Kermabit Training

June Issue of Irish Fighter Magazine - Interview with Guru Liam

In the June 2011 Issue of Irish Fighter - Guru Liam does a interview talking about this summer plans for urban silat - Combat Kali Association...


“Animal” MacYoung to Visit Ireland’s Silat in August

“Sadly, after years of the Celtic Tiger, what we have now in our current climate is a group of people who feel the world owes them and that they have a right to take it out on others. Their anger is already potent enough to provoke disastrous situations, but as they try to cope by using drink and drugs, the problem has become all too grave…” Guru Besar Liam McDonald
There’s no prize for guessing that the Ireland of today is one suffering a very real and pressing rise in violence. With the endless reports of beatings, attacks and even killings, it’s sad to see the myth of safety on our streets now leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those we classify as “victims”. If anything, our current socio-economic climate has highlighted not only the fact that violence has always been present in society, but also that it can only lie dormant for so long before it must once again rear its ugly head.
For the men and women of Silat, these are sentiments not taken lightly. With an ethos clearly driven towards self protection and personal development, Guru Besar Liam McDonald of the Penchak and Kali discipline is careful in drawing a fine line between combat and violence, where the latter is accepted and understood, instead of ignored and underestimated.
With a Martial Arts career spanning over three decades, McDonald’s journey in Silat has been a long but rich experience where he has dedicated himself to sharing and spreading the Art as far and wide as possible.
But this Summer marks a very special event for both the Guru Besar and his students, as a long awaited guest finally arrives in the Emerald Isle. Aug 27 & 28th will see Martial Arts and Self Defence legend Marc “Animal” MacYoung take to the Firhouse Sports and Community Centre, Dublin for a two day master-class seminar on techniques surrounding personal security and dealing with physical conflict. Having amassed nearly half a century of training and expertise in various arts, MacYoung has to date written fifteen books on combat defence and has gone on to train both police and military officials, using his knowledge and experience. For McDonald, the arrival of “Animal” sees a much-anticipated ambition come to pass and a truly unique learning opportunity presenting itself for Guru’s and students alike.
“Setting up the seminars and workshops has gained more and more importance over the past few years, purely because it’s such an effective learning tool. It’s a great chance to meet Martial Artists from other countries who practice different styles. Having someone of Marc’s caliber here generates a lot of excitement in us and it’s something that we can’t help but look forward to. Personally, I’ve been trying to bring him over now for quite a while and it’s really fortunate that things have finally worked out. For us it’s going to be one hell of a close to the Summer…”
From its humble beginnings in the mid 1980’s, Silat has steadily grown into one of the leading specialist Arts in the country, where their technique for deflection and assault of an attacking entity has a clear and distinct voice of its own. In its approach to handling external threats, Silat shares a strong common ground with MacYoung’s teachings in that they have a solemn respect for the consequences of violence, regardless of who inflicts it. In short, self-defence is not a quick-draw parlour trick,
but rather a last resort to ensure your own personal safety and it is this crucial, grounding logic that at the end of the day can save a life.
“ I think to be honest most people actually need street awareness more than street protection, as Martial Arts is not for all. What’s most important for the average Joe is to know what do when confronted and how to react. After all, the number one goal is to survive and see another day. I always encourage people to hone the power of self defence and know how to keep themselves safe, but basic awareness skills can go a long way in preventing you from being attacked in the first place…”
Of course, while it is only right and proper to teach the importance of walking away from conflict, both McDonald and MacYoung fully realise that such an option may not always be available for someone caught in a situation. People get cornered; pressed into circumstances they cannot leave and it happens all the time. With the August seminar, MacYoung seeks to touch upon the skills in assessing ones surroundings when faced with violence, as well as handling the emotional and psychological damage that violence reaps.
“What Marc will be teaching is essentially a bridge between training and application, where he will address issues around communication and strategic thinking, in order to reduce a conflict. On day two he will be branching more into the body mechanics of Martial Arts and teaching the students how to draw more power from their techniques, regardless of their style. It’s a nice mix of both the mental and physical aspects of self protection and it’s sure to be an eye-opener in many respects…”
Like all reputable Arts today, Silat has realised the need to be flexible in this modern age. As the means through which violence is perpetrated has changed and become more and more elaborate, MacDonald continues to explore and incorporate new avenues of Martial Arts into his training, urging his students to see what’s happening on the other side of the fence.
“Silat, by its very nature, is ever-changing. It adapts to its environment and the way in which violence is played out. At the end of it all, we have to be functional and understand the manner in which people attack. As the rules of combat constantly change, we can’t afford to be rigid, especially when things such as weapons are brought into the equation. And so to pressure-test our Art, we have to look to others, examine what they do and how they do it, and if necessary improve ourselves. This is the core of Silat thinking. We don’t discard the heritage and history of the Art, but instead build bridges between the old ways and the new…”
Having just concluded yet another successful stay at their Spring camp in Kilrea, there’s no shortage of action on Silat’s calendar for the remaining season. Before MacYoung’s visit, July will bring another legend of the Asian Arts to Ireland to share his wisdom, this time in the form of Guro Felix Valencia of Silat’s Sister Art Lameco Eskrima. Being the protégé of Eskrima founder Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite, Valencia’s ties with Silat run deep and solidify the relationship between the two Arts as they continue to grow and develop.
But while McDonald is determined more than ever to fuel Silat’s progress outside the class, he never fails to recognise his fellow Martial Artists and patrons, all of whom share what they call the “Vision of the Thread”.
“I’ve been very lucky to have a great bunch of guys who help me teach and run the Association and without them I couldn’t keep it going; people like Dan Mc Hugh, Alan Walsh, Tony Devey and in the North, Robert Scott, Denny Hughes and Peter Hughes. These guys are the Gurus, the foundation and rock for the future growth of Silat in Ireland. It’s all about living and finding a way to be at peace with yourself the best way you can, but Silat’s true beauty lies in the fact that everyone helps provide

Silat Combat Concept #3 - Principle of the Thorn

Principle of the Thorn.

This Principle is known sometimes as the “Principle of the Rose”. The concept behind this Principle is basically to strike and destroy everything an attacker throws at us. This is done by using the hard striking parts of our body to intercept the softer tissue muscle, tendons, joints and even small bones of the attacker. A few examples of this would be to use our elbows to smash the attacker hand when he striking, or to guide the attacker hook kick into a Elbow smash against his knee, or to kick the attackers ankles with out foot (when wearing shoes) Other areas to hit are soft tissue areas like the muscles on his arms and legs when he attacking, or to impale a elbow strike into the attackers chest if he rushes in, or finger jag or gorge into the attackers eyes or throat. The harder the attacker strikes out the more he gets damage.

When we look at this as the concept of the rose, a beautiful flower to look at, but if we reach out and grab the stem, it can be a painful experience. Likewise looking at a silat player it can be very beautiful and graceful to see him move, but try to grab or hold him against his will and suddenly you will find that’s you body will be in a lot of pain.

Teacher Mission 1

For receiving such a beautiful gift as silat, then we should think of giving something back by teaching & helping our students develop properly, not by showing off & making out we know more than we do, or by feeding our ego's. Rather in the interest of keeping our Art alive. For we are only temporary holders of the vessel of life,if we don't share life & art with others, how can it be pass down for others to benefit.

Week 2 - Continuous

The translation of our form of Pencak Silat - Pukulan Cimande Combat means a system which is like continuous flows of water. Pukulan means Hitting, Cimande is from Cimande River (Water). The secret and key behind all of silat lies in the movements must be of a flowing manner..... to read the full article and future weekly articles on the Silat Combat Principles email guruliam@hotmail.com or join our Free mailing list at top of blog

Grading Dates

Silat Gradings will take place on Sat 28th May 12pm Sheldon Park Leisure Club. There is a Eskrima class still at 10am in Fitness Dock and I can give a lift from there to sheldon, if anyone needs it. Grading fees is €30 for (Urban Silat Levels 1 and 2) and Advance Monjet Level €50. If you wish to grade please let me know as soon as possible.

Malay Silat Knife Entries

A video clip of Guru Liam showing some Malay Silat Knife Entries at the National Irish Silat Kali Spring Camp in April in Kilrea. If you like more details of Training, contact us by email guruliam@hotmail.com

Silat Clip of the Week :

Guru Tony Showing the Cimande Long Elbow Shield

Student of the Month : April

Silat Student of the Month for April is Aiveen Ford. Aiveen has been a fantastic student and in the 15 Months in Training she only missed one Thursday class. Always helpful, she now can be seen helping the beginners settle in. Aiveeen always keen to give everything ago and now beginning her next stage of training in the Cimande System.

Aiveen will be a great asset for the future of Silat. Well done Aiveen

The Combat Principles of Silat

There are 11 Combat Principles that make up Silat. No one principle is any more or less important than the others and in order for a system to work, all principles need to be present. Over the next term we will spend time each week focusing on one particular Principle and understanding it better, and how it benefits us in developing the core of the art.

Week Commencing

25th April - Penetration

2nd May - Continuous Flow with Camouflage

9th May - Adhesion

16th May - Bamboo

23rd May- Off Timing

30th May- Compacting

6th June - Thorn

13th June - Decoying

20th June -Trapping

27th June- Destruction

4th July - Body Armour

Each week we will describe the Principle we working on in greater detail, if you like a free copy of this report, than you can receive this two ways either join our mailing list, or join our facebook page. All can be done with a simple click at top of this blog page.

Urban Silat - Combat Kali Clothing

Next week we launch at the camp new Urban silat gear, this is a new black design t shirt with urban combat ape design on front and Indonesian / Malay silat logo on back alongside training bottoms with keris design down side with "Urban Silat Combat Kali" written. This is exclusive new gear and if you like to be first with the new gear let me know. The urban silat t shirts and training bottoms is €45 and if you pre order it, you can have it at the spring camp. Liam

Why Kilrea?

One of the questions I've been asked recently is why did you pick Kilrea for the Spring Camp? Kilrea is a small town up in the far North, situated alongside the River Bann. The answer I give to students is very simply... Kilrea is the birth place for Silat in Ireland !

When I open the first silat club in Ireland, I had just left school, due to a family situation where my father had suffer a heart attack, I took over the family business at 15, and open up the first silat club, when I brought over Guru Jak 17th May 1985 to teach his first seminar. The Silat club in Kilrea was establish and it had around 8 members (two school mates and 6 local lads) and we met every Monday and Thursday in the local School. Guru Jak visit us every 2 to 3 months and to help finance this I along with my sister ran local kiddies discos on a Friday evening and use the money from this to pay for Guru Jak visits to us from UK. I will always be grateful to my family, who always supported me throughout the very difficult stages of helping to introduce Silat to Ireland. My parents hosted Guru Jak in my house, and look after him when I was at work, and he always called them Mum and Dad as he was along way from home and was always look after. My sister throughout the period I live in Kilrea, was always there to help me raise money, or supported me emotionally, and was a rock for me.

People sometimes forget through the 80's and 90's the situation in the North was a extremely trouble times with a civil war basically going on, and all through that time the Kilrea club kept going and was a mixed religion club, which was extremely rare, and never once during its 13 years did ever a cross word or row start in that club. We knew we had something special in silat and from our common goal we kept that spark alive. This spark ended up new clubs in the North and when I move to Dublin I established clubs.

This is why ever two years we honour the birth place of Silat in Ireland, and why I will always be grateful to the support my Late parents and Late sister Sharon give me, my school mates and friends in Kilrea who help me, my long term students in the North who been with me since the beginning and with out these people, there would be probably be no silat in Ireland. I don't mind new students not showing respect to me, for what I did as I given that freely and wanted to, but the sacrifice that others including my family, give so people can now train in Silat should be respected. Some teachers in Ireland like to change history to fit their egos, but fact is fact and without Respect, Tradition and History we do not know our roots and so are like lost boats in the ocean, floating aimlessly.

I wrote this as a mark of respect for my family, if anyone would like more details or like to visit some of the locations where silat took place in Kilrea at the camp or for reference let me know.

Student of the Month

Congratulation to Mathis Hasle who is our Student of the Month for March 2011. Mathis originally from Norway is

one of our top students and will be a great teacher for the future. His attendence in both Cimande Silat and Lameco Eskrima is second to none and he can be often seen in class pushing the art to its limit. Proud to have someone like Mathis in Class and as a student.

Hi Guys
There are a few changes next week in the classes due to St Patrick's Day

Thursday Class Sheldon Park is Cancel 17th March (gym closes at 6pm)
so anyone who normally trains on that Thursday can come along next week either Mon/Wed 7.30pm Firhouse or Tues 8pm Lucan
if you attending please let me know by email or text 087 9956569
Try to make another class if you can.

Sat 19th March Class in Fitness Dock is move to Sheldon Park Leisure club
and there is a time change its 11am - 12.30pm This is due to the studio in Fitness Dock
Been revamp and its close for 5 days. This class is extended, and at the end of the class we will have a "Spartacus" Stick and Shield sparring session, inc special section for complete beginners. The fee for the extended class is €15 but for the Sat Lameco group there is no extra charge. There is only 8 places left so make sure you get your name down.

Classes resume as normal from Mon 21st March

Intro to FMA

Nice clip and Intro to FMA and if this inspires you to learn, than gives us a shout, and let us developed you in the funa nd exciting art.

Website

New Club design website is up and running. Over the next week or two we be updating the finishing touches to this. A big thanks to Guru Dan and Guru Gavin for all their help in setting this up. Well done guys. Have a look at http://www.urbansilat.com/

Spring Camp 2011 Lameco Eskrima : Gayong Harimau: Cimande Silat: Mande Muda Silat

Combat Silat - Kali

National Spring Camp 2011

Sat 9th - Sun 10th April

Kilrea Sports Center, Co. Derry, N.Ireland

Come along and experience the Fighting Arts of South Est Asia from Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia in the unique Intensive Two Day Training Camp. Training will cover Stick and Knife Disarms, High Speed Take downs, Ground Fighting, Empty Hands, Locking, Grappling, Striking, Muscle and Nerve Destruction, Sword Application, Introduction to Mande Muda Silat, Early Morning Indonesian Yoga / Dalam Training.

Training Fee - €95 / £80

2 Days Full Training, inc Early Morning Outdoor Session beside River Forest.

Excellent Accommodation, en suite mod com Rooms and Full Breakfast.

Choice of one Sat Afternoon Activity (Golf/Fishing)

Day Tickets Available (Training Only)

One Day €45 / £35

Both Days €60 / £45

To Book your place contact your Teacher or contact Guru Liam Direct.

email guruliam@hotmail.com

Tel 087 9956569 / 00353879956569 (international)

For more info check out http://www.guruliam.blogspot.com/ / http://www.urbansilat.com/

Accommodation Places Limited Book early to avoid disappointment

Gradings Dates

Next Dublin Student Silat Gradings will take place Sat 14th May 12pm.

Bela Diri 1 - €30
Bela Diri 2 - €30
Monjet Silat - €50

If you're grading please registered by 21st April 2011

Black Belt Gradings and Re - Valuation of all Guru Levels will take place
Sat 19th Nov 2011 Dublin 12pm to 3pm

Re Valuation €65
Grading €100

Fighting for Lives

We have been ask and have agree to put on a Dublin Seminar later in 2011 for a great charity call "Fighting for Lives" which help develop projects for street kids and orphans in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Malaysia and Ghana. This event will be World wide where over 100 Instructors will host seminars on the same day. We will host a Dublin event and more details will follow shortly

Guru Felix Seminar

Guru Felix Valencia will be teaching a two day seminar in Dublin Sat 25th June / Sun 26th June 2011. Level 1 and Level 2 Knife Gradings will take place during the grading. Going to be a great seminar so don't miss out.