As I've mentioned in my previous article, silat is a way of life. A true silat warrior practices silat virtues in their everyday lives. One of these virtues is sacrifice. And by sacrifice, I do not mean giving away one's life easily and foolishly. Sacrifice has a wide connotation. Any martial artist will tell you that they have spent a part of their lives in learning and practicing their Art. Some even dedicated their lives to their Art, not just practicing but perfecting it.
The term sacrifice covers a broad concept. In attaining any goal, some form of sacrifice is bound to be made. This is the natural balance in Life. For one to gain something, something else will be lost (but for a good cause). For an individual to be adept in silat, they will be sacrificing their time, energy and money - amongst other things - to attain that goal. But the biggest sacrifice is not that of material but spiritual nature. Nonetheless, I do not see this as a sacrifice but rather a hijrah or departure from one state of spiritual attainment to another.
One will sacrifice old habits and make new ones. The silat routine will also encourage its practitioners to have a better lifestyle, to use one's mind and intellect before acting upon a decision. My late master Almarhum Ustaz Haji Ishak Itam taught me that the word "Pendekar" (warrior) came from the phrase "pendek akal" (short of mind). This is not a negative connotation, but rather, a positive one. It means that a pendekar thinks on his feet and makes the ideal decisions on the fly. He is a decisive person and does not brood on his options before taking action effectively. This is part of the mental conditioning that a silat warrior or pendekar goes through in his training. A split second delay can be the difference between life and death.
More recently, I have heard that the word pendekar comes form the phrase "pandai akal", which, carries the same context. Pandai akal denotes a smart and wise person who uses his mind before his fists. He thinks through all of his actions before acting upon a situation. This mental conditioning is part of the Pendekar mindset and lifestyle, only attainable through certain sacrifices that he had decided to undertake.
It is this "sacrifice" - the sacrifice of one's EGO - that will bring about positive changes in his or her life. Believe it or not, through the proper learning and education one gets in silat, one will be transformed into a better person. I have witnessed positive changes in my colleagues and students who not only learned but lived the Silat life. In perfecting one's Art, one makes all the sacrifice worthwhile. The time and energy spent in perfecting the Art of Silat will open new doors to Enlightenment. This is the Way.
