Happy new year 2015!!!!

Wishing everyone a prosperous new year 2015!!!! I have been away from my blog for some time as I was occupied with my Masters thesis completion and also my recent job change. I work in KLCC now and is further than my previous workplace and I do come home late but it has never hindered me in practicing Silambam and working out. My day isn't complete without these routines.

I am currently training very diligently on my yellow belt syllabus which consist the following elements.

• Pathadi Ondru
• Pathadi Rendu
• Pathadi Moonu
• Pathadi Naalu
• Illuthukattu

Each of these a performed in four sides (north, east, south, west), clockwise and counter clockwise which forms a pattern. Performing each of these requires plenty of stamina and I consider these as my cardio exercise as these gets my heart pumped up. I perform all these before my workout sessions as they are more interesting than the conventional jogging which is monotonous and boring. I am also practicing this as the next grading will be held in February 2015 in which I will be awarded the orange belt once I have passed. I am also giving equal attention to my workout routines which involves a lot of weight training as it complements to my agility and strength in Silambam. My workouts are focused on lightweights and heavy repetitions with very minimal rest period as I do not want to increase my body mass which will degrade my speed and agility in Silambam.

I will be publishing another posts which describes the syllabus above in detail very soon. Again, I would like to wish everyone a happy new year and also wishing the all of you the very best in 2015. 

Highlights of the Silambam Grading

The Silambam grading was held on the 2nd of November 2014 at our class premise in Meru. About 78 students participated in this grading and we were assessed by masters who are well known in the arena of Silambam. Among the belt levels which were assessed were white, yellow, orange, green and blue. Upon passing, white belts proceed to yellow, orange belts proceed to green, green belts proceed to blue and blue belts proceed to purple. Some advanced students were allowed to master syllabus of two belts which allows them to skip a level and obtain two belts.

The grading began with the salutation to the grandmaster and some briefing on the agenda of the grading. The grading started with the assessments of the white belts which are 12 of us.

We were instructed to demonstrate the white belt syllabus individually so that they could assess our stances and moves accurately. It began with the demonstration of Udarpayirci (உடற்பயிற்சி) which is a form of warm up and stretching which comprises of 12 steps. After all 12 of us have demonstrated the Udarpayirci individually, we were assessed on the Guru Vanakam (குரு வணக்கம்) which is a form of salutation or respect before combat and also a form of respect to the earth that we are stepping on. Once Guru Vanakam was assessed, we were assessed on Nilaigal (நிலைகள்) which comprises of 10 level of stances which incorporates blocks, punches and kicks.

The final assessment was done on the Periya Guru Vanakam (பெரிய குரு வணக்கம்பெரிய குரு வணக்கம்), which is an advanced derivation of the Guru Vanakkam. That summarized the white belt assessment.

I also watched the other grading which were being conducted. The yellow belt grading consists of syllabus which were tougher and more complex. It was also exciting to see kids performing the steps very swiftly despite the complexity of the steps. These kids have been training for very long and they are seniors to me. The highlight of the event was the grading of the blue belts. Their syllabus comprises locks, one-step sparring and sparring. Their steps were full of action and it proves that Silambam is very effective and deadly when it comes to self defense and one should use the techniques with caution.

The last part of the blue belt assessment was the sparring session. Both fighters were required to wear head gears and sparring vests which are similar to the ones in Taekwondo. The rules of Silambam sparring are kicks and punches are only allowed at the torso level. No punches and kicks are allowed below the belt and to the head. The fights were intense and the fighters gave their best. With the ending of the sparring session, that summarized the event of the day. A final closing speech was given by our master along with a presentation of a token of appreciation to the masters which were present to assess the students.

The students were informed of the grading results and those who passed the grading were awarded their respective belts. I was awarded the yellow belt and this marks my first step in mastering Silambam.

Obsessions with Nunchuks

Nunchuks are weapons which are widely used in karate. The two sections are often made of wood and it is interconnected by a metal chain. There are few variations of nunchuks which are made of wood, metal, fiber glass and rubber. Nunchuks were popularized by Bruce Lee in his movies and that is how I developed my interest in nunchuks. Bruce Lee inspired me and I really wanted to imitate his moves and steps. His moves with the nunchuks were awesome and I often imitated his moves using a towel when I was a kid. I know that's funny but I had the burning desire to learn and use this weapon.

I finally had the chance when I bought a pair of rubber nunchuks from a camp gear shop. I didn't have anyone to teach me. Therefore, I used to replay Bruce Lee videos to practice those moves with the nunchuks. I often injured myself in the process of learning and I end up having bruises on my head, back and ribs but that didn't stop my motivation. With constant practice, soon, my moves were like fluid. I felt good as I was able to perform the moves like Bruce Lee but I also had to be mindful that having nunchuks are not authorized unless you are a martial arts practitioner and you need proper identification to indicate that. Therefore, I always had my black belt membership card with me whenever I brought the nunchuks to my Taekwondo classes.

I wanted more and I wanted to push myself further. Therefore, I bought a new pair of nunchuks which are made of metal.

The metal one did more harm and damage compared to the rubber one but accidents are part of training and they help you gain experience and improve yourself, physically and mentally. I still practice using my nunchuks till today during my leisure time and I am still figuring out new moves which I could do with the nunchuks.

Silambam, The Next Level: Yellow Belt

I have already been learning Silambam for almost a month. I was able to catch up quickly as I have the fundamentals from other martial arts. I am currently preparing myself for the Silambam grading where by upon passing, I will be awarded the yellow belt. To go to the next level, I need to master 2 variants of the 'Guru Vanakkam' (similar to kata and taegyuek) and 10 levels of stances. I would say learning and mastering this 'Guru Vanakkam' is not an easy task where by if I compare them to katas and taegyueks from karate and taekwondo respectively, this fight pattern from Silambam is far more complex. My seniors and instructors have trained me and instructed me to master the following syllabus in order to be assessed in the yellow belt grading.

• Udarpayirci (உடற்பயிற்சி), a form of warm up and stretching
• Guru Vanakkam (குரு வணக்கம்)
• Nilaigal (நிலைகள்), 10 levels of stances
• Periya Guru Vanakkam (பெரிய குரு வணக்கம்), an advanced derivation of the Guru Vanakkam

It took me 4 days to master the Guru Vanakkam. Since the classes are on the weekends, I did not have anyone to train during the weekdays. Therefore, I requested a senior student to demonstrate the Guru Vanakam during class and I recorded a video using my smartphone. Using this video, I practiced daily before my MMA classes. By constant practice, I mastered and perfected the Guru Vanakkam. The Guru Vanakam incorporates punches, high kicks and agility. The Guru Vanakkam is performed as a form of salutation or respect before combat and also a form of respect to the earth that we are stepping on. One may notice, when a punch or block is performed on one hand, the other hand often covers the ear. This is because the ear is a vulnerable part of the body. One may lose their stability or get disoriented when being attacked on the ear. Apart from protecting the ear, the hand is strategically positioned to also evade attacks from below, left and above without compromising the punch which is being delivered from the right hand.

The left hand which covers the ear could be used to evade attacks from the top, bottom and left while a punch is being delivered from the right hand.

One may also notice that during the Guru Vanakkam, the steps involves constant hits to the body parts especially the feet, thighs, palms, elbows and fists and it also involves heavy stomping on the ground. The reason this is done is to train and strengthen these body parts to endure further tension and pressure during training. In the long run, the body doesn't recognize pain and each strike, kick or stomp which is launched will be a strong and hard one.

Nilaigal involves 10 levels of stances which comprises blocks and kicks. A white belt should remember all these stances and will be assessed randomly and repeatedly by the examiner.

The next assessment will be performed on the Periya Guru Vanakkam. The Periya Guru Vanakkam is an advanced derivation of the Guru Vanakkam. I mastered this in one day itself. Once you master the Guru Vanakkam, this can be mastered quickly. But, above all, constant practice and dedication is needed to master all these techniques.

Thanks to my master, Mr. S.V. Yoganathan, my instructor, Mr. Tamilarasan and my seniors for guiding and bringing me up to the speed. I will require more guidance in my journey in Silambam. Time to practice Silambam now. I will be writing more in my next post. Thank you.

My Journey in Martial Arts

My interest in martial arts began when I was 10 (year 1998). I first trained in my school, S.M.K La Salle, Klang under Master Leong Yong Wah, a 4th degree black belt (then) and his wife, Mrs. Yap Swee Bee. They both were running the Power Sport Taekwondo Academy with the assistance of a few junior instructors. Their academy is well known in Klang and they run classes in several schools in Klang.

I was very excited when I got my white belt and my first Gi (uniform) with 'Taekwondo' written at the back. My taekwondo classes were on Saturdays and I was excited every week to attend the classes. I was constantly inspired by my master and the other black belts and I aspired to be a black belt myself. I trained hard and over time I moved belt after belts. My very first Taekwondo tournament was when I was 11 (year 1999).  At that point of time, I was a green belt (Taegyeuk 4). During my bouts, I fought with exponents of various seniority levels. I fought with green belts, blue belts and brown (now, red) belts and I won. I was a bronze medalist. Not bad for a first time fighter. I realized that the belt level doesn't matter. What mattered the most is your skills and determination. From there on, I was motivated to participate in more tournaments. Over the years, I fought in several tournaments with wins and losses which gave me good experience.

Belt levels in taekwondo

My dreams of achieving the black belt was not far away. I was awarded the black belt when I was 14 (year 2002), 4 years after I started Taekwondo. It was a meaningful achievement to me and I continued to train harder. I trained till I was 16 and I took a long break to focus on my SPM examinations in 2005. After my SPM examinations, I joined the national service. I had the constant urge to train and fight and I missed Taekwondo. When I got back home after national service in 2006, I noticed that there was a Taekwondo class being thaught nearby my home. Since it was nearer to my home (walking distance), I decided to continue Taekwondo there. I was trained under Master K.S. Poobalan and Master Mohan. Their training was intense and exciting and I got a lot of exposure from them. It was then I had the chance to participate in the state level Taekwondo tournament, SUKSES. The tournament was tough and it gave me a good experience. I trained with Master Poobalan from 2006 to 2007. After my STPM examinations, I pursued my tertiary education in Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.

My journey in martial arts continued when I was in the university. I did my degree in Computer Science and it was a 3 year course. During the second semester of my second year, I came across a Karate Club in my campus. I wanted to diversify myself into other martial arts and I wanted to explore new techniques. Therefore, I took up karate. I was trained by Sensei Simon and guided by a senior student, Ian. The karate style which I trained was the Shotokan Karate which is also resembled the stance and strength of the bull. I started as a white belt and I learned my first kata (fight pattern). I passed my first test and I was awarded the yellow belt. I wasn't really focused on upgrading myself by belts. I was more focused on adapting karate techniques in fights and participating in kumite (sparring). One thing I loved about karate is that during kumite, you dont need to wear protection vests, head gears and shin guards like in Taekwondo which I felt made my body was lighter and I could move faster in a fight. Soon I was absorbed into the fighter training. Thanks to my Taekwondo skills, they absorbed me into the university team. It was a big deal being a university fighter and soon I was already fighting in tournaments.

My first karate tournament was the Sabah Open Karate Tournament in 2010. I met many experienced fighters and I observed their fight skills. One thing I noticed was the kumite techniques emphasized on speed and proper form and not strength. This was a disadvantage for me where by I went full blast in kumite. I couldn't control my punches and kicks where I gave a hard punch on my opponents face which broke his tooth. That cost me point deductions. I was given several warnings by the referee due to my hard kicks as well. I did not win in that tournament but it gave me good exposure and experience. Towards the end of my university life, while doing my practical, I represented my university in the Majlis Sukan Universiti Malaysia (MASUM) Karate Tournament 2011. There, I met more professional and skillful fighters. I fought with exponent from UIAM. My kicks were very good and right on points but his punches and proper form dominated the show. At last, he won in a very slight difference in points. It was fun fighting with an experienced fighter and it gave me courage to fight anyone regardless of their skills and seniority.

After the completion of my practical, I was already working with an IT company in KL. I took a break from martial arts for some time. I got a better offer and jumped to another company in Cyberjaya. There, while working, I started to focus on fitness and I started to hit the gym. It became a routine and I liked it.

One fine day at home, while clearing my room I found my gum shield which I used while sparring. That moment I realized how much I missed martial arts. That moment onwards, I wanted to start my passion again. This time, I wanted something aggressive and a full contact martial art. Then, I came across Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). MMA is known for its multi-disciplinary techniques and strategy in a fight and it would be a game changer for me. I googled for the nearest MMA gym and fortunately I found one in Klang, Elitez Mixed Martial Arts Academy. I enrolled last year (2013) and I'm still training there. The academy is being run by Master Andy Teh who has vast Taekwondo background and also background in other arts such as Muay Thai and Brazilian Jujitsu (BJJ). Here, the MMA training focuses on striking techniques from Taekwondo and Muay Thai and grappling techniques from BJJ. The training here is hard core and tones your physique and molds you into a tougher person. I am currently training hard here and I aspire to compete in the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) tournament. Therefore, I need to be mentally and physically prepared.

I do alot of research on the origins of martial arts and I found that the origins of martial arts could be traced to India. For a very long time I was keen on learning the martial arts of my roots, Silambam. Most of the techniques in other martial arts are derived from this ancient Indian art. Thus, it fascinates me and I would like to equip my knowledge on the art of my very own ethnic. The Silambam art is said to have its origins in India 5000 years ago. The art traces its history back to the Kurinji Mountains located in South India. Natives known as Narikuravar used the staff (known as silambamboo) to defend themselves against wild animals and other attackers. Silambam also incorporates empty hand techniques. The empty hand techniques utilize blocking-to-locking and blocking-to-striking. The art was patronised by the ancient Chola, Chera and Pandya Kings. The Maravar Pada of Travancore kings used silambam in their warfare against enemies. Ancient contact between Tamil Nadu and Southeast Asia brought Silambam to the Malay Peninsula, during which time the word Silambam came to be referred as an art as well as a weapon. Many Southeast Asian martial arts were influenced by silambam including Silat and Krabi Krabong.

On my quest of learning Silambam, I was referred to a Silambam center in Meru by my junior during the university days, Danesh Kumar, who is a professional Silambam practitioner. I have just enrolled in Silambam and I find that the training emphasizes on strength and flexibility. I have just learned the 'Guru Vanakam', a form of salutation before practicing Silambam. It incorporates punches, kicks and leg stances. This similar curriculum can also be found in karate (kata) and taekwondo (taegyeuk).

Currently, despite my busy work schedule, I practice MMA and Silambam. I aspire to master Silambam and I wish to pass my knowledge to the next generation to preserve this ancient art. I am also looking forward to compete in the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) tournament in the near future.

My journey in martial arts continues....