the September 10-11 silat gathering is on the way Assalamualaikuuuuuuuuuuum.... Dear Pendekars, I have just come back from an interesting kembangan practise in Camden, by the toilets, above the catacombs, under the Indian summer sky. It is a beautifull place for a human: imagine being able to feel the presence of the sky in a city of 7 million plus which is London and actually see the sunset in the sky that inspired Turner. The full team of Sekar Gedhogan Community Gamelan Orchestra was there but there were no pesilat: only me / not very good. Fortunately there was an American dalang from the Royal Holloway who had come and he shared some gamelan insights while we were setting up. I began rolling punching wind warming up because it seemed that it was only me to be prancing around. I was hoping Bang Ariffin and his students would come as he did come to the shop in the afternoon but no Malaysians turned up. Instead there was a Mexican girl who wanted to whirl like a flamenco dervish. So it was my made-up silat and Alexandra whirling to open the evening. She was worried that she was wearing a skirt and I said that she was welcome to take her skirt off if she wanted and she laughed and took her shoes off instead. The evening culminated with the arrival of Bang Aidinal Alrashid Lanrisang the elder of UK pesilat with Irfan his pendekar son, an other son, and Arif an Englishman turned Bugis through Gerak Ilham. The Gerak Ilham guys did some seni and we had long chats about the situation of silat in the UK and I reported to Bang Aidinal about what I have been doing. He really liked and supports this informal silat thing but I am a good salesman so don't take his liking as a recomendation but come Saturday evening to prove for yourself. This Saturday September 10 is the day of our Malam Prihatin, Night of Sorrow and Meditation in the Stables Market in Camden, where we will open a gelanggang and play gamelan beginning from 7'30 PM till the end which must be past midnight in order that it is a whole night. You are all invited. It might be a really interesting happening with pendekars like Aidinal Alrashid, Irfan Lanrisang, Daniel Germer, Jacquie More, Steve Benitez, you, and many more promising to come. This is the last report before the 'Malam Prihatin' so I think it is appropriate for me to reflect on what has happened in the process of getting this together which has been documented on this thread, and once again offer my solemn appologies for any mistakes I have made particularly in the minds of those who see me as trying to promote myself. From the depths of my heart I would like to invite once more Silatpupil to come and share the floor of my room with Daniel and me. Cousin Silatliam and brother Cimande silat, you are both warmly invited as well. I see that you are doing a seminar in London on the 11th so if you are in town at the evening of the 10th, please come and share your silat. In spirit of course I would like to invite William Sanders, Dan Inosanto, the de Thoars, Tellner, Silatseeker, Amirultekpi, Redbagani, Sekaralas, all of you far away- I can't remember all your names and all MAP-ers everywhere. Kembangan is an art form from Jawa but it is something all martial-artists can benefit from. Wassalaaaaaaaaaam, Kiai Carita.
So you going to get pictures of one of these gatherings for those of us who can't afford the plane tickets? It sounds like good fun. I'd love to hear the music too but a posted picture would be great.
Salaams, Pendekars, Hi Reticulated Python (Ular Sawa), I don't have a camera or audio recording equipment but I hope anyone who has will bring it and document the happening. It would be best to have some vids and photos for all to share but it must come from the community because as I have said before I can only offer a beggars welcome. I have a German pendekar from Bangau Putih in my room in Camden right now, so if all goes well we will have players from Gerak Ilham, Perisai Diri, Walisongo, players from Silat Haq Melayu, Gayong, Bangau Putih, Cimande, and maybe some Taichi and Bagua players too. Hopefully there will be also some of the more obscure styles like Silat Cingkrik and Mustika Kwitang as well. I went to the Indonesian Embassy this morning and the cultural attache promised to come too. We had an interesting conversation about the possibility of inviting tradtional silat elders from Padang, Sunda, Jawa, Madura, Bawean, Bali, Sumba, and Bugis - Makasar to come and do a seminar hosted by the Indonesian Embassy here. Something I would like to discuss with the pendekars that come next Saturday night. Please pray for fair weather in London that night but if it rains there is space in the catacombs to do it too. This means that whatever happens the show must go on and if you can come you should. I am off for an early night and an early session of latihan tomorrow so goodbye for now, until Saturday. Warm Salaams to all, Kiai Carita.
It sounds like an awful lot of fun. Hmm, reticulated pythons. I just saw a good sized one at the annual Reptile and Amphibian show. Man, those suckers are big. They had one at the science museum's petting zoo until it got to a size where small children would be in its prey-range.
It sounds great Kiai Carita. You look serem banget on the poster. Remember the ula python that was caught and sold for abon? Good luck, I wish I was there.
Thanks for the wishes Sekaralas. For you who would like to see the poster you can click here http://www.kalimantancreations.co.uk/10sep05.html ... The last time I met a reticulated python it was in Seram, the Maluku islands and I think it was in 1999. The Seram python was over 21 meters long and ended up eaten by the tribe I was with. To catch a python you need at least three men, one to distract it and one to grab it behind the head and another to grab the body behind the neck so that the python cant free the head-hold. Pythons are also ticklish so if one wraps around you be sure to tickle it. Salaaams to all, see you in Camden this Saturday! KC
Reticulated Pythons are a long, lean but very strong animal. Sometimes you can grab one and find that you are the one who has been grabbed. They can also have a foul temperament.
Yes, I have had experience with said Retic Python & others. If you want more info feel free to PM me.
As to reticulated pythons being lean, I think that this depends on what they eat. The most reticulated pythons I have ever seen were in Gua Lawa (bat cave ) in East Bali. It is a sacred bat cave full of bats and reticulated pythons. Here the pythons are about as big as my arm and 3 to 4 meters long. The size depends on what they eat and if bats are their main-course then they only need bat sized stomachs. In Seram island in Maluku I found huge pythons that eat deer and wild pig, grow to 7 meters long and are as big as my thigh (when not eating). They hunt only when hungry, often by hanging from a branch over an animal's path. They have very strong and sharp teeth that can puncture skulls, so traditionally people use the bamboo caping (like Chinese peasants hats) when they venture in to the jungle, so that the diameter of the head puts the reticulated pythons off. Cheers, KC
They're lean - or at least thin for their length = compared to other large constrictors like the New World boas. They certainly are impressive animals.
That's where I was going with the "lean" part. Compare a Reticulated python to a Burmese Python of the same length. They are both fine snakes. However, the Retic is more lean & muscled than his Burmese cousin. That makes him more dangerous too.
Sign at a local pet store: "Unattended children will be turned over to Mall security. Disruptive children will be turned over to Bubba the Burmese" (The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has a locally famous Burmese Python named Bubba. He's a very placid snake, but they took him out of the petting lineup at the annual herp show when small children started getting into his prey range.)
"Fluffy" - the retic I sure wouldnt be lettin it wind me up like that, unless it had eaten something bigger than me already that day
I think the smiles look like code for "ARGH! Get this thing off me and stop taking stupid photos!" I assume the snakes head is that bit just under the guys chin?
