Sais Matters

 

It was yet another fantastic weekend seminar with Cikgu Maul Mornie, foremost expert in Silat Suffian Bela Diri (SSBD), a well-known Bruneian fighting art. The Sultanate of Brunei is located on the Malay peninsula and is home to a very effective style of Silat.

This weekend, the focus was the tekpi, seen in Okinawan Kobudo as the sai. That, however, is where the resemblance ends. Similar weapons, perhaps, but very different in their training and application. As Cikgu Maul explains, the tekpi are principally used for striking, raking and stabbing, but also as training tools. Weighing a hefty 1kg each, the tekpi serve to condition the forearms, shoulders and back for effective striking and blocking in kuntao. In a sense, they are Silat "kettlebells". Repetition is key here, with the opening and closing used to develop coordination, forearm and grip strength and good hand position for trapping, grabbing and striking.

In Okinawan kobudo, the sai is regularly moved back and forth from closed to open positions. However, when used in silat, this is only done for conditioning purposes. In fighting, the tekpi is deployed in the open position from start to finish, thus offering extended reach and powerful impact when swung.

While the tekpi has some unique applications owing to its forked design, it is basically a short metal bar, so in striking it is almost guaranteed to disable or break anything it hits including head, arms/hands or knees. As a stabbing or raking tool, it concentrates tremendous impact force at the tip and can be used to skewer an unfortunate opponent.

Cikgu Maul spent a lot of time on the first day explaining and showing the proper grip and manipulation of this interesting weapon. In my experience of kobudo weapons nearly 45 years ago, there was not enough focus on this. As such, the sai were cumbersome and hard to manipulate effectively, so I focused on other weapons (kama) instead. Had I gotten the same instruction back then, the tekpi would have certainly been fascinating and intriguing to explore over the years.

Proper training with the tekpi encourages good distance management and footwork, and can help understand the mechanics of striking, pinning and disarms as well. In SSBD fights are ended very directly but for training purposes movements are combined to allow richer exploration and develop fluency.

This was my sixth seminar with Cikgu Maul. Every time he is able to provide simple, elegant answers to various martial arts questions I have had. Studying tekpi with him changed my understanding of this important tool. If you ever have the opportunity to train with him, don't miss it. SSBD is legitimately one of the most interesting and thorough martial arts systems I have seen, and Cikgu Maul is a fantastic example of the three key elements of elite Silat practitioners: Hormat (respect), Hina diri (humility) and Halus (refinement).

See you at class.