Weapons include the tekpi, stick and Chinese sword. The entire syllabus can be completed in eight months after 4–6 hours of weekly practice. Lian Yunan : An old offensive style which some believe was taught by Hang Li Po's bodyguards from Yunnan. It is characterised by rolling punches or chops thrown in rapid succession. Seni gayong : A modern system based on the older tiger style called sendi harimau which focuses on joint manipulation. The Gayung Malaysia organisation was among the first silat associations registered in Malaysia, and it is today the most popular style in the country. It is also considered the most "complete" system because it includes strikes, joint manipulation, weapons, and acrobatics. A derivative of seni gayong is practiced by the Malaysian Armed Forces called combat silat or gayong combat.Seni Gayung Fatani : Originating in Pattani, Thailand, it focuses mostly on locking techniques. Silat angin : Founded by Yap Mat in Kedah in 1977, the name means wind silat. It combines the weaponry of seni gayong, the hand strikes of Wing Chun, the energy drills of yiquan and the elbow and knee attacks of tomoi.
Silat Cekak : An aggressive style created in Kedah. Unlike other systems, silat chekak doesn't include evasive side-stepping or dance-like routines and is never performed with musical accompaniment. Instead, it focuses on sparring so students learn to confront hostility directly. Silat embo : A traditional style from Penang combing silat and tomoi with influences of Burmese bando. It is often mistaken for Muay Thai. Weapons include the chain, knife and tekpi. Silat Kalimah Panglima Tangkas : A somewhat controversial style purported to have been descended from an older method called Silat Kalimah. This system was supposedly taught exclusively among the Kedah royal family before being opened to the public by the late Pak Yahya Said in 1963. Sceptics who doubt this claim believe that either Pak Yahya Said or his guru founded the style themselves.
Silat kuntau tekpi : A weapon-based style focusing on the tekpi. It was founded by a panglima (governor-general) of Kedah in the early 19th century, whose daughter was known as the serikandi Kedah or heroine of Kedah. The syllabus is divided into five levels. The first two levels teach self-defense, the third and fourth introduce the use of weapons while the final level emphasises spiritual and mental development. Silat Lincah : Originally called silat tarah, the name was changed because it was considered too violent. The word tarah means to sever or cut off while lincah means quick, agile and ever-changing. Silat Medan : "Battlefield silat", an old weapon-based style said to date back to 14th century Majapahit. Unlike most other systems, it doesn't contain any pre-arranged routines, but relies on sparring with sticks and blunt blades.
Silat Pattani : Also known as silat tua ("old silat"), it was developed by Hindu-Buddhist ascetics and hermits in Pattani, Thailand. Traditionally credited as the earliest system of silat Melayu, its age is evident in several aspects. For example, it does not include any preset forms so students learn techniques mostly through silat pulut and freestyle forms. Unlike later methods, the kris is considered the least lethal of silat Pattani's five primary weapons. The art contains three main Ramayana routines based on Seri Rama, Sita Dewi and Hanuman in addition to the deer, snake, monkey, bird, tiger and nāga (dragon) styles.
Silat Telapak Nusantara.
Supposedly founded by a Muslim scholar named Tuan Sheikh Ali who helped introduce Islam to his homeland of Sumatra. As he gained more experience, his system went through seven major stages of development. The final development, called silat bongsu, is the core of all the other stages and is thus called the mother style. Because Tuan Sheikh Ali's method requires at least seven years of consecutive daily training to master, each level was taught as a separate style until all were re-merged under a single school in Malaysia.
Silat Teralak Asli : One of the most popular styles in Kelantan. It is said to have been founded in 1865 by Ulud Bagindo Chatib in Kamang, West Sumatra. After spreading to peninsular Malaysia, it was altered by the grandmaster Tuanku Syech Habibullah. Silat teralak is not used in competition but rather for character-building. Thus it is straightforward without aesthetic movements. The footwork uses fast movements designed for self-defense.
