The Strength of Silat
Note: The Malaysian Pencak Silat Tournament is coming up, and the applications for it are passed out at lunchtime by Jim, who taught a PS class earlier. Only four of the Silat students can enter this contest, and the victor of the tournament wins $20,000 that can be used for numerous causes.
Chapter 1—Exciting Change of Pace
Jeramie and his friends sat to eat lunch together. They sat and laughed as they conversed about the events of the day. Jim, who had been walking around with fliers, had been passing them around to everyone in the entire cafeteria. Ulrich, interested, read the bold writing on the colorful flier.
"The Malaysian Pencak Silat Tournament, grand prize $20,000.", Ulrich said, becoming more interested each moment.
"Is there anything else ? Maybe something on the back of the flier ?", Taelia questioned, looking at the back of her flier for more information.
"No. Just only the information on the front.", Aelita said. All of them were wondering what this meant, and knew they had to contact Jim for any further information.
No sooner had classes ended when all of the students that had been interested in the "MPST" had come to the gym to see what the tournament was all about.
"Alright, alright. Settle down everyone, and I'll explain everything. First of all, I am glad to see so many of you have decided to test your will and strength in this contest. Secondly, I must stress that only four of you will be chosen by my grand master, Timothy upon the final sparring night. There will be a calendar of events as well as the official MPST which takes place in Malaysia itself.", Jim stated, as the students listened intently.
"How did the academy afford such a thing ?", Sissi questioned curiously, wondering how her father could pay such expenses and live so frivolously, especially considering the debacle last week with the water pipes not working properly. Just as the heaters had been replaced and refurbished a couple of years ago, the pipes had gone through the same treatment, but such expenses weren't cheap. Despite that, Jean-Pierre had everything repaired, and could still afford this Pencak Tournament. Sissi, to say the least, was astonished at her father's financial confidence.
"I am not at liberty to dispense financial information, even though you are his daughter. But Mr. Delmas has ways of compensating.", Jim answered, honestly. The answer was good enough for Sissi, who thought Jim had given her a superb explanation.
"When do we begin ?", Millie questioned, who was eager to start as soon as she could.
"Training begins tomorrow, and judging begins a couple of months from now. Refer to the calendars often, they will be your benchmark.", Jim said, smiling at his colleagues. He was interested in seeing if they had matured in their fighting styles since the past year, and something told him it would be tough to help his friend and mentor Timothy with the judging once that time came.
Chapter 2—Let the Training Commence
Albeit schoolwork kept the Pencak disciples busy, they had been able to balance school work with their training as well. Day after day after day, the children trained with confidence. Training was held in the gym after class had ended, and would be ongoing until the next month. Judging would be held at the end of that week.
Jim was impressed with all of his students and wondered which four students would be attending the tournament when judging was conducted. As far as he was concerned, they were all very qualified to compete. Yet, he knew that it would be a harsh and arduous journey ahead of them.
After every practice, Suzanne brought refreshments for the pupils. Emily helped set up tables and clean up after dinners were finished. She and the Morales family were thanked for their sensational cooking talent. Emily wondered if this sort of thing was happening elsewhere, and by doing a quick search for the Malaysian Tournament, she found her answer.
"Dad, look at this !", she said, excitedly.
"What is it, Lili ?", James questioned, inquisitively.
"It looks like Silat disciples from all over the world competing. This is about to become very interesting, dad.", Emily stated, after finishing one last bite of a sloppy joe.
"That it is indeed. We'd better clean up for now and close shop for the day.", Jim said, patting his daughter on the shoulder. With that, mother, father and daughter cleaned up and the vivacious custodian Yeager mopped and waxed the floor singing and dancing merrily to his favorite songs on his new I Pod.
Chapter 3—Competitors From Around the World
Around the globe in many different gymnasiums, multipurpose rooms and recreation rooms, the same scene was occurring. Their training would also end the same time as the Gryffons' did in the coming week. The training had been relentless, grueling and enervating. Those who would come out of it and advance onto the Malaysian tournament were cut from a different type of cloth, but it would be an arduous journey. Some would be hurt, but they would recover from their injuries. Others were simply concerned with the trophy and money that was offered. Whatever the motivation, all the pupils had one goal in mind: to learn how to become a Master eventually and teach other students the graceful and dangerous art of Pencak.
Chapter 4—Many Have Come, Four Worldwide Are Chosen
At last the nervous day of actual competition had come and the competitors were on pins and needles. Some could hardly focus and became jumpy when approached, but as soon as they snapped back into reality, they realized that they were prepared to fight. They might not win the judge's favor, but simply being involved was enough of an adrenaline rush to make them feel truly vital.
Jim was pleased to see his master teacher again. It had been a couple years since he had seen Timothy and his family, but upon seeing the Sergeant, his eyes welled with tears. He was elated to be reunited with him. The two cried happy tears, not caring if anyone saw them both crying as they did. Timothy patted Jim's shoulder and the two headed to their table with their papers, which would be used to grade the disciples in form, offense, defense and ability to improvise. The categories were solo and group fights in which teams could be formed. Both events were extremely challenging and the competitors would have to pace themselves if they wished to move to the next test of will and strength, but fortunately, paramedics were on standby if there were any problems (and heavens willing there wouldn't be). Already there were contestants that had been disqualified, and less and less were left for the final assessment. Soon, only four would remain, and they would be among the fortunate few to see Malaysia up close, rather than just knowing its location on a map.
Elsewhere…
All around the globe, Silat masters and Silat masters-in-training were judging their combatants, and the lists were lessening. Only a few contestants were left before the final judgment was called.
Timothy's Call…
"It seems we have an extra winner in the competition. Ulrich Stern from Germany, Millena Solovieff and Tamiya Diop from France, Elisabeth Delmas from France, and Patric Belpois from France. Congratulations, children. You have made it to the Final Four!", he said exuberantly. Jim had never seen this sort of thing before, but he had agreed with Timothy's decision. The five pupils were looking forward to the adventure that they were about to partake.
Chapter 5—Seeing Off the Warriors
Millena and Tamiya would be covering their trip like the intrepid reporters they were. They had gotten high-tech camcorders last Christmas and packed them carefully in their totes so they could film their journey from start to finish. As with the girls who were traveling to exotic Malaysia, the guys had prepared their suitcases that night. After that, the five of them went to sleep early and slept (even though it was a fitful sleep) the remainder of the evening.
The next day, the five combatants were feeling antsy as they waited for the van that would take them to the airport. All the friends were seen off by their best buddies and mentors before they left.
"Go get 'em. Wish I could see you compete in person, but I'm needed here. I'll be with you in spirit.", Jim said, hugging each of his surrogate children before they departed. Strangely enough, as the Kadic Gryffons loaded their luggage as well as themselves into the van with their chauffer, Jean-Paul, delivered them to their destination.
Chapter 6—The Flight to Malaysia
Luckily, the five Gryffons didn't have to linger long before the hearing the announcement that their flight had arrived successfully. Tamiya and Millie had begun filming as soon as they could and noticed that behind them, teams from all over the world had come to join them on the plane as well.
"I didn't know so many would be attending. More than I even imagined.", Patric said, as he had settled in the seat next to Ulrich. Tammy and Millie were together, thick as thieves as usual. Sissi was already missing Odd, but she was comforted by a small-built Chinese girl she just met. Her name was Lanying, and she had intense violet eyes, which were rather striking and rare for an Asian girl to have.
"I see you are on your way to Malaysia. I am as well. Maybe we'll be facing off against each other.", Lanying said, with a pleasant, gregarious smile on her youthful face.
"That would be super. I bet you're incredible.", Sissi stated, assessing her skills by her body weight and type. Even though she was of slight build she could probably move very swiftly with ease and her motions would more than likely be elegant and feline.
"Speak for yourself, Elisabeth. Should we meet in the circle, may the best disciple win.", Lanying stated, politely, shaking her new acquaintance's hand.
Having been tired from waiting so long during the flight, the jet of passengers slept until they finally landed at their destinations. With heavy eyelids and slab feet, the combatants were taken to their taxis and driven to their hotel to recharge for the rest of the night.
Chapter 7—Thousands of Spectators
By the time the sun began to rise on Malaysian soil, the pupils now realized they were in a place they had only thought existed in legend and ancient stories. It was a mixture of India meets Asia all in one island. The tournament would take place in an old shrine that had been used at one time as a place of worship but had only recently been repaired and rejuvenated from the ground up.
"Woah, look at this place, Millie ! It's huge !", Tamiya said, in astonishment.
"That it is. I've never seen such a gigantic shrine. It's like something out of a fairy tale.", Millie added, filming silently as there was hushed chatter in the background. The air was serene and sacred as they walked in, greeted by Malay Silat masters of all ages and backgrounds.
"This is really exciting to see all of the masters up close and personal.", Patric said to Ulrich in a hushed tone.
"Yes, so true. Shh, we're walking in, we have to be on our best behavior, and very respectable. We're representing our country.", Ulrich said, with a hint of teasing in his voice. Patric would be a perfect gentleman as always.
The group of children walked in quietly. As they observed their surroundings, they noticed that there were thousands of people from around the globe, holding up flags and signs in different languages, supporting different teams or solo competitors. Even parents of the combatants were present. Soon came the voice of an elderly man, probably about 100 plus years of age. Despite his appearance, he looked to be no more than 50 and moved like he was still very young. His youthful grin and serene air brought forth the phrase, "Age is but a number, a mindset.".
This man was the Grand-Master of Masters. He held the highest and most respected title that anyone in Pencak could ever achieve. Everyone bowed upon seeing him and he then announced in many different languages why exactly they were there and what the competition would entail.
The younger members of the Gryffons were probably the most nervous upon seeing the myriads of people in the ancient stands, and hearing the calming, wise, lyrical tone of the Master's voice probably didn't help matters much either.
"Millie, it's going to be alright. Both of us need to do the best we can. That's all we can ask for. I'm as apprehensive as you are, but we're together. We'll make it. After all, look how far we've come as a team, girl !", Tamiya whispered, giving Millie a secretive 'thumb's up'.
"You're right, Tammie. Thank you for that little pep talk.", Millie answered, and her smile encompassed her growing confidence. She didn't know she would later have to fight with and then against her own teammate, but this would also test her true ability once the competition really heated up.
Chapter 8—Let the Tournament Begin !
"Welcome, all! I am delighted to see each and every one of you will be competing.", he said jovially. The Master explained what each category would entail as well as how the combatants would be judged. It was going to be a challenging and enervating event that would last about 3 nights until the grand prize recipient was chosen.
"And now may I say best of success to you all and may the tournament begin !", the elderly gentleman said as a fellow monk sounded the gong. Everyone had been sorted into "team" and "solo" competitions, which would be taking place simultaneously, so a lot of concentration would be required. Already, Sissi had been set to fight her newest acquaintance, Lanying. She was now wearing a typical cloth for such a tournament. It moved with her as she showed off the moves that she had learned from her teacher. As previously thought, Sissi could see the young girl could move effortlessly and gracefully. She was going to be an exceptional opponent, and challenging to defeat. With the word of their judge, the two ladies began to spar. Sissi first successfully blocked a punch, and then executed a langkah (1) to dodge a sweep kick. Her teammates cheered her on.
Lanying was starting to become winded as she fought Sissi. Fairly soon, Sissi executed a stunning takedown, which landed Lanying outside of the ring, and thereby disqualified.
"Winner, Elisabeth Delmas !", the judge stated, lifting her arm up. The Gryffons who weren't engaged in combat had heard the news and hugged each other in celebration.
"Our Sissi just won !", Patric shouted, gleefully. Ulrich, who had just unexpectedly been hugged by Patric, was proud of his friend. But like her, he knew that the team competitions were about to begin, and still it was only Day 1. He had no idea what Day 2 and Day 3 would entail, but so far, his energy, as well as his friends had remained high and steady.
Lanying was lent a helping hand by Sissi.
"I was correct. You were the superior opponent. Unfortunately, I can no longer compete, since you defeated me.", Lanying stated, with a polite and respectful bow.
"It's a shame too, because I wanted to see you fight again. Your moves were really impressive. I am honored to have fought you !", Sissi said, returning Lanying's bow. Then, Lanying unexpectedly hugged her new best friend and patted her on the back. Sissi knew that even though she might never see her friend again, at least they would be able to stay in touch.
Chapter 9—The Second Day
Thus far, through singles and doubles, the Gryffons had remained unscathed. Millie, however, was feeling rather tired and was piggy-backed by Tamiya out of the arena.
"Don't worry about Millie. She's stronger than she looks. All the excitement though, it's worn her out.", Tamiya said, boosting her friend back upon her back and holding her steadily as they walked out. The crowd had already begun to file out of the temple, and it had become fairly quiet. As the Gryffons left, they felt confident that they had survived Day 1 and were about to enter the second day of competition after some much needed rest and relaxation.
Single and double competitions were still being held, but this time, weapons were used instead of using the body as a weapon. Patric was looking forward to this part of the competition with his skills honed and ready.
Meanwhile, back home in France…
"I haven't heard anything from them since they left. I really hope they're alright.", Aelita said, becoming concerned.
"I don't think they have access to computers in the hotel where they are staying. Even if they did, I doubt they have had time to contact us.", Taelia added.
"Good point, Taelia. I didn't think of it that way.", Aelita responded, with a nod.
"They're probably pooped from all that activity. Heavens know I would be.", Odd said.
"Yeah, well it would still be better if they could at least talk to us…", Yumi said, feeling a little low. Emily patted Yumi's shoulder and reassured her nonverbally that everything would be fine. Although none of them had any idea what was going on, at least tomorrow, they would have their answer from Millie and Tamiya.
At the Tournament…
No sooner had the sun risen and blanketed Malaysia in golden rays had the competitors re-entered the temple with a renewed sense of vigor and rejuvenation. As the elder welcomed all the participants, the teams were announced on a large blackboard.
Sissi was paired with Ulrich, Millie with Patric, and then later, Tamiya with Sissi.
"Is it legal to have someone participate twice in Doubles ?", Ulrich questioned, curiously.
"Apparently it is, but we're a special case. We're the only team in the division who had 5 competitors make it to this level.", Tamiya answered.
"Things are about to become even more interesting.", Patric said as the second part of the tournament began. With the word of the judge, Sissi and Ulrich began their battle.
Although Sissi knew she had to participate in two sparring matches, she had paced herself for anything and everything that could happen in the doubles tournament. Already, Tamiya and Patric were working as one; neither fighter could be distinguished from the other. They worked well in harmony. Sissi, at first, had no synchronization with Ulrich, since his technique was a bit more direct than hers. Ulrich gave her a visual encouragement of a warm smile. She wasn't about to give up, because the battle had only just begun.
It was troubling to concentrate with so many other challenges being held, but every last detail was planned in the most meticulous manner. All the judges were trained in Silat as well, so if there was an illegal move made during the fight, the one who made it would be immediately disqualified. The Kadic Gryffons cleared their minds and steadied themselves as they continued their battles in unison. No sooner had they made their way through that Sissi almost forgot she was going to compete again.
"Alright, Sissi. We're together in this one !", Millie said, with some anticipation. No nervousness could be sensed from her, but Sissi was clearly quite nervous even though she exuded confidence.
"Yeah, let's do our best, Millie !", Sissi agreed, with a courageous nod.
As the judge began the round, Millie and Sissi watched their opponents and observed their motions. Since Millie was so light, Sissi could use her as a second pair of legs to take the opposition off guard. Their motion was so fluid that the other opponents had no opening and soon lost their balance. Strangely, it had been a rather short battle between the girls and their male opponents from Egypt. They accepted their defeat graciously, and the final bout had been decided for the day. Completely wiped out, Millie slumped slightly and Sissi held her up.
"This is no time to slump, Millie, we were just victorious !", Sissi said, patting her young friend on the shoulder. With what little strength the young redhead had left in her body, despite the fact that her muscles were sore and aching, grinned and held her head up high, happy another day was through and her friend had helped her win this match.
Chapter 10—The Third Day
The combatants that had been dismissed were now part of the crowd and they rooted their friends onward to victory as the competition continued into the third day. At least, after all was said and done, the combatants would all be sent home and they could enjoy the view from the airplane as they left (if they stayed awake for that long). They were very happy that they all came this far.
The temple was silent as the Master congratulated the combatants that had made it to the third and final trial of the tournament. Like all the other challenges that had ensued, the third test would most likely be most difficult. In this round, it wasn't about fighting. This round was more about improvisation and creativity. The disciple would dance to music that had been selected, and depending on how well they performed, they would be selected either for the grand prize or a consolation prize.
Sissi was chosen to dance first. When the music began to play, she danced so gracefully. Her routine was flawless and she left the audience and the judges breathless. They began grading her, and she had gotten perfect marks. Patric executed his routine with a Bo staff. His moves were elegant, precise, and intense. There was a short bauble of feet, but he made it look like it wasn't a mistake. Ulrich was selected next. He used a katana in his routine. It was hard not to watch him as the sword took upon a life of its own. Tamiya used Sais rapidly and furiously, the steel flying in her hands as if they were fan-blades. Millie used kunai knives with ribbons in a dizzying display. She almost looked like a whirling dervish.
Those who had been fortunate enough to reach this point of the tournament had been able to participate in a special treat of sorts. All the routines were unique in their own way, and all kinds of weaponry (lethal and non-lethal) were seen in action. The hardest part was the hours ahead in which the judges would assess their marks and determine which of the teams was going home with the grand prize. During this time, the teams were asked to courteously leave the temple and do a bit of sight seeing.
Although it was only an hour, and they didn't have many places to look around, Tamiya and Millie had been able to video themselves and their friends enjoying the sights and sounds of Malaysia near the ancient temple.
"Have any of you heard from the guys back home ?", Patric questioned.
"Yes, actually. Jeramie was really happy to hear that we had gotten this far in the competition and he wishes us luck. In fact, everyone wishes us luck. They sent us a picture. Do you want to see ?", Millie answered, fetching her cell phone and turning it on. There was a photo of all of their friends together holding a sign that read "Best of Everything from your friends" in French.
"I wish we could be back with them…", Tamiya added, with a short sigh.
"We will be soon enough, Tammy. Chin up.", Elisabeth said, tickling the youngster momentarily and she laughed heartily.
The sightseeing tour, although short, had been stupendous for everyone involved. The five friends had been able to stop at a restaurant that was nearby. They enjoyed their first taste of Malaysian food, which was unique. It was similar to many Japanese and Chinese dishes they had tasted, but with its own flair and spice. They finished their meals, paid their waiters handsomely and returned to the temple once they heard the gong call to return.
Chapter 11—Crowned Victorious
The judges' results had been tallied and the Grand Elder finally made his assessment.
"It was a close decision between our best two teams in the last competition, but our judges' decision was final.", he began, as he was handed an envelope by one of the temple monks. With a golden letter opener, the Elder opened the golden letter. He cleared his throat momentarily and prepared to read the results. Both teams that had advanced to the final day of trials crossed their fingers or held hands in anxiousness.
"The winners are…The Kadic Gryffons ! Congratulations, this trophy and this check are yours.", the Elder declared happily. The opposing team from Samoa shook their hands and received a parting gift of half of the prize money as well as a smaller trophy for their efforts. Together, their photo had been taken, and it was published in magazines worldwide. The fans of Pencak would definitely have something to look forward to in the next days thanks to these young people who were keeping the archaic, fascinating, glorious art alive and well into the coming centuries.
Epilogue
The jet lag from the trip back home was beginning to get to the team, but when they had landed in Paris, the whole academy had been waiting for them the entire time. Lovers were reunited with affectionate kisses and long, soulful embraces. Friends kissed each other on the cheek.
Jean-Pierre had been elated to hear the team had done so well and he commended Jim on how well he had taught his disciples.
"It wasn't my doing really. It was their own.", he stated profoundly. Jean had to ponder the weight of what Jim had said. He nodded in agreement, realizing the truth of it all.
The team had been given a special welcoming ceremony as a celebration of their victory. Media teams had already come and gone covering their story and they had even been selected in the local newspaper as the "people of the week". It was quite an honor, but they hadn't allowed the fame to get to them. They mentioned their victory was thanks to Jim and Timothy, Jim's best friend and teacher. They also admitted they had enjoyed every uncanny moment in Malaysia (and even had souvenirs to share), but were ebullient to be back on French soil once again.
During movie night, Millie and Tamiya shared the video they had recorded from their trip, and their work had been applauded. The two young ladies blushed at the compliments they received, but they had as much fun filming as they had had exploring Malaysia. It had been an experience none of them would ever forget and their hard work would be seen for future Pencak students in the 'Hall of Trophies'. These Gryffons were inspirational, even though they were perfectly humble about their achievements. Their influence would be felt for years to come even though they were graduating in the coming year, and their wisdom would remain with the younger academy members who were still learning in the hallowed halls of Kadic.
The End
Note on Penkak Term(s):
(1) Langkah: A sidestep, sideswipe.