Voice of the Black Triangle Silat Tribe 2011

Thursday, 24 March 2011 19:12

By Pesilat Richard Cabelka

I am a student and pesilat of Harimau Silat in the Black Triangle Silat tribe under Guru Scott McQuaid. In this interview, I am going to ask questions that hopefully will be of interest to those closely familiar with Pencak Silat as well as those just finding out about this unique combat system for the first time. I am hoping that Guru McQuaid with his years of dedication and study of Harimau Silat as well as other systems will be able to shed some light on several controversial issues and debate topics that are prevalent in various online forums and discussions on martial arts in general.

For reference, Guru Scott McQuaid has been a student of combat for twenty-nine years. He has been practicing in the art of Silek Harimau (Harimau Silat) for over two decades. He has traveled all over South East Asia tracing his art's history and deciphering the physical tiger system and its extended weapon styles. He is fast becoming a world authority on the Silek Harimau Minangkabau fighting style and I am proud to call him my teacher, and dare I say, friend.

Selamat Guru, for beginners in Silat and other martial artists, can you explain what is Black Triangle Silat?

McQ: Yeah, Black Triangle Silat is the name of the aliran, my tribe, and it does state this on the website introduction page. However, there is still some confusion as people think it's a silat style--but its not. It's the tribe's name or association or whatever umbrella you wanna put it under. Because I have moved around a lot, all my students from England, Hong Kong, America and Malaysia come under this banner.

And can you tell those unaware of the origins why you chose black triangle?

McQ: Well, the triangle part naturally relates to the design and blue print of Pencak Silat fighting in general, using the triangle shape for your langkah (footwork) and so on. The black triangle part comes from back in the day when Indonesia was under Dutch rule. Silat was outlawed, it was regarded as rebellious and could cause an uprising, so the Dutch banned the practice of it. But pesilats (silat players) would still meet up at night to practice, so they would paint a black triangle on the wall of a building where they would be training that night.

Switching gears, is Silat a good choice for someone who is new to martial arts and who just wants to learn to protect themselves, bearing in mind Silat's roots as a war art?

McQ: It depends on what Silat system you're talking about. In the case of Minangkabau Silek Harimau I don’t see anybody doing it casual, like a hobby, it just demands too much on your body and mental state. It's kinda all or nothing.

What do you think about the remark of some "reality-based" instructors that Silat is an overkill art, too brutal and excessive for civilian self-defense?

McQ: Umm... I make 'em right, well at least for the Minang Harimau system.

(Laughing). So can silat be "tamed", its techniques appropriated, depending on the scenario one finds himself or herself in, like for a bouncer or law enforcement officers?

McQ: Well, it's a matter of self control, knowing when to stop. It's more like we draw the tiger out of that person and enhance their reptile instinct for survival by giving them the necessary tools to do the job. If you're talking about stripping away the brutality of the Harimau style and going for a more conventional control and restraint approach, like for the old bill (police), then no, I think you'll end up with something completely different from the teachings of Minangkabau Silek Harimau. That kassa (brutal) jungle warfare mentality is what makes the system so effective.

The MMA ring is nowadays accepted as the ultimate testing "laboratory" for what really works and what doesn't by many people. It seems that the traditional arts have been basically claimed "useless" and some members on websites such as Bullshido (a heavily pro-MMA forum) even go as far as challenging traditional martial art teachers  and filming the bouts to prove their point. If Silat is such an effective combat art, why don't we see it in the ring?

McQ: Well, what are you fighting for... you gotta know why you are fighting--if it's for fame, glory and trophies then Silat doesn't belong in the ring. Silat is jungle warfare, meaning that the warriors would be strapped with goloks (machetes), karambits, pisaus (knives), sticks and anything else that will give them that edge. The art was born out of survival, to protect against invaders wanting to take their land, family, tribe against tribe. So if we put silat in the octagon we’d have to strip away all kill zone moves which leaves us with what you see in the MMA. Now that stuff is effective but it's not the complete system, it's not what Silat was built for. In the Harimau style, its principals are based on the tiger, an animal designed to kill, and that's what the art does. We take you out with the first moves if we can. We're not rolling around on the floor looking for a tapout or knockout. So Silat has no place in the octagon. They say it's no holds barred and it's brutal, but until they legalize killing one's opponent by any means, then Silat could never honestly be displayed in its natural form. But I do think that the MMA guys have exposed other contact sports, so it's a great testing ground for sport fighting.

We often hear that Silat techniques are too dangerous and deadly to be performed at full speed or to be trained in any other way than static/cooperative/compliant drilling. If that's the case, how do you spar and how do you ensure that what you train really works and can be used in an actual fight?

McQ: Silat practitioners can spar only in the context of MMA type rules; the olahraga (sport) silat is not a good example. We can only take it to a certain point. Fact is the art has been tested on the door, in the jungles, in modern army warfare today by its instructors. Remember this, we train in the combative arts, so we don’t have to fight.

What is your view on the flowery aspects of Silat (the dance, or kembangan, as well as some techniques)? Is it necessary to study it in order to learn to use Silat effectively? Or can the art be streamlined strictly for combative purposes?

McQ: That question is open for debate, because Silat in its purest original form would be very basic back in the day compared to the techniques developed and body mechanics of modern Silat. The brutality is what remains from its origins. The fluid movement came later from randai (folk theatre and dance). This movement helps the practitioner to be versatile in their mobility. To be able to drop to the ground from any angle and attack. That dance like motion is the first thing people would strip away when applying it to MMA fighting. But then you're just fighting like those guys... in a straight line. So you need that fluidity, from the kembangan.

I've heard an opinion that Silat without a blade isn't Silat. In other words, the use of a blade is such an integral part of Silat that when it's not present, the art isn't as effective or useful. Is that true and if yes, does it make sense to study this art for practical purposese (i.e. combat) since not many of us carry a blade on a daily basis?

McQ: For the Minangkabau Silek Harimau style, the art’s focus is not the blade. It is ground fighting unarmed against a potentially armed or unarmed opponent, it doesn’t matter. Now Pencak Silat as a whole does put emphasis on blade work. But today's Silat has evolved, a lot of it is tailored to unarmed combat, because as you say we’re not all carrying blades... well even that depends where you live. So it comes down to what you want from your fighting style.

It is often said that Silat is a complex art with dozens of techniques and drills, and as such it takes a long time to master. If someone came to you and had only an hour to learn some practical and immediately deployable self-defense, what would you teach them? What would you teach in a 2 to 3 day weekend workshop?

McQ: To be ready... awareness... I'd give them some basic but efficient techniques, both upright and ground based. Get the job done, I'd dog 'em, so they get an idea of a real fight situation.

Silat, and Harimau Silek in particular, demand a lot of mobility and footwork. In this context, what do you think about the suitability of this art for police and especially military personnel who oftentimes need to carry a lot of heavy gear which significantly restricts their mobility?

McQ: Well, if they knew Silat, they probably wouldn't need all that other gear... (laughing). I dunno, you'd have to adapt it for the police force. Not just for their attire, but for what they would be allowed to do. It can be done, but again, it would be stripping away aspects that really make-up what the art is. But that's not to say it wouldn't be effective, it just would be an inferior version to the original.

How long does it take to master Harimau Silek--at least to a degree where one can effectively use it in combat?

McQ: That's difficult to say as we're all individuals and some of us get it and others need it broken down more and time to digest. Then some of us do Silat from memory and drills and others simply are Silat, whereby Silat moves you oppose to you moving it. But I’d say to have a good understanding of your art both mentally and physically, I think ten years.

What does your typical training session look like?

McQ: Blood, sweat, bruises... students get ragged by me and each other, but they remain humble. They take the fight as far as they can without permanently causing serious damage to one another.

Do you think Harimau Silek is a good combat art for women, and do you teach them (as some Silat styles are only taught to men)?

McQ: I have taught women before in Harimau Silat, but I have no ladies at present. Women can be just effective as men, but it comes down to the individual and what they're willing to give.

Harimau Silat is often described as a ground art. How does it compare to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; are there any similarities and if not, how is it different?

McQ: There's always cross-overs. After all we all have two arms and two legs, so you will see some things that are similar. But BJJ is more grappling on the ground and locking while you're down there. That's not what we do, we're a ground based system because we unlike most fighting styles attack from the ground and bash you up on the ground. We do have certain grappling locks but they're loose locks that hold for a second to set the opponent up for the kill. There's no arm bar or choke outs, we do apply an arm bar just to set you up before snapping your neck.

Have you ever had to use your Silat to defend yourself, and if yes, what was the outcome of the fight?

McQ: Umm, yeah, a couple of times... and yeah, I'm still standing.

In your opinion, does Silat have any limitations or "gaps", and if yes, do you cross-train in other styles to "fill them in"?

McQ: We'd all like to say that our systems are perfect but there will always be another style that is perhaps stronger in another area. So I am always looking into improving the Harimau style and focusing on areas that may need more work. I guess changing the shape at times, but never the form.

Harimau Silat as well as other silat styles use advantage of the flanks and angles. One of the core Wing Chun principles, on the other hand, is to always remain in control of the centre line. Where do you think this difference comes from?

McQ: The centre is the line of fire, so an art like Wing Chun protects that and rotates off that line to then strike. Most styles have to parry off that centre to counter and then they come back onto it to follow up. If the centre is where you're at, then the target is you, so I think that's why Silat is devastating, because we flank off the centre line and never come back onto it. We’ll get you from any angle.

Harimau Silek, just like the Sumatran tiger, seems to be dying out. It's very hard to find a qualified instructor, there's only a handful of teachers around the world. Looking at this situation from the evolutionary point of view--survival of the fittest and strongest and all that--why do you think this is the case?

McQ: Structure... people want to know where they're heading, they want a deadline, when can they expect to see a black belt or whatever. And Harimau Silat doesn't work that way, when you're ready you kinda know. Then there's today's generation that want quick fix results with reality based fighting, so MMA is also appealing.

Referring to the previous question, is there any way for me to learn Harimau Silat if I don't live close to any classes or teachers? Can I start learning the art from a DVD or a book?

McQ: No.

I've seen a number of people say that Silat is only a Muslim art and shouldn't be taught to non-Muslims, or even that if one isn't a Muslim, his/her Silat won't be as effective. Knowing that you yourself aren't a Muslim, do you feel that this is holding you back in your art? Have you ever considered converting to Islam? What's your take on this?

McQ: Silat was in Indonesia before Islam... before the arrival of Islam, the Minangkabau tribes believed in the semangat which is basically animism. So all the ilmu (spiritual) aspects of Silat come from that. Islam was integrated into their adat (culture & traditions). So no, I don’t believe you have to be a Muslim for your Silat to work.

Can you share your thoughts on the more mystical or spiritual aspects of Silat? Is there a place for it, or can Silat be separated from it and practiced in its purely physical form without losing any of its effectiveness?

McQ: I can only really speak for Silek Harimau as other Silat styles seem to really lap up the mystical elements. Within our background, it's always been grounded in jungle warfare. And we have never really lost that warrior reality of combat as even todays teachers all have reality based backgrounds, like bouncers, military, bodyguards. The real spiritual side of this art is having Silat totally embody you, so you don't hesitate, think or worry; you just react. Now if people wanna window dress that and say you're possessed by the warrior spirits of old, then cool, it doesn't matter what you call it as long as you have that balance, that stillness, to be totally in the moment. That's where your Silat should be and that's where you should be living.

What’s the most zen like exercise you practice in your training?

McQ: Meditation... just to sit, be calm and be in the now.

What about the controversial subject of black magic. Do you have any experience with this side of silat?

McQ: None.

Do you believe in it?

McQ: Umm... (long pause)... no, not really.

Does it have a place in the practice of Silat?

McQ: To some it might.

Thank you for your time, Guru. It's always great to talk to you.

McQ: Terima kasih (thank you).

 

The interview was conducted on 21st March, 2011. Exclusive publication for blacktrianglesilat.com, 2011.