Fighting Pride: The Art Of Tarung Derajat

by Guru Scott McQuaid

The history of combat is generally forged in fire as martial art styles developed out of the need to protect oneself against an enemy, with the particular style of combat formed in accordance to its situation, location, and its principal result. Over time, a martial art system is refined, drawing influences from other fighting styles, belief structures and its founder's individual focus points.

Serpent Steel

by Guru Scott McQuaid

"If a sword is always sheathed, it will become rusty and so will its owner."

The long knife blade known as the 'keris' is the weapon best associated with silat, the fighting systems of South East Asia, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia.

This double-edged asymmetrical dagger originates from Java and it is both a weapon and a ritual object loaded with spiritual significance.

80 Years of Bruce Lee

by Guru Scott McQuaid

The year, 2020 will forever go down in history as the year the world stood still. The coronavirus plagued the planet and dominated the headlines and general conversation. All around the globe, countries displayed a unity to tackle this pandemic and we looked to our mentors and heroes for guidance.

In Bosnia’s Mostar city in central park stands a gold statue of Bruce Lee. This statue unified a divided city. A youth group called Urban Movement Mostar decided that they would finance and build a statue in the city to unite Mostar’s assorted groups under a symbol that everyone could rally behind. The group proposed numerous subjects like The Pope and Mahatma Gandhi, but with the various factions such as Muslims, Serbs and Croats, Bruce Lee was the only common symbol that all ethnic groups embraced. Today the statue is once again in the spotlight - the Bruce Lee Mostar statue is dressed with a protective mask and gloves and thus this legendary figure becomes a symbol of combat once again, this time against coronavirus.

The Probable

by Guru Scott McQuaid

Once we strip away the formalities, traditions, posturing, figureheads and performance elements from our martial art, we are left with the simplicity of the fight or what is aptly known as ‘the probable’. From a combative perspective, the countless hours and years of training are merited only by what happens in combat.

Training with the Gurus

by Guru Scott McQuaid

'We walk in the footsteps of giants'.

A Guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area. They use this gift to guide others. A guru has the power and wisdom to dissolve spiritual ignorance in a disciple. The title comes with dedication, but it is a heavy weight to bear, for with knowledge comes responsibility.

Western Martial Arts

by Guru Scott McQuaid

When we talk of martial arts, visions of Asia with its temples, dojos and flamboyant pyjama wear come to mind. However, the first documented combat art with punching, throws and locks, comes from the west in the second millennium BCE in the territory of ancient Greece.

The Art of Cindai

by Guru Scott McQuaid

The Indonesian combat system Pencak Silat has always been surrounded with effective deadly yet attractive weaponry from its culture. Among the bladed weapons and bamboo sticks is the more less than obvious weapon, the sarong cloth of Cindai.

Knife Point

by Guru Scott McQuaid

Make no mistake the world is at war, although it is not an official war with uniforms and troops invading lands, it is still a war that is taking lives. Obviously there are actual wars ongoing in various countries and the recent attacks on civilians in our local areas are a result of these wars from far away.

Concept Weapons

by Guru Scott McQuaid

Prologue

During my study in combat, I have come across many irregular weapons that do not immediately take the spotlight in their respected martial art systems. I have been fortunate enough to train in some of these concept weapons, so I decided to share a brief introduction to them.

Hit & Move

by Guru Scott McQuaid

Every martial art talks about moving off the centerline away from the attack, but very few talk about the movement after. It has been stated many times that without footwork the best technique will undoubtedly be ineffective, simply because the practitioner is not in the correct position to capitalize on their actions.

Topang Silat

by Guru Scott McQuaid

Many Silat systems from across South East Asia have adopted the Topang weapon into their arsenal. This blunt design of weapon was designed mostly for blocking against blades; it generally consists of a pair of sticks with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down the length of the stick, measuring around 15-20 inches long. The wood differs from bamboo to red or white oak.

Divergent Stripes

by Guru Scott McQuaid

The historical study of martial arts is complex. Written evidence mostly does not exist and the teachings of the art is handed down from teacher to student by word of mouth.

The combat system of Pencak Silat originated from the Indonesian archipelago and then spread to the Malaysian Peninsular across into Thailand and onto the islands of the Philippines. Evidence of silat in Indonesia dates back to the sixth century, from the two kingdoms of Srivijaya in Sumatra and the Majapahit in Java.

Martial Boxers

by Guru Scott Mcquaid

The art of combat comes in many configurations, from wrestling to boxing to the martial arts, with each having their own techniques and disciplines. The blend of these fighting arts formed MMA (mixed martial arts), which in itself has created a new unique style of combat. The age old question asked by many has been which style of fighting is better, boxing or martial arts. Who would win in a fight between Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali.

Disfiguring Silat - The Rise of Silat Olahraga

Silat is the indigenous martial art that originates from Sumatra, then it spread across Indonesia's archipelago into Malaysia's peninsula, into Singapore, Thailand, Laos and the islands of the Philippines. Since the first recorded documents of silat in the 16th century this fighting art was rarely seen outside Southeast Asia. During the 1970s and 1980s, various styles of Silat began to emerge on Western shores. Due to the secretive nature of the art up held by the Indonesian and Malay people, unobtrusive silat schools blended into the landscape of conventional martial art clubs in places like London, Paris, Los Angeles and Amsterdam.

Blade Craft

by Guru Scott McQuaid

In the search for survival one must be willing to kill, for when it comes to blade combat, it is not so much about fighting as it is about surviving. Most knife attacks are not fights, but rather assassinations. If your adversary does draw a blade during conflict, then they intend to use it, so the victim needs to quickly become the slayer.

The Elephant General - Legend Of Gajah Mada

by Guru Scott McQuaid

One of the most prominent figures in Indonesian history is that of the Gajah Mada. His name translates to the ‘Elephant General’. I’m sure his infamous appearance had something to do with his naming. According to ancient Javanese manuscripts and folk based poems, this warrior became the prime minister of the Majapahit Kingdom during the rise of the Majapahit realm from the 9th to the 13th century bringing the empire to its peak of glory.

The Death Blade - The Evolution of The Karambit

by Guru Scott McQuaid

The karambit blade is arguably the most unique, efficient and deadliest blade used in South East Asia’s silat fighting arts. This knife can tear through flesh like paper, cut off fingers with little effort and disembowel a human with one swipe.

Cabang - The Untold Story

by Guru Scott McQuaid

The art known as silat has always been associated with some of the most unique and deadliest combat weapons used on the battlefield. The cradle of silat is within the Indonesian archipelago and the Malay peninsula, there are over a hundred different styles of silat and each system employs bladed weapons.

Senjata Silat

by Guru Scott McQuaid

Indonesia's mass archipelago is home to many Pencak Silat fighting systems and each style has their preferred weapon. The Keris knife is perhaps the most influential and famous weapon associated with pencak silat and the Karamabit blade is another popular choice, but there are many more practical and deadlier weapons used within silat.

Kilat Takes on the World

by Nur Aqidah Azizi

It's a dream team. With some of Hollywood's biggest names behind it, Tarantella Picture's new film, Kilat: The Tale Of Keris, looks promising. There is Ian Bailie, who has worked on films such as Atonement, Pride & Prejudice and Reign Of Fire. There is Takamatsu Ogawa, who has composed music for motion pictures such as Back To The Future and Gothika. There’s also Jack Waltzer, who has coached many of America's heavyweight names such as Dustin Hoffman and Roman Polanski. With their involvement, Kilat is set to be a hit on the international stage.