Maha Guru Jak Othman was born in Johor, Malaysia in 1962. He was introduced to pencak silat at the age of five by his father the late Pendekar Haji Othman Kassim, the first generation of the Harimau Berantai Silat clan in Malaysia. They are the descendants of the legendary Javanese pendekar Haji Asraf who is known as Harimau Berantai or the ‘chained tiger'. Guru Jak's father set him on a quest of learning and exploring the fighting arts, particularly in silat, which he passionately continues until today. Amongst the styles Guru Jak has become proficient are Pancasila Gayong Harimau Silat, Seni Silat Kalimah, Harimau Berantai, and Muay Thai Tomoi. Guru Jak began became a student in Harimau Berantai Silat in Johor, where he became a personal student of Maha Guru Srikandi (lady warrior) Hajah Ramintan Samingon. She is a second generation Harimau Berantai Silat pesilat in the clan of Malaysia.
It was from Guru Samingon where Pesilat Jak learned the many weapons used in today's Berantai Silat system. Including the infamous keris knife, kerambit blade, parang (sword), ekor pari (stingray tail), sarong (sarong garment), kapak kecil (mini axe), pisau (knife), badik (daggers), sundang (sword), sao (sai) and the pancawangan sakti (bladed tonfa).
In 2009, renown Silek Harimau Minangkabau practitioner Guru Scott McQuaid immigrated to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to study under Guru Jak in the Harimau Berantai Silat blade system. Guru Jak has been an essential aid to helping Guru McQuaid decipher the lost Indonesian Minang weapon systems. Guru McQuaid proclaims Guru Jak Othman as the most deadly efficient blade practitioner he has ever come across. Guru McQuaid continues to study under Guru Jak to this day. In 2009 the Malaysian Martial Arts Hall of Fame made Guru Jak Othman a member.
There are probably less than 400 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild today. They are critically endangered and in desperate need of our help to ensure their survival.
Please consider assisting us in raising funds that we will fully transfer to the Sumatran Tiger Trust, a UK registered charity. Help us preserve the original and ultimate teacher of Harimau Minangkabau Pencak Silat.