Training Realistic Combat Effectiveness: The PCK Way

PCK Silat focuses heavily on combative effectiveness. All of our Jurus (Entries and Striking), Langkah (Footwork), Kicking, Weapon Styles and Bela Diri (Self Defense Techniques) are based on real world application and mindfulness of multiple attackers. Most systems talk about combative effectiveness and teach combative-type drills, but never really train the things that actually make students "effective in combat". They are deluding their students into thinking that “because your teacher said so” the material will magically destroy multiple attackers who have no value for your life and are probably more mentally accustomed to actual combat than you. This is putting the students at risk and wasting their time.Combative effectiveness requires a few key things:

Realistic Material: You must train material that will actually work. The material has to be based on realistic, destructive, multiple attacker based concepts. It has to be taught from the ground up, with out shortcuts so that the student has an art based on and built up from these principles. Based on their own fluid knowledge of the material so they are non just regurgitating a collection of techniques that will only work under certain circumstances.

Adaptability and Non Compliant Training: That material must be trained with a non- compliant partner and must learn to be adapted to any body type or situation. Students need to know what it feels like to perform the material under stress. This also includes treating a weapon as an extension of the art and not supplemental training. Adapting the material to fit the situation. This requires application and stress testing not just theory and “well if this were a real attacker I would do this”. Non- compliant drills and sparring must be constantly trained.

Combative Mindset: The student must learn to have a Combative Mindset. To automatically assume that you will go into some special mode of consciousness where you defeat a bunch of armed attackers is ridiculous and dangerous. This is something that must be actually trained constantly. It has to be a part of everything you train and not just theory. It must be ingrained into the practice of all material as you learn it. The mind is the most important aspect of training because if you lose control, you will lose the fight. If a student does not automatically assume that there will be multiple attackers then while he may be doing impeccable striking and technique on one attacker, he will be getting stabbed in the back by the other. This type of training helps eliminate tunnel vision in combat. 

Combative Awareness: You must learn to have Combative Awareness. Awareness of your surroundings at all times. You do not want to end up grounded against multiple attackers because you tripped over your own 2 feet. You have to learn to scan for hazards in the environment, potential places you could get cornered, look for improvised weapons, all while dealing with attackers.

Assessing the Threat: Learn how to asses and avoid the threat all together. The ultimate goal is to not have to use force in the first place by avoiding combat all together. Learning to watch for potential threatening situations and avoid them.

Some Martial Artists dismiss the animal aspects of Silat as non- combative or for show. This could not be more opposite the case. Real Animalistic Silat trains the animal instincts of the practitioner to come out. It is the primal instinct to survive and the controlled expression of that instinct is what we want to train. 

Real combativeness comes from our core desire to survive. But "survival" is not enough. We train to have control over our brains when this mode kicks in, rather than being hijacked by emotion, fear and brain chemistry. In PCK Silat we control ourselves and we exploit the natural instinctive responses in our opponents and use it against them. 

Each animal teaches its own unique lesson. They each have their own place in combat. We do not just imitate the animal movements. We invoke the attitude of each animal. The way it is energized and animated when faced with a threat. The violent unpredictable nature of monkey and the maliciousness and relentlessness of Tiger are good examples. We train indirect vision and scanning to allow for multiple attacker awareness and a type of control of opponents that bares in mind that we could be attacked from behind at any time.

The core Jurus and Footwork of PCK Silat are the foundation of the art, but it is the unrestricted, unpredictable, volatile nature of the animal aspects of the art that make that material come to life. It is what makes our Silat so destructive. The focus and refinement of technique combined with the raw primal energy of animal instinct. It is not enough to train "for combat". This is the trap most students fall into. You have to constantly "train combativeness". If it is not a part of everything you do, body and mind, at its very core then you are just scratching the surface. Selamat,

Guru Derek