Seni Silat Maha Guru Championship 2011

By Guru Scott McQuaid

Kejuaraan Seni Silat Warisan Maha Guru 2011

There are various seni silat events held in Malaysia and Indonesia but the modern world has stripped these gatherings of their true meaning.

In ancient times warriors from various tribes would gather to showcase their combative skills in front of the elder Maha Guru’s datuks (clan leaders).

There was hand to hand combat and precision blade demonstrations, the pesilats respected each other and more importantly they learned from one another.

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 bare, for with knowledge comes responsibility.

Voice of the Black Triangle Silat Tribe 2011

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.

Karambit - The Last Line of Defense

By Guru Scott McQuaid

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the experienced mind there are few."

The origins of the karambit blade come from Indonesia’s island of Java, tribal folklore says it was inspired by the claws of the tiger. The karambit was originally an agricultural implement designed to rake roots, gather threshing and plant rice. As it was weaponized, the blade developed more curve to maximize its cutting potential.

The Lightning Fast, Bone Crushing Malay Art of War

By Guru Jak Othman with a foreward by Pendekar Scott McQuaid

Silat is often misunderstood as the Indonesian Martial Art. Maybe this is because most styles of Silat that reached the foreign shores are from Indonesia. We have the old styles like Harimau Minangkabau from Sumatra, Cimande from Java. American base Silat body or styles like Serak from the De Thouars family and Mande Muda by the late Guru Herman Suwanda who had taken elements from more then 20 Indonesian Silat styles into his system. We have Maplindo Silat by Guru Dan Inosanto combining Madjapahit, Indonesia and Philippines Silat styles into his system. The styles mentioned above are among the famous ones outside the countries of origin for Silat.

Unity or Diversity: The Constitution Of A National Martial Arts In Indonesia

By Dr. Lee Wilson

Pesilat Dr. Lee Wilson has been a student of Pencak Silat for over two decades. He has studied in various silat systems including Sileik Harimau, Cimande and Kuntao. I can personally vouch for Dr. Wilson having shared many training sessions with him in the past. This article is a prologue to one of two books Dr. Wilson is writing; this particular section of his first book focuses on Indonesia’s pencak silat within its country. I look forward to reading the finished publication in the near future.

—Guru Scott McQuaid

Harimau Guardians Appeal

Chinese regard tigers as a symbol of power and strength. In Japan, it is the emblem of the samurai warrior depicting the virtue of courage. The Malaysian police force feature the tiger on its royal shield. This animal is portrayed on many national flags, emblems, mascots and as icons.

As the largest member of the cat family, the panthera tigris is a solitary creature that occupies exclusive territory. Their night vision is six times better than that of man’s, which accounts for their prowess in stalking and killing.

Subtle as a Tornado

By Arthur Bird-Davis, Black Panther Kempo Ju-Jitsu UK, Laido Practitioner

As a multi disciplined Martial Artist when you get the opportunity to watch an Art (and I will use the term Art in its fullest sense) you get a sense of envy. Like all martial arts, and I do mean all, and they have to be grouped in the same pool, be they: Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, Kick boxing, Ninjitsu and the list goes on. Not many left in this modern era can actually say that they have the level of mysticism of Harimau Silat, like the great explorers who discovered the far East and came back with tales of new lands and new ways of thinking. Martial Arts have to be considered the finest example of man's struggle and his adaptable mentality and physicality that is reflected in his relevant landscape, culture and common enemy.

Silat Weapons of Destruction - Kapak Kecil (Small Axe)

By Guru Jak Othman with a foreward by Pendekar Scott McQuaid

While the world is still amazed by the effectiveness of the kerambit, there are many more silat weapons still unknown to the rest of the world. I would like to introduce you to a cute little tool, but deadly in the hands of a silat expert. This little one is called kapak kecil, kapak literally means axe and kecil is small or mini.

B A S I C S

By Pendekar Scott McQuaid

'Excellence is the mastery of the basics.'

The martial arts have always had a higher power stigma attached to them, an array of enlightenment and cosmic force whilst preaching the balance of yin and yang.

There are countless techniques and training excises within these arts that lead us to believe that we can become a super being. With Chinese whisper stories of the dim mak (death touch) and exaggerated examples of chi (body energy), the practicality of studying martial arts can often be lost.

A Fight of One Against Many

By Pendekar Scott McQuaid

When you stand before three assailants you have but two instincts... fight or flight.

All serious martial art styles should teach students to consider multiple opponents. The student should maintain the awareness of these multiple assailants even when training in their solo exercises.

Voice of the Black Triangle Silat Tribe 2010

By Pesilat Ian Llewellyn

My name is Ian Llewellyn. I am a pesilat (silat player) in the Black Triangle Silat tribe studying the Minangkabau Harimau Pencak Silat system from West Sumatra. My instructor is the exceptional Pendekar Scott McQuaid—an individual I am honored to call my friend. Within this interview I hope to capture a written view of the my teacher's origins and his perspective on silat, combat and life.

Silat in Focus - Merantau Film Review

By Pendekar Scott McQuaid

"As I looked up at the cinema screen I thought to myself, silat has stepped out of the shadows."

If you ask most martial artists what made them want to study within the combative arts, usually the answer results in an early childhood movie they watched. Be it Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li or Jean Claude Van Damme, the influence of a martial arts movie along with its action star is the beginning and direction to which particular combat system we will begin training in.

Pencak Silat Harimau Berantai

By Guru Jak Othman

A figure stands in the shadows, her hands moving gracefully in slow, smooth dance-like gestures as her light footsteps bring her ever closer to you. Her state of subtle grace hides any trace of danger she might pose to you.

Hidden Stripes

By Pendekar Scott McQuaid

A good walker never leaves tracks.

The Sumatran tiger stalks amongst the deep undergrowth of the Sumatran jungle in Indonesia rarely seen its status is legendary, feared yet worshipped.

A Sumatran tiger measures between eight and ten feet in length and weighs around 264 pounds this predator can pull down an animal four times its size.

A Students' Journey

The Black Triangle Silat tribe students write about their journey in the dark gift of harimau minangkabau pencak silat.

Urban Combat

By Pendekar Scott McQuaid

The urban battleground is a place of death, a road to survival or extinction.

In the dense jungles of Indonesia, the Pencak Silat warriors of the seventh century protected their land, family and way of life with this deadly fighting art. The Minangkabau warriors of west Sumatra were the most feared and therefore respected. The harimau (tiger) pentjak silat was the preferred style for this tribe it was developed from the environment the terrain; climate and surroundings, knowing your land could be the difference between living and dieing in battle.

Evolution

By Pendekar Scott McQuaid

'There are over a million ways to take a live, but not one to give it back.'

The martial arts came from the east where legends, myths and traditions are born, as the years passed the arts continued to evolve changing the shape but not the form, with its growth it brought ethics, religion, science, politics, glory and money.
As with any shift of time the changes made good and bad within the fighting arts, the yin and yang balance that rules over all the elements.

Tiger Warriors

By Pendekar Scott McQuaid

A Harimau warrior is a person who does not stop to think then act, instead they react.

They take no pleasure in battle and are emotionally detached from their opponent. Most silat practitioners will not hold eye contact with their victim; instead they look just off center, gazing through their adversary. There are two reasons for this, the first is that seeing their opponents eyes filled with terror and fear may cloud their judgment and in showing mercy in their attack, they jeopardise their own life. The second reason is so they too do not wither in confidence. Their face shows little expression, as if their mind is far away in thought and not in the moment. The look their face adopts tells only truth and what will be.

Origins

By Pendekar Scott McQuaid

Seek not to know the answers but to understand the questions.

With superior qualities in both mind and body, we must look to the origins that surround the fighting arts. The martial arts have always been here, shrouded in mystery and tradition, they come from the lands, history, people, environment and culture.