Abstract
The paper introduces Silat Tua, a traditional Malay martial art, and its relationship to the tropics of the Malaysian Peninsula and Singapore through the imagery work of the four Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. In a world of increasing disconnect between Humans and Nature, the Silat Tua practice is a traditional martial art for bringing harmony and healing, as well as an understanding of how the building blocks of Nature can harmonise, complement and resonate with the natural resources of the human mind, body and spirit. Through recounting the legend of the art’s origin, the first proponent of Silat Tua is shown to have gained inspiration and lessons from the inhabited environment. Examples of how a Silat exponent may explore and come to understand the Elements are discussed before venturing into the practical application of the Elements in cultivating mindfulness and influencing behaviour. The physical environment thus, is not only a source of inspiration for movement but indeed an impetus for leading a harmonious and virtuous life. The paper concludes with the connection and implications of the Elements training in Singapore and its potential in navigating oneself through the constant changes inevitable in life.
Highlights
The paper introduces Silat Tua, a traditional Malay martial art, and its relationship to the tropics of the Malaysian Peninsula and Singapore through the imagery work of the four Elements: earth for strong grounding (Earth), Water, Fire, and Wind
Silat Tua is a traditional Malay martial art, and like most of its kind, it paradoxically highlights the value of life through the development of techniques for the purpose of harming the life of another (Sutton L., 2014, p. 5)
It is an art that has an intimate relationship with nature, as understood from its roots in animism (Zainal Awab & Sutton, N. 2007, p. 13)
Summary
Silat is a blanket term for an indigenous martial art from South-East Asia. The etymology of the word Silat varies from Silap (to make a mistake, i.e. an art of feigning), to Sekilat (‘as fast as lightning’), and even Sila, a variation of the word Silsilah, meaning ‘chain’, which is in reference to its transmission of knowledge from teacher to student as links in a never-ending chain (Farrer, 2009, p. 29). As challenging as it may be to trace its origins before Pattani, through the art’s particular emphasis on the natural movement of its exponents, it is apparent that the influence of the abundant tropics of South-East Asia have had an important role to play in the art’s evolution. This notion is explicit in the legend of the art’s inception, a testament to Silat Tua’s strong relationship with nature. This began with the perceived building blocks of Nature, the four Elements: Tanah (Earth)
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