Even as a kid, I was drawn to martial arts. I've always admired the “masters” in kung fu and ninja movies. The way they moved acrobatically and effortlessly, their strength of character, and the high level of philosophy they embodied fascinated me. It wasn't long before I started taking martial arts classes. Since I was around 12 years old, I trained and studied various martial disciplines. From Tae Kwon Do to Aikido to Ninjutsu to SWAM FuJuKa Boxing to Fannul Harb to Kenjutsu… I was seeking to grow in the arts. In reality, I was seeking a way to channel and release my own power, and martial arts was a means for me to do it.
After leaving a school I was associated with for decades, I was in search of my new mountain to climb, so to speak. I saw a Silat Buka Lingkaran (“SBL”/ “Silat Open Circle”) video on social media and I was intrigued by their movements. They didn't have a school in Atlanta but offered online training and an “Accelerated Instructors Program (AIP)” that could be completed in a few years with “intense training”. I was up for the challenge so I signed up.
They did a lot of physical conditioning, ground techniques, and mobility training which was extremely important to me. In 2007 my father passed, and had been having health challenges. I took him to the hospitals and saw how many people were sick, weak, had poor mobility, and poor posture. Around that same time I suffered severe injuries in an accident. I had to go to countless therapies, treatments, specialists, etc. The spine specialist told me that they would do 13 treatments and if those didn't work, I would never be able to do martial arts again. Then my mom fell and had to go back and forth to the hospitals and rehab centers. Again I saw people who had health and mobility challenges. I knew that if I joined SBL and applied the training, that it would help me to heal and get better mobility, speed, and strength. That's exactly what happened.
AM Training With Guru Ash In London, England
I felt like I was the slowest one in class but it didn't matter. I kept training and kept coming. I reminded myself that Western culture doesn’t typically value movement/ exercises like Silat and that the SBL instructors have been doing this for many years. I had to keep things in perspective so I didn’t get overwhelmed and give up.
Waking up for the 5AM AIP sessions were brutal for me after teaching my own classes throughout the week and doing posture exercises all night and all morning. After a while, I started feeling stronger and had better mobility. I practiced along with the videos and worked on drills and techniques with my own students.
SBL Houston Seminar 2024
In 2024 we had the SBL Houston Seminar with Guru Andrea from SBL Italy. It was great to finally meet many of the people I took sessions with online. The training was intense and challenging with detailed information. Andrea moves effortlessly and fluidly and his technique is deadly. Despite the lethality of the techniques, the movements, philosophy, and holistic nature of the system are quite beautiful.
Training With Guru Alvin @ Queens College, Cambridge, England
The “SBL Live” sessions are taught by the founder, Guru Alvin Guinanao. By separating the fitness and combat classes, the students get the opportunity to practice the fundamental movements outside of techniques, in a fun and playful way. By the time the student gets to the SBL Live sessions, they already know the basic movements and are able to apply what they learned.
Harimau (Tiger) Position
Open Kucing (Cat) Position
The SBL system is rooted in simplicity and is in alignment with how the human body moves and the way the human mind learns. It's very well thought out. They have four main “animal postures” - Kucing (“Cat”), Buaya (“Crocodile”), Kura Kura (“Turtle”), and Harimau (“Tiger”). Each posture targets specific muscle groups and has unique characteristics. They have “tendon” exercises to strengthen the tendons, sinews, and ligaments. The “Jurus” (solo drills) allow us to refine and master the movements on our own. The “Jurusan” (partner drills) teach the application of the movements and allow us to apply those techniques with better control. The “Kembangan” (Flower Dance) is a moving meditation that “frees up” the practitioner and helps us to connect with ourselves, our opponent, and everything around us. It takes us out of rehearsed choreographed movements and into spontaneity. The meditations and visualization exercises program the movements into our being.
The “SBL Spider Web” is based on the concept of “8 Angles/ Directions of Attack”, similar to “Tai Sabaki/ Kenpo Universal Pattern” in Kempo Karate. The idea is to be able to attack or defend in any direction, in any range, at any level, at any time. That's exactly what the high level SBL practitioners are able to do.
One of my previous teachers told me that his teacher once told him, “if you master Tai Sabaki (Kenpo Universal Pattern) you will no longer need a teacher”. Since then, I knew what I needed to do and SBL has now given me the blueprint.
Silat Open Circle's Spider Web
Kenpo Karate Universal Pattern
I now sit in London Heathrow Airport waiting for my return flight to Atlanta after 2 weeks of intense SBL training. I did one week with Ash in London and a week with Alvin in Cambridge. We trained 4-5 hours each day and I learned so much. I have months of techniques, drills, and exercises to review and practice with my group when I return.
This trip has been transformative for me and my sister practitioner, Lotus, from California. She met us in London before we went to train with Guru Alvin. We all shared with each other and connected on a deep level. This trip has helped me to heal physically and emotionally.
I now realize that all of my experiences led me to this exact moment in this exact place. My previous training was also excellent and needed for me to continue to grow. SBL is taking me to another level but it's built on the foundations I already had.
I now see the connections between SBL and my previous training and merge them together in my own system, Sekm Maa (“True Power”) Warrior Arts. I’m grateful to all of my teachers - past and present.
I'm excited for the future. My “Journey Into Silat’s Open Circle” continues…..
For more information on the SBL Atlanta Study Group visit silatatlanta.com.
