Happy New Year

I would like to thank all my Students and Representatives for their loyal support throughout the past year. This has been a very difficult year, for all of us as you all well know, and many changes needed to take place. Without you and my family continual support, I wouldn't have been able to help us achieved all that we did. We can now look forward to 2009, a year which hopefully will bring many great new exciting experiences, new friends, new developments and our continual growth, through our increasing expanding network of students and clubs. 2009 will be the year where we begin to experience the deep culture and richness that Silat has to offer directly and untainted from the heart and soul of the Motherland. Remember ! Without you this would not be possible and I proud to have been to given this opportunity to be your teacher and friend,

Best Wishes to all of you and your families. May 2009 be full of happiness, joy and blessings for all of you..

Liam

Grading results

Congratulation to the following students who passed their grading on Sunday 7th Dec . You all did yourself proud and I'm very please to have you as students. Good luck with your journey

Level 1 Bela Diri
1. Stephen Gargan 2. Darren Sheilds
3. Karina Andewzak 4. Mick Lawlor
5. Darren Geraghty 6. Cian Mc Guirk
7. Cormac O Leary 8. Colm Brady
9. Andy Adherne

Crane Mannerism
Silvija Tunkeviculte

Monkey Mannerism
1.Keith Lawless 2.Brian Dunne
3.Patrick Koeberl 4.Stephen Fortune
5.Kathleen Mc Cabe 6.Christopher O'Connor
7.Robin Maginn 8.Michael Lloyd
9.Trevor Bacon 10. Andrew Miller

A special thanks to Guru Baharau Tony who brought along his first set of students from his new Liffey Valley Club. All his students did very well.

silat combat buah

Some of the silat buahs that was taught at the December seminar. Buah are combination of grappling, striking and throwing techniques.

New Dvd's coming soon !!!

We will begin filming early in 2009 the first in a new series of Instructional Dvd's on Silat training. These will cover the syllabus in a modern easy to understand format than what was previously available. They will help support students in the class and across our network of students in Europe and America. We also plan to make furthur dvd's on Combat aspects of Pukulan Cimande such as the Keris, Kunjang, Staff etc.... Details of the launch dates for these dvd's will be posted soon...

Raja Naga Training

Broken Mirror Pattern - Each part of the body must be able to move and think on its own. One hand could be doing snake while the other is doing crane and the legs are in a macan position. At this stage the inner spirit dictates the movements.

Invisible Attackers - Move and imagine various attacks coming from multiple and different types of attacks. Move in all directions of circle of creation plus up and down, as well as the eight directions of the Lankah Sernang Laba Laba.

Stone Face - Blank expression with no emotion. This causes the attackers emotion to bounce back off and return to him as if it came straight back from a mirror. Can bring about great fear in the enemy.

Extreme Off Timing - Slow and fast movements combined with stomping and slapping and fast multiple blows with all body parts.

Animal Trance - Flows in and out of various animal trances and movements.

Naga Coiling

Naga Shields

Inside Naga Hitting

Fire and Claws

Falling Snake Strikes

Naga Extended Power Hitting

Weapons

Cabang (Siku Siku) - Similar to the Sai, but it has a wide sharpened blade in its center and a long skull crusher on its end. Represents all animals and elements, (Naga).

Keris - Indonesian sacred dagger.

How to get the most from your training sessions by Guru Baharau Jonathan O'Neill

When you take on any form of martial arts training you need to ask yourself why you are here?Are you here for self defence, socialising, or to learn the full traditional art or all.If your there to learn a bit of self-defence or to socialise then that's perfectly fine.But if your there to learn a traditional art like Pencak Silat there is no quick and easy route, and whether you succeed or fail is totally up to you, your Guru will show you the way but he can't walk the path for you. Your teacher (Guru) is there to give you his TIME, remember TIME is something you cannot get back.So how do you get the most from this valuable TIME your Guru is offering you? Read on...

IT'S UP TO YOU..As I have said before whether you succeed or fail it's up to you. You have the potential in you to become far more than you thought possible. So why then haven't you been doing something about it?Probably because no one has shown you your worth, your value and the hidden abilities in you.This is why the right Guru is important, he or she is there to help you develop your values and hidden abilities.GROW INTO IT remember you are learning new skills-learning is a process. It will gradually become part of you as you persist,and remain consistent (keep your training up regular and often).

MOTIVATION..Training starting to get stale?Some of you may already know that the problem is not GETTING motivated- it is STAYING motivated.Motivation comes either from outside sources or from within you.You have to learn to keep it as a well inside you that you will constantly be bubbling up to inspire & reinvigorate you when your other motivation hits a slump, REMEMBER your nervous system actually responds to your voice.Many people have "talked themselves" into health, out of sickness, by adopting this approach you can "talk yourself" into motivation by self encouragement.

MENTAL PREPARATION.At the start of each week set yourself some goals for your weekly training sessions, keep them small.It might be "I want to make sure my knees are bent and my stance is right" or " are my hands in the right position" now you have decided what you are aiming for, you can create the mental, emotional, and the physical environment most suited for reaching those goals. ALWAYS TRAIN POSITIVELY.Before you enter the training hall leave the events of the day or whatever emotional baggage at the door, and always try to start your training with a positive attitude. Remember ATTITUDE rather than APTITUDE, is the key ingredient for success. by keeping your goals small they will be easier to attain and the results will be alot more encouraging.

DON'T RUSH.Practices slowly at first don't speed up maybe because your training partner is faster, if you can't do it slowly then you can't do it fast. By practicing slowly first you are developing muscle memory and also the white twitch muscle fibers, these are the fibers that give us that explosive speed.Also when you are practicing slowly try to be aware of your body, learn to feel each movement with your whole body, try not to tense up, most people go through life completely oblivious to the way their bodies feel, learn to listen to your body.And last and most important, don't forget to ENJOY YOURSELF,
SMILE AND HAVE FUN.

Hope all this helps you get more from your training and life. Thank You.
Jon.

Combat Fighting Principles of Pukulan Cimande Combat

Our style of Cimande is based apon 11 Combat Fighting Principles, here is an overview of them.

PRINCIPLES OF DESTRUCTION

1. The principle of penetration (penetrating strikes and taking the opponents space)
2. The principle of continuous flow and camouflage (deception and stealth techniques)
3. The principle of adhesion (sticking blows, sticking to the opponent)
4. The principle of bamboo (the whip and ricochet hitting)
5. The principle of off timing - "Stealing the Awareness" (mental, visual, and auditory)
6. The principle of compacting (the secret of kilap and poison hand)
7. The principle of the thorn (impaling strikes using the elbows and knees)
8. The principle of decoying (which includes indirect vision and indirect hitting)
9. The principle of destruction - "Destroy or Get Out" (Joint, Muscle and Nerve Destruction)
10. The principle of body armor (positioning your body to protect yourself at all times)
11. The principle of trapping (foot trapping and trapping to produce breaks)

Combat Silat - Lameco Workshop : Dublin 2008

Combat Silat - Lameco Eskrima Workshop
Sunday 7th Dec
12.30pm - 4pm
Blanchardstown - Dublin
cost €45 advance / €55 At the door
Liam will be teaching the second level silat grappling, locking and groundfighting, along with 2nd phase of the Knife / Stick training which will focus on timing, footwork and understanding combat ranges. Workshop is open to all. To book contact Liam 087 9956569

seminar

December seminar €45.00

Combat Silat / Lameco Officially Open new Branch in Wexford

On Sunday 16th Nov in Wexford Liam Mc Donald conducted the first workshop on Combat Silat and Lameco Eskrima at Mark Porter Mixed Martial Arts Club. This was to launch the club as the Official Branch and Training Group for the South East, and Mark as the Representative. A special Thanks goes out to the all the guys who turn up and give their best and to the warm and welcoming hospitality shown by Mark and his students.

Liam started of showing the various Knife Stalements and their counters, against the knife attacker using headbutts, elbows, knees, than learning how to defend using outside circles, elbows drops, tunnelling and disarms. After a short break we moved onto silat grappling and ground fighting techniques from the Malay system of Guyong Harimau, with special focus put on being able to flow from striking to locking and back again. After lunch students moved back onto footwork and timing in relation to the knife and got an introduction to knife sparring.

Mark is planing a number of workshops in 2009 with Liam and if you living in the area give Mark a call as he is a very talent and knowledgeable instructor in Martial arts with many years of experience behind him. For details of training in wexford and the seminar www.wexmma.com/seminars.htm

When faced with violence and words fails, you have 6 options:

Ignore/leave: The vast majority of violent encounters have a lead up time of some kind. It can be by using threatening behaviour, verbal abuse etc. If you sense tension that could develop into violence, a reliably good option is to simply leave. You should only ever deal with aggression physically when it is thrust upon you and you no other practical alternatives.

Comply: If you are faced with a potentially violent situation and for whatever reason you can’t negotiate a non physical solution or you’re unable to leave the scene, then the wisest and most appropriate course of action may in fact be to comply. Do what they want. If there is a reasonable chance that complying will work and you think and feel the cost of non compliance would be too great, then do it. Comply.

Dominate: Another option available to you in a hostile situation is to dominate your opponent by demonstrating that you are not easy prey. Use you LOUD voice, your attitude and your body language to let your attacker know that you are not going to passively cooperate. Predators can read non combative attitude. If you’re not prepared to fight when attacked then that attitude will be reflected in the way you move, the way you stand, look and speak. A predator will read these signs and interpret them as a weakness. To dominate, it’s not always necessary to get physical, but it is necessary to let the attacker know, by whatever means available, that you are not easy prey and if push comes to shove “you will fight”

Stun and Run: If circumstances dictate that you should leave as quickly and decisively as possible, stun and then run! The distraction-the “stun” is vital for success, because you need to cause your attacker to experience a brain blink! You need to do something that has them thinking “what the hell was that”

Restrain: This is the most difficult option as you are required to physically overpower you’re attacker with brute strength/skill. This option should only be used when there is urgent need, if you must pursue this course of action, it is imperative that you precede with a “brain blink” and you should also accept in advance that you are more than likely going to get hurt in the process.

Incapacitate: This is the last of you’re options because it’s the last resort. You have been back into a corner where there is no escape. The cost of complying is too great. And all other options have failed or where not appropriate. If you are face with a situation where the most appropriated option is to incapacitate your attacker, the actual mechanics of what you do will depend on you as an individual. Are you capable of gouging an attacker’s eye out to stop him assaulting you/loved one? Or does the prospect of blinding someone override the welfare of that? The answer is something that only you know and in all probability you wont know for certain until you are unfortunate enough to be in that situation.

Combat Silat New Branch in Sanovitae : Liffey Valley

Members of the New Branch of Combat Silat International based at
Liffey Valley in Dublin. The Club is run by Instructor Tony Devey and assistant David Crammer. In a few short months the club has become established in the Sanovitae Gym at the Clarion Hotel. The class is open to members of the general public and meets every Thursday 6pm and Saturdays at 10am. The students have made great progress and will be going for their first grading on Sunday 7th Dec.

New Article

Great new article on the Harimau mannerism by our UK Rep Sion- Marc Simpson check out his blog by clicking the UK blogsite (found on side bar) Well done Sion Marc keep up the good work and look forward to visiting you guys in 2009 in Nottingham

Seated Jurus of Pukulan Cimande Combat

To answer a number of emails I received I have listed the names of the 20 seated Jurus that make up Pukulan Cimande Combat. The Jurus are first practise in the seated position, than mid rise position than finally fully upright. When seated on the ground the student must learn to develop good upper body movement and can solely focus on this.
1)Kelid 2) Selup 3)Timpak Sabelah 4)Timpah Sarong 5) Dun Deggan 6) Besotan 7)Teke Surung
8)Teke Purilit 9)Teke Guar 10)Tawex Luar 11)Tawex Sero 12) Keprak Luar 13)Kepruk Sero
14)Pamoyet 15)Kelid Tiga 16)Kelid Empat 17) Kelid Lima 18)Al- Kalah 19)Pakalan 1 20) Pakalan 2

knowledge is only wisdom when it's shared

Over the years, I have always believed in bringing over good teachers, so my students can experience the very best at first hand. For these teachers to share their knowledge. I will always be grateful for these unique opportunity. This is a list of teachers who I hosted workshops for in Ireland to teach my students. Jak Othman, Glenn Lobo, Steve & Mike Krause, Bob Breen, Terry Barnet, Pat O' Malley, John Harvey, Jude Tucker, Krishna Godhania, Richard de Bordes, William Sanders, Felix Valencia... I hope to continued along this path and continue to bring great instructors to Ireland.

Membership books

From 1st Jan 2009 all students will received the new Combat Silat International membership books. We will need passport size photos from all students and instructors. These books will record all your training, including workshop/ seminars and grades. Contact your class instructor for details.

1000th visitor

In a few short weeks we have reach our first 1000th visitor. I'm grateful for all
the people who have took the time to visit our blog, and warm emails I recieved from
students across the world. Many thanks. Lets hope it wont be long till we reach our 10000th visitor! If you like to see some articles written on certain areas, or training tips etc.. please let me know and we work on it.. Remember this is your blog, Silat is the art of the people!

Guru Jon : Traditional Pukulan Cimande Silat

Short Video clip of Guru Jon showing various aspects of Pukulan Cimande Jurus, the Monjet and Ular which make of two of the 4 core animals, Harimau and Blakok being the other two. At the end of the clip, Guru Jon shows the use of Golok. Training in the traditional aspects of our art is important as the culture and heritage needs to be preserved and passed down to future generations.

Wexford Introductory Lameco Workshop

Wexford Lameco Workshop
Sunday 16th November
Wexford Town
12pm to 4pm
Cost €40 (Pre booking essential)
Instructor Liam Mc Donald
Host Instructor Mark Porter

This is the first in a series of open Training Groups Workshops which will be conducted by Ireland Representative Liam Mc Donald in Wexford. This is your unique opportunity to get in at the start and experience Lameco Eskrima.

Training will cover
Footwork
Knife / Stick Combat Drills
Knife Stalemates
High Speed Takedowns
Stick Takedowns / Disarms
Empty Hands Striking / Grappling

Guru Felix Valencia : Summer 2009

Guru Felix Valencia will be returning to Ireland in early summer

2009 as part of his European Tour. Guru Felix gived a mind blowing explosive seminar last summer and we all are looking forward to experience more from this great teacher! More details to follow of other exciting International Seminars plan for 2009. It is our policy to bring over the best International Teachers in the World so students can experience at first hand the great unique talent these teachers can offer and to learn from that!!

Dublin City Center : Lameco Eskrima

Next Course in Lameco commences on Saturday 9th Nov in the Fitness Dock Gym Camden Street, Dublin 2. The classes run from 10am - 11am. Cost €65 for the 6 weeks. Training will
cover the fundalmentals of Lameco Knife, Stick and Empty Hands. Course is open to all. To book contact Liam 087 9956569 or email guruliam@hotmail.com. (14 Places available).