YOKOHAMA, Oct 7 — Walking or running in a full suit of samurai armour is not the easiest thing in the world. Swimming in it is even harder, but that's exactly what some in Japan are doing. For fun.

“It's heavy, and it's hot in here ... Fan me hard,” Mutsuo Koga, a 27-year-old doctor, told fellow disciples of traditional Japanese swimming at a recent meet.

“I'm worried about whether I'll be able to get myself back out of the water. It's been three years since I last swam,” said Koga as he readied to take the plunge in a public swimming pool.

Traditional swimming was developed during Japan's feudal 15th and 16th Centuries, when feared samurai swordsmen roamed the country enforcing their masters' will.

Part survival technique – there were times when a warrior just had to swim for it, boots and all – and part aesthetic performance, traditional swimming now has its place in the pantheon of Japanese martial arts.

And like all martial arts, its adherents say it has real-life applications.

“The primary purpose of this kind of swimming is to acquire practical skills for swimming in a real environment,” said Tadao Koga, Mutsuo's father and the grand master of the Kobori school, one of twelve recognised by the Japan Swimming Federation.

“If you can swim fast using Western strokes, that doesn't mean you can survive in a natural environment,” said Koga, 67.

Traditional swimmers have to master a kind of treading water, which will allow them to withstand powerful waves near a seashore.

They also have to learn the “hayanuki” stroke, vital for swimming against a current or up a river, thrusting your body high into the air as your arms crash into the foam.

Whatever happens, you have to keep your head above the water and your wits about you – that obstacle looming in front of you could be a rock, or it could be an axe-wielding enemy.

Oh, and you have to do it while wearing 15 kilograms of armour.

The appeal of the sport is that “swimmers compete on form and beauty, rather than the speed of swimming,” said Yoko Suzuki, 25, a champion of women's traditional swimming.

Masahiko Yaginuma, chairman of the Japanese Traditional Swimming Committee of the JSF, said the form was widely taught in schools in the early 20th century but fell out of favour and is now only found in a few institutions.

“Nowadays women in their 60s or older are the main group of new learners,” because they see traditional swimming as an extension of the other noble arts a cultured Japanese woman learns – like flower arranging and tea ceremony, he said.

Briton Antony Cundy, a Tokyo-based advertising executive who has spent years being tutored in the Kobori school of swimming, said there were real benefits to taking up the sport.

“It's a fun way of getting fit and enjoying Japanese culture and history,” said Cundy.

“It's astonishing you don't see many foreigners enjoying it.”

Around a minute after he slid heavily into the water, Mutsuo Koga slowly and unsteadily hauled himself out to roaring applause from the assembled crowd.

He had managed about 20 metres using a stroke designed to make him glide across the surface of the water, his helmeted head making no abrupt moves.

“Your chest was supposed to be above the water,” Tadao chastised, as his son stood panting on the poolside.

“I was not very good,” gasped Mutsuo. “My body didn't float at all.” — AFP-Relaxnews

 source: www.themalaysianinsider.com 

There are many aspects of Silat or any martial art which needs to be grasped and understood in order to master its techniques. Buah Pukulan is a term used to describe a self defense technique. Usually, silat schools teach a certain formula to deal with attacks, based on the concepts and foundations of the Silat style. 

Most of the time, a certian amount of Buah Pukulan or combat scenarios are programmed into the body memory of pesilat (silat exponents). A typical buah pukulan could comprise of parrying, counter attack (strike, kick etc), throw or dropping technique and finishing technique i.e; locks, chokes, holds, breaks, or kill. 

There are however many subtle or hidden aspects of Buah Pukulan which will not be noticed by the untrained eye. This includes body mechanics, footwork, breathing, distance, timing, speed and power. Internal energy in Silat is sometimes referred to as Ilmu, Isi or tenaga dalam. These aspects can only be understood when training under a skilled and experienced Guru of Silat. 

Here are a few videos to demonstrate or touch on some of the above-mentioned aspects. Please enjoy :) 

With just 25 days to go, excitement builds up as two representatives of the Cape Town Silat Team sets off to Malaysia and Thailand on the 29th October 2012. Mr Mogamat Gielmie, affectionately known as Tuan Hilmy, along with his student Faheem Jackson will be travelling to various parts of Malaysia and Thailand in search of more knowledge of the ancient Malay martial art of Silat. 

They will be attending the Pencak Silat World Championships in Chiang Rai, Thailand, to learn more and observe the high standard required for our next South African Silat team, Insha-Allah. The tournament takes place between 18th - 28th November. 

Tuan Hilmy is currently the chairperson of SAPSA (South African Pencak Silat Association), a national regulatory Silat body which was established in 2010. This organisation is currently led by Indonesian businessman Sariat Arifia, who was also responsible for the establishment of Permai Martial arts Silat group in Johannesburg in 2009. To date, SAPSA has successfully taken an official silat team for representation at the Pencak Silat World Championships in 2010. 

On the local scene, Faheem Jackson manages the PSSPM (persatuan Seni Silat Pukulan Melaka) of South Africa, which has its headquarters in Melaka, Malaysia under Tuan Guru Haji Mokhtar bin Hj Yahya. Tuan Himly and Faheem has vowed not to return empty handed to South Africa, as one goal of the trip will be to bring back Silat equipment and weapons and items which cannot be sourced locally. Items include Keris daggers, Kerambit, Parang, Golok, Cindai, Baju Silat, costumes, books, DVDs, Olah Raga Silat body protectors, Training mats and much more. 

For this reason, the "I WANT MY SILAT STUFF" (a collection or fund raising drive) was initiated whereby the community is called upon to generously donate via our website http://www.senisilatcapetown.co.za/i-want-my-silat-stuff-drive.html/. Silat students and members will also be selling THE TREASURE magazines, as the latest issue holds an article and pictures about our silat training. 

Our Silat school would like to further enhance and develop Silat practice amongst the youth of Cape Town, as there are many benefits to be derived from silat training. Confidence, Self defence, strength, aglity, ability, skill, spirituality, art and culture, humility, sportmanship etc, are words which are associated with silat training. 

Short and long term goals include gradings, setting up a central silat training centre, establishing silat training at local schools, opportunities for  students to train abroad, and hopefully to host the International Silat Tournament in Cape Town, which takes place every 2-3 years. 

To make a contribution to this worthy cause please contact pukulanmelaka.sa@gmail.com for Pukulan Melaka banking details. We sincerely appreciate your support :)