SENI SILAT GAYONG MALAYSIA

Silat Seni Gayong is a style of silat from Malaysia. It was the first martial arts association to be registered in the country, and is now the biggest and most internationally-known school of silat Melayu. In Malaysia, Gayong is overseen by Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia (PSSGM) or the Malaysian Silat Seni Gayong Organisation. This organization is currently led by Datuk Ismail bin Jantan.  While it is most popular in Malaysia and Singapore, there are also branches in Vietnam, Australia, France, Kuwait, Tunisia, Britain, and the United States.

            

The History of Seni Silat Gayong Malaysia

Seni Gayong originated among the Bugis people of Sulawesi, Indonesia and was called silat sendi harimau. Literally meaning "tiger joint silat", the system utilized the tiger claw technique to lock opponents' joints. The Bugis prince Daeng Kuning, descended from a long line of warriors, brought the style to the Malay Peninsula in the 1800s. It was eventually passed down to his great-grandson Meor Abdul Rahman. The teaching of seni gayong, as with most styles of silat, was once restricted to relatively few students under each master. In 1942 during the Japanese Occupation, Meor Abdul Rahman taught seni gayong publicly in Sudong island, Singapore when the locals feared an attack by the Japanese. Having inherited the art from his father, Dato Meor Abdul Rahman eventually founded Malaysia's first martial arts association, Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia. The leading silat organization in the country, it was and still remains the style taught to the Royal Malaysia Police force.

Weapons of Seni Silat Gayong Malaysia

Seni gayong makes use of a wide variety of weapons, some of which may not be included in the mandatory syllabus. Trainees begin weapons-training by learning the use of the kris. Other small weapons follow, before progressing to long weapons and finally flexible weapons. In silat, the chindai is often called the most advanced of all weapons. Seni gayong as taught to the police and special forces may replace some traditional weapons with modern knives or even firearms for reasons of practicality. The traditional tonfa is retained, however, as its techniques can be applied to the T-baton used in law enforcement.