30 Buah Gelek

'30 Buah Gelek' can be translated as 30 Twist Counter Attacks.

I am not sure about the translation of 'gelek' into 'twist'. Basically 'gelek' is an action where a person turns or twists the body from side to side.

There was an agreement with a publisher to have this book publshed. The owner of the company is a well known person, and many silat practitioners try to get close to him. One of them claimed that I stole the techniques from his school or style. As a result the book was not published, and the manuscript 'disappeared' from the company's office. I knew about it after nearly two years of silence from the day the manuscript was personally sent to the office.

There are two main things to be considered:

1) I have never joined any martial art system except for one training session with Silat Harimau in 1972.

2) Gelek techniques were rare in silat until Pukul Pelaga came out into the open. The reason being was the fighting philosophy of most silat styles, including the use of a low stance. Most silat styles favour the low stance. A silat exponent using a low stance simply cannot execute gelek properly, the way it is taught in Pukul Pelaga.

When silat practitioners saw Pelaga training in the basics of gelek, they laughed at us, claiming that the technique was inferior. That was in 1976. Things started changing when many were hit through a gelek move.

Verily, the truth will eventually prevails.