Review : Pencak Silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa

Pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa is a specific system of martial arts originating in West Java, Indonesia. It is characterized by a low solid base, conservative hand positions close to the body, powerful elbow strikes, intercepting/grabbing the attacking hands and elbows, joint locks, and counter-lock evasion. The preferred weapon is the golok and is atypically held backwards along the forearm to accentuate the elbow strikes. It is a village-based system originating in Garut, West Java, near Bandung. The most recent head of the system was Grand Maha Guru Bapak A. Wajihadin - he died in April 2012 and the successor to the system has not yet been named. The system is relatively rare outside of Indonesia with instructors in Canada, the USA, and Venezuela. Pencak silat is an Indonesian term used to refer to many different schools, systems, and styles of martial art found throughout Indonesia. Other similar martial arts, also referred to as silat, can be found in Malaysia, southern Thailand, the Philippines, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Various styles of pencak silat can differ widely from region to region. Some styles of pencak silat are blended systems with many different origins. Others are specific to a region, a village, or even a family. Pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa is a village-based system that originates in Garut, near Bandung in West Java, Indonesia. It derives from the Sundanese ethnic culture predominant in that area.
Pencak silat Gajah Putih Mega Paksi was founded by Bapak H. Djaenudin in 1959. He resigned as chief of the system in 1983. In 1989 Bapak A. Wajihadin (Grand Maha Guru) assumed direction with a view to revitalize the system. He declared the new name pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa on September 19, 1991. The original name Gajah Putih Mega Paksi is still used by various groups. Grand Maha Guru Bapak A. Wajihadin died in April 2012. His successor has not yet been named. The name Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa translates approximately to "eternal/ideal/pure strength of the white elephant". The term "jati" means "strength"; "wisesa" means "highest level of perfection, absolute, eternal, ideal"; "gadjah/gajah" means "elephant"; and "putih" means "white". The elephant symbolizes a useful or productive creature that handles great loads with strength and responsibility. The color white symbolizes purity.

Pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa primarily uses hands and elbows for striking. Strikes with the hands are applied with punches, slaps, and finger-tip thrusts. Elbows are applied horizontally, vertically up or down, and as a forward thrust. The feet are used for low kicks, usually attacking the legs and knees. The system specializes in snatching or grabbing an attacker's hand and then applying locks or bone-breaking blows. Once the hand is secured, the arm is pulled to take the attacker off-balance and bring the arm closer for the application of a lock or break. The system also accounts for its own types of attacks and locks by providing counter-measures. For example, it provides effective lock evasion techniques using special foot-work and arm movements. As well, it teaches intercepting elbows with a cupped hand and hitting with a counter elbow strike. The golok is the primary reference weapon. In other pencak silat that employ the golok, it is usually held with blade forward. However, in Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa, the blade is held reversed so that it runs edge outward along the forearm. This hides the blade and also augments the powerful elbow strikes. Even for empty hand, the elbow strikes reflect the application of the golok in how they impact and the angles they are deployed. The kujang is also an important weapon to the art. It is specifically a talisman that is believed to hold special powers.

• Techniques

Pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa primarily uses hands and elbows for striking. Strikes with the hands are applied with punches, slaps, and finger-tip thrusts. Elbows are applied horizontally, vertically up or down, and as a forward thrust. The feet are used for low kicks, usually attacking the legs and knees.
The system specializes in snatching or grabbing an attacker's hand and then applying locks or bone-breaking blows. Once the hand is secured, the arm is pulled to take the attacker off-balance and bring the arm closer for the application of a lock or break. The system also accounts for its own types of attacks and locks by providing counter-measures. For example, it provides effective lock evasion techniques using special foot-work and arm movements. As well, it teaches intercepting elbows with a cupped hand and hitting with a counter elbow strike. The golok is the primary reference weapon. In other pencak silat that employ the golok, it is usually held with blade forward. However, in Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa, the blade is held reversed so that it runs edge outward along the forearm. This hides the blade and also augments the powerful elbow strikes. Even for empty hand, the elbow strikes reflect the application of the golok in how they impact and the angles they are deployed. The kujang is also an important weapon to the art. It is specifically a talisman that is believed to hold special powers.

• Jurus

The techniques of pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa are expressed in the form of jurus, pernafasan, and langkah. Jurus are an established series of movements that illustrate a particular tactic or technique. Most pencak silat include their own unique set of jurus. Jurus are relatively short to execute, including between 2 and 20 movements or strikes, often beginning with a specific opening sequence and ending with another typical sequence. As well, the footwork tends to be very linear, repetitive, and/or in a fixed pattern.
Pencak silat Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa has 25 jurus that are part of the established curriculum. Like many jurus in other systems, they start very simply, each illustrating the application of one or two techniques. The later jurus are relatively complex and combine multiple techniques. Each jurus is performed both from right lead and from left lead - often one side right after the other.
The names of the 25 jurus are :

• Jurus
• Susun
• Potong
• Sikut
• Depan potong
• Depan sikut
• Simur
• Selup
• Tebang atas
• Tebang bawah
• Sangkol
• Alip sangkol
• Sentak
• Gendong macan
• Kwitang
• Kiprat
• Stembak
• Serong
• Alip catok
• Alip naga berenang kedet
• Kepruk dongkari
• Dongkari tunggal
• Tendang besot paksi muih
• Alip tileup leungit
• Lube

Gadjah Putih Jati Wisesa focuses on the use and application of breathing technique to develop power, strength, and internal energy. The realization of effective breathing and movement leads to "rasa" - this is a word difficult to translate insofar as it connotes a subjective sense of the energetic emotional body that arises from proper expression of technique. A strong rasa is the basis for effective application of the art, both as performance and as combat.

• Pernafasan

Like the physical techniques, there are jurus for breathing as well. These are known as the "pernafasan" where the Sanskrit for vital breath is "prana". There are 10 pernafasan (with a rough translation of their meaning and dynamics) :

• Jurus satu (first movement)
• Tomplok (big outward push)
• Tendeut (push down hard)
• Tarik belah (pull in, split widely)
• Giles (crush/pulverize)
• Rojok (break with force)
• Liwat (through/beyond)
• Potong (shear)
• Colok (fuse/wick)
• Buang atas (clearing)

Langkah

Where the jurus are short technical illustrations, the "langkah" are much longer fight sequences. They show how all the different techniques and tactics that may be applied realistically. The footwork is more varied in direction and distance. The langkah are numbered but do not have a specific name - e.g. "langkah sembilan" (fighting sequence number 9).

• Kembangan

Like many forms of pencak silat, this system is performed dramatically as well as used for self-defense and combat. The dance-like execution of the various techniques, usually by improvisation, is referred to as "kembangan". A group of musicians playing a musical style known as kendang pencak typically accompanies the performance of the kembangan. In West Java, the instruments include a two-ended drum, the kendang, as well as a set of percussion and wind instruments typical of gamelan, known specifically as Gamelan Degung.

In the kembangan, the musicians and silat player(s) respond to one another - the music follows the pencak silat movements, punctuating the strikes and articulating the sequences of movements that compose the combat. As well, the kembangan player takes cues from the pace and emphasis of the music. In effect, the pencak silat player performs as another member of the music ensemble such that the movement and music are tightly integrated. By contrast, the application of techniques for combat or self-defense are known as buah. Translated, kembang signifies "flower" and buah means "fruit". The metaphorical relationship between the two indicate the importance of each part to the overall practice of the pencak silat.