The Life of the ‘Silat Harimau’ Master

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Edwel Yusri

The “Silek Art Festival 7” held in West Sumatra from September through Nov. 30 was Edwel Yusri’s pride and joy. Having studied silek (silat; martial art) since adolescence, the Minang man said that silek was like “mambangkik batang tarandam”, and the long-forgotten and neglected Minang martial arts form has been revived as part of the living culture.

Martial arts demonstrations from several regions in the Minang area opened the Silek Art Festival 7 in early September in Padang, West Sumatra. It even featured a silek warrior that came home after decades of living in Jakarta. This was Edwel Yusri, who performed along with the Silek Harimau Minangkabau martial arts troupe and had helped popularize silek beyond the Minang culture. In addition to teaching silek at universities, he was also the martial artist behind the action movie Merantau (2009).

Once, Datuk Edwel was concerned about the fate of the silek Minang martial arts form. As a Minang man who has been practicing silek since he was a teenager, Edwel was disappointed with the poor performance of the West Sumatra martial arts team at the 2000 National Games (PON) in Surabaya.

Then, he did not see silek among the many action films that were screened in national cinemas from the 1980s to the 1990s. Although many action films were produced, none brought silek or its warriors to the big screen. Some films that were categorized as silat (martial arts) films starred actors that had no martial arts background, like Advent Bangun, Barry Prima, George Rudy and Willy Dozan.

Silek actually appeared in 1953’s Harimau Tjampa. Produced by Usmar Ismail and directed by Djaduk Djajakusuma, the film involved Minang martial arts athlete Malin Maradjo, who became the freestyle champion at PON 1957 in Makassar.

Edwel was also unhappy that some people though silek was like dancing. What looks like dancing is actually mamancak, the essence of the martial arts form. The principle behind silek, Edwel said, was to defeat the rival as quickly as possible.

“People used to think, this Minang martial arts is just like dancing. People got tired waiting for the fight moves. This did not attract young people. ‘Boring’, they said,” said Edwel.

He was also concerned that silek was once thought to be a “backwoods” martial arts form that came from the villages and a kind of “stepchild” in the country. He was envious that silek was highly appreciated in neighboring country Malaysia. “People are reluctant to learn silek. They feel more macho if they practice aikido or Muay Thai,” he said.

“I thought about how to introduce martial arts, how to promote the Minang martial art. I thought that mass entertainment was a way to introduce silek.” Edwel became involved in TVRI’s production of the short film Sengsara Membawa Nikmat in 1991. The film adaptation of the novel by Tulis Sutan Sati is set in Minangkabau. Starring Sandy Nayoan and Desy Ratnasari, Edwel appears as an evil character called Slenggang. He was also involved as a fight choreographer.

Edwel’s efforts became more widely known when he collaborated with Gareth Evans in a documentary about Silek Minangkabau. The two continued their collaboration on the big-screen film Merantau that was released in 2009 and starred Iko Uwais. Edwel was the action director on the film, which Evans directed. Merantau received a rousing welcome from the movie-going public. They continued with The Raid (2011) and The Raid 2 (2014). “I chose Iko Uwais, a gifted man, as the lead actor. We trained almost every day for six months assisted by my assistant, Yayan [Ruhian],” said Edwel.

Edwel tried to set up the fight sequences so they were as realistic as possible. What appears onscreen follows proper techniques and was also drawn from his experience in competitions. “The moves must make sense. Don’t let the audience think, ‘ah, this doesn’t look right,” he said.

Silek Harimau

Edwel, who carries the Minang title Datuak Rajo Gampo Alam, was raised in the Minangkabau culture, in which martial arts is part of a man’s life. He studied silek at a surau (small mosque), although he said this was brief. In 2000, Edwel ran a small survey on the surau in Minangkabau that still taught silek. He only found a few in Payakumbuh. Today, youths train in silek at college. “In my time, there were no colleges. My grandfather taught silek,” said Edwel.

His great-grandfather was a tiger wrangler who knew garuik, or exactly how a tiger moved, from how they leapt to how they played. In addition to learning the martial art from his grandfather, Edwel also learned the various form of silek, grom from one village to another, and from one teacher to another. This is why he knows the various forms of Silek Minangkabau, including Silek Tuo, Lintau, Sitaralak, Puah, Sungai Patai and Kumango.

Of the various forms, he deepened and developed his knowledge of Silek Harimau (tiger silek), which he teaches. One of his studios is Silek Harimau Minangkabau, headquartered on Jl. Fachrudin in Jakarta. He also runs silek training studios in West Sumatra, including Bukittinggi and Kayu Tanam in Padang Pariaman regency. Edwel also trained the 328th Raider Infantry Battalion in Cilodong, West Java. He has also taught dozens of students from the Philippines.

Scorned

When he decided to pursue a career in teaching silek, Edwel’s relatives ridiculed him, including his own family. Some of his brothers are businessmen; Edwel is the only one who is a martial arts athlete. His mother did not want her son to become serious about silek when he started training in the third grade, because she was worried that it would interfere with her son’s schooling.

His family told Edwel to look at his grandfather. “’Look, your grandfather got nothing from silek. He served people but only got tired and did not earn any money’,” Edwel quoted his brother. Edwel went to college and graduated with a law degree and works for an energy company. However, silek remains a way of life. “I will prove myself through my achievements in silek. And, praise be to Allah, silek has given me a good life,” he said.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Edwel Yusri

Edwel Yusri

Full Name: Edwel Yusri Datuak Rajo Gampo Alam

Born: Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, July 6, 1963

Experience: Teacher, Silat Baringin Marapi Bukittinggi, 1979-1985; Instructor, Yon Arhanud 1 Special Unit, Kostrad Infantry Division 1, Tangerang, 1999-2001; General secretary, Central Board, Pencak Silat Satria Muda Indonesia; Second place, ASEAN martial arts competition, Singapore, 1989; Chairman, Festival des Arts Martiaux de Paris Bercy Attraction Team, 2004; Guest instructor, Silat Academy Munchen, Munich, Germany, November 2010