Tuan Wujian posted an interesting entry on his blog http://tuanwujian.blogspot.com/ about Pukulan 7 Hari, which he personally collated from sources on this forum http://www.harmonisers.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3609&PN=2

I decided to translate his entry for all silat fans to read. Is what they say in their posts true? It’s up to you to decide.

Budak Lagi said,
“As far as I know, Pukulan 7 Hari emphasizes attacks to sensitive areas on the body, is simple and effective… It primarily concerns principles and old philosophies… Those with silat basics are often said to understand Pukulan 7 Hari easier.”

Tulis-Tulis said,
“If I’m not mistaken, Buah Pukul 7 Hari exists in the Silat Sendeng syllabus. Pukulan 7 Hari seminars are often conducted with the president of Pertubuhan Seni Silat Sendeng Malaysia as the speaker. According to lore, when sailors from the Indonesian islands arrive at their destination… they’ve already completed their 7 day studies on the ship. Then, this knowledge was kept by the sendeng styles.”

Fansuri said,
“I apologise if I am in error, but if you notice some of the strikes in Silat Cekak, for example, when parrying is followed by a strike to the ribs… this is present in Buah Pukul 7 Hari.. “

Clausthaler said,
“The Pukulan 7 Hari referred to in the book is reminiscent of Lian/Mersing/Sendeng (but not the Sendeng strikes that I know of). The Pukulan 7 Hari that I studied really does take seven days. There is pelebar… but the entry is reversed - right for the left handed and left for the right handed. The pelebat is practised at high speed (the combination of strikes and parries decides this) and the legs act as a fulcrum.

“The founder of this particular style was the late Pak Omar, a Melaka man who resided in Singapura (you often found him hanging out at the REX cinema) and moved to Lembah Jaya, Ampang. His strikes were given various names by many different people. I studied with Pak Omar before he passed on - only six days (because I had no intention of becoming a teacher).

“Truth be told, in order to teach, you had to complete the seventh day berpisah belakang/belakang (go separate ways), never to meet with your master for three years straight. The taboo states that if you meet within those three years, one of you would die (granted your fate is in Allah’s power), that is exactly what has happened.

“One of his students forgot this warning and hurried to his master’s home when he heard that Pak Omar was gravely ill. He arrived to be met by Pak Omar at the door, recently recovered from his illness. Pak Omar silently thought to himself, “one of us is sure to pass” and it was his student that passed away soon after). This is what Pak Omar narrated to me.

“When I studied with him, Pak Omar often seemed winded but he always came hard and fast (he always struck where he prestated he would). A couple of silat masters even came to study and try his skill, but went back humbled, never to appear again.

“Pak Omar would only accept a student in a ceremony with tamarinds, salt and a foldable knife. Other than buah pukul, he would also teach us the fundamental principles (petua), because he said that these were far greater than acquired knowledge. He passed away in the late 1980s. Some of his students who have carried on his art also live in Lembah Jaya.”

Gentek said,
“Pukulan 7 Hari has seven strikeforms. It is related to the seven days because once upon a time a sendeng practitioner travelled throughout the land up to Thailand to spread buah pukul. His most common pitch was, whosoever wants to learn to fight in 7 days can learn it from him. When he returned to Muar (in Johor), he was a rich man with a sack of cash.

“In the Sendeng syllabus Pukulan 7 Hari is not taught to lower level students. Previously in Sendeng there combinations of buah pukul including Buah Pukul Sendeng, 7 Hari and Kuntau Jawa. The aesthetics can be seen in Kuntau Jawa. The Sendeng strikes are counters and recounters, with movement a la Wing Chun but the rapid shots come from the shoulder and not from the arm.

“The Johor silat styles can be considered a single family because the methods are higly similar, Buah Pukul Mersing as an example. The difference lies in the use of feints in Buah Pukul Mersing. Kuntau Jawa methods emphasize the Tapak 4 and weapons studies.

“The Pukulan 7 Hari are high stance techniques:

No.1 - A straight right punch
No.2 - A straight left punch
No.3 - An evasion counter or a knifehand parry
No.4 - A back fist (or often a slap)
No.5 - A crouching punch to the floor
No.6 - Turn to the right
No.7 - Turn to the left

“There are 3 pelebat (drills) for Pukulan 7 Hari
1 - Tegak
2 - Lapis Tegak
3 - Lapis Tapak Tiga

“If the student was once a stylist who practised long drawn out techniques, then problems will arise in his application of Pukulan 7 Hari. Granted some techniques need to be long but there is a greater necessity for concise ones. Both hands and legs have to constantly be active and aware.

“There are two applications, that is a lead foot strike and a cross strike. This pukulan exists even in Silat Cekak, where the first buah is similar to an evasive strike. The difference lies only in the length of the technique, whether the parry is a push or leads into a trap, a half-arm parry or a full push. For those who have similar skills in Pukulan 7 Hari, when in combat they normally get stuck at Buah Pukul number 6 or 7. The use of numbers is to facilitate memorisation since the names of each buah varies from place to place and as a method of systematization.

“Other than this there are various Lian (drills from southern Yunan styles transplanted to Johor) for Pukulan 7 Hari to increase physical power in applying Pukulan 7 Hari. The use of the one inch punch in Wing Chun is also present in Pukulan 7 Hari. The difference is, they say it’s only a psyche out, but in Pukulan 7 Hari, it actually can be applied. The one inch punch as described by Bruce Lee exists. The problem is, now there are those who don’t truly understand this strike.

“The technique of evading a one inch punch is also present in Pukulan 7 Hari in the maxim of elak kena, tak elak pun kena (run or hide, you’re mine). I have personally witnessed several series of fights between senior teachers of several silat schools who challenged the abilities of Pukulan 7 Hari (don’t know if you could even call it a fight since they ended so quickly), but finally they were humbled.

“Another factor that lends to the effectiveness of Pukulan 7 Hari is its dirty plays, which is full of trickery. Lower level practitioners of Pukulan 7 Hari could easily lose because they only studied the 7 buah, without its counters and trickery. Pukulan 7 Hari in any martial art has the same srtikes. The difference lies in the entries. There are those who employ entries (and stances) such as Tapak 1, Tapak 3, Sumbang, Bermalam, Tidak Bermalam and many more.

“They are principles for attack and counter attacks which when applied will make it seem as if the defender has preceded the attack. Many wardancing styles of silat have been sen to incorporate these Pukulan 7 Hari, only with a more graceful and undulating style.

“The practise of Pukulan 7 Hari is considered matured when a conditioned reflex called latah is manifested. Latah in this case means the practitioner is in a state of constant readiness. Practitioners of Pukulan 7 Hari often absorb one or two particular buah into their permanent repertoire. The most practised of these will appear reflexively during a surprise attack.

“Pukulan 7 Hari is also a measure in combat. The movements of the opponent are read using the Pukulan 7 Hari ‘calculations’. Hands are expected to flow as water, formless but form fitting. It is recommended that you study a softer syle before you embark on Pukulan 7 Hari so that your movements are not stacattoed and are smooth. Most hard stylists encounter difficulties when applying Pukulan 7 Hari because of this.

“Pukulan 7 Hari also teaches low line, high line and ground defence. This knowledge has two taboos: Pantang Gerak(counters to th slightest movement) and Pantang Sentuh (counters to the slightest touch). Practitioners who have integrated these methods into themselves, their movements will flow naturally. Unfortunately, such reflexive movement becomes difficult to control for new practitioners.”

I was browsing through the Silat Lincah blog at silatlincah. blogspot.com and the latest update included a thumbnail of a poster for the documentary film One Step Into The Beyond or its Bahasa Melayu title Selangkah Ke Alam Batin (which sounds way cooler than its English counterpart) produced by Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia.

I was wondering, who has a copy of this film, either on VHS or VCD? And I am NOT talking about the Chinese narrated one, where narrator pokes fun at each and every one of the stunts the Silat Lincah people perform, turning it into a C-grade version of a Shocking Asia rip-off (yes, it WAS the light of our generation).

I would love to get a look at the original and maybe find a way to purchase a copy for the Silat Melayu Archives. If you have it, please contact me at silatmelayu@gmail.com

The latest issue of SENI BELADIRI magazine has hit the stands! Of interest in this issue include:

Feature
Guru Amran’s passion for silat drove him to study style after style. Then, an old man who appeared to him in a dream changed it all prompting the founding of a new style based on the old man’s cryptic words.

Secrets of the Ancient Warriors
The Melayu warriors of old knew their omens well. Calculations and spiritual measurements based on maxims that foretold of dangers or opportunities, whether it was to sit down to a meal, or in meeting a King or persons in power.

If Looks Could Kill
Pak Teh defines the movements that answer the question, just what should silat look like?

Available at newsstands throughout Malaysia at RM5.90.

For more information, go to SENI BELADIRI

Do you have any copies of PENDEKAR magazine that was published in Malaysia in the late 1980s and early 1990s? I would like to source them from you if you do. I am also willing to buy them for a reasonable price. But, if you are willing to donate them, I will include your name into the Silat Archives list of donors.

The Silat Archives or Pustaka Silat, is a collection of silat-related documents which include books, ebooks, magazines, photos, videos and other printed or recorded materials. We hop to gather and preserve as many of these possible as a comprehensive record of silat in Malaysia and the world.

For more information and to quote a price, please email me at silatmelayu@gmail.com

This is probably the most embarrassing entry I’m going to post on this blog. A good friend of mine, someone I have never met before but have had the pleasure of having inspired silat discussions with, has posted an entry about me on his blog.

Jeff Davidson, who writes at his blog Balisong Journal is a teacher of Silat Kuntau Tekpi in Michigan, America and has a long history in South East Asian martial arts and the sufi traditions. Known online as JD Tekpi and also likes to be called Jaafar ibn Daud, Jeff has shown great interest and admiration for silat. I have found him to be a careful proponent of the Melayu arts, and has tried to keep as true to the traditions they were founded upon. You can read his article on Silat Kuntau Tekpi at silatmelayu.com.

Jeff has, on several occasions, admitted himself to being a land displaced or a closet Melayu, due to his taste for our arts, our food and our women (just kidding). Here’s hoping he’ll actually make it to Malaysia to complete the transformation.

I have never ceased to learn something new from Jeff everytime we have our discussions and our lives have paralleled each other’s within the last one year. To Jeff, thanks for the compliment. Here’s mine in return, deficient as it may be.

See his post http://balisongplayer.blogspot.com/2006/09/silat-melayu-on-move.html

The SILAT MELAYU Ezine (SME) was an experiment conducted in late 2005 to create an English language silat resource that could mine information on silat in Malaysia directly from its source.

The ezine lasted four issues and was distributed in PDF format to friends of the author and interested parties. The feedback was encouraging. However, due to logistical and financial constraints, this project couldn’t take off properly and ended within a month of the first issue’s publication.

Silat Melayu: The Blog and SilatMelayu.com is an extension of this effort and is hoped to carry on from SME as an accurate and reputable source of silat in Malaysia for the English-speaking world.

For those who are interested to download a copies of the 4-issue run, please go to MalaySilat.org, the official United States Gayong Federation website.