering attacks
• Learning how the type of attack can determine your ability to counter. Jab v. Hook v. Lunging
• Proper range for tool and maintaining capable countering range
• Reactive v. Active action
• Moving mentally from defense to offense
• etc.

Likewise, acting in offense requires a deeper understanding of your own skill sets. Such as:

• Telegraphing (as mentioned earlier)
• Set-points
• Explosiveness
• (Most of the above skills converted to offense)
• Pre-Altercation Warning Signs
• Flow

These are just a few off the top of my head. You must be able to understand all three phases of engagement. And honestly, even post engagement training is good. Things like meditation, counseling, legal issues, etc.

All of this organized process eventually leads someone to broader more organic study but that's a whole different topic.

Enjoy.

Sincerely,
Sean
Pencak Silat Pertempuran

Ridiculousness in the Pencak Silat "community"

Over and over and over the pencak silat "community," perhaps the martial arts community at large, has been plagued with imposters, ego, politics, name-calling, and selling out. It's ridiculous and sad that a martial art, one that is supposedly based on honor and right acting would have these issues.

Yet, it is probably a given that anything that includes people in it will eventually be tainted by self-serving desires. Regardless though, it still frustrates me. Mostly because these things get aired-out in public, often through students, and followers. Where is the honor in that? Where is the right-acting in that?

I rarely speak out against the stupid actions of anyone in any community, okay, that's not exactly true, but indulge me for a minute. It is most often my choice to believe that most people mean to do the right thing but have a perspective that is skewed in one way or another, either through ignorance or through a differing perception.

This is my call to the pencak silat community to stop fighting each other and start helping each other. Be honorable and right-acting.

Sean
Pencak Silat Pertempuran

Learning Pencak Silat or anything

#pencaksilat #pencak #silat #pertempuran #combat #silat #combatsilat

I've been taking a class at work for something else but there is a simple list that was created for that class about the learning process. Not sure if it came from somewhere else, but based on the comments I get from time to time and the way people seem to think about martial arts, I thought it would be a good impetus for putting some new info out on the intention of Pencak Silat Pertempuran and on learning in general.

The basic outline is this:

1: UNCONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE—the person is complacent due to ignorance of their state.
(To not know and not care.)

2: CONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE—the person has had some sort of impetus that has moved them from being unaware of their ignorance to being aware and ready to learn.
(To want to know something.)

3: CONSCIOUS COMPETENCE—as the person begins to learn, they are increasingly aware of both what they know and their limitations, making them ripe for coaching.
(Knowing some and aware that you have more to learn.)

4: UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCE—as the person practices and perfects whatever it is they're learning, it becomes second nature.
(Doing well enough to do without thinking—as if it is intuitive.)

5: REFLECTIVE COMPETENCE—if the person is called upon to teach others, they will need to move beyond doing it intuitively to doing it reflectively, considering the processes and parts from various perspectives.
(To master something and then reflect on it in order to teach)

The last three of these are what I refer to as: Knowing, Doing, and Being or Scio, Operor, Existo (which is more becoming then being).

Recently I had someone ask me about PSP and the system I have organized and how the organization works. 

They were really asking a secondary question about the validity of having 8 responses to choose from. It showed their ignorance of what I teach and how the system works. (Step 2 above.)

The numbering system itself is only meant as a tool for teacher and student to have an organized discussion and approach to learning. It is not meant as a rolodex to flip through as you fight, per se. (Step 3 above.)

In reality, under pressure, you're only going to do what comes out of you naturally. If you train enough, gain faith and confidence in what you're learning—even if something goes wrong—you can you still do with surety what you've been trained to do. It must be trained enough to be natural. It's that simple—and that difficult. (Step 4 above.)

His question was "with eight possible responses how can you sort through that in a fight?" He would be very shocked to understand that there are hundreds of responses, maybe more honestly. 

The reality is that you don't sort through them at all. You just need to practice, and then practice, and then practice some more, moving through the three stages, letting your responses develop and letting your understanding of the physical, psychological, and emotional relationship transpire. It's both active and reactive—not one or the other. 

The training method I have created is meant only as a way to organize in a small, relational way, SOME of the possibilities, and more specifically the probabilities. 

It is not prescriptive like most martial arts but it is somewhat predictive.

Thanks for reading,

Sean

Pencak Silat Pertempuran