Posted by PD USA
on 4/11/2007, 5:37 am
Message modified by board administrator 4/11/2007, 5:53 am
> Written by Guru Brandt Hassan Ali and Guru Sean Stark
> Copyright 2003 Silat now! e-zine
> www.combat-silat.net
> Kujang2
>
> The Kujang Explored: Fighting Knife of Java
> The Kujang is a knife of some great interest to many
> and an item of curiosity to others. The Kujang also
> holds a high significance to certain groups of
> practitioners. The blade and handle hold a religious
> significance for the Muslims of Indonesia,
> particularly the Sufis.
>
> The Kujang Explored: Origins
> Originating in Western Java in the Sundanese Region,
> the Kujang is often referred to as a Kudi.
> Originating from a farm implement during the 4th to
> 7th centuries C.E. it didn't really take shape (pun
> definitely intended) until the 9th to 12th centuries
> C.E. looking similar to the Kujang we are familiar
> with today.
>
> Prabu Kudo Lalean saw the shape of the Kujang during
> a vision and had Empu Windu Supo begin to create the
> blade of his vision. The Kujang of Kudo Lalean's
> vision was to be shaped after the island of Java and
> was meant as a unifying symbol for the entire
> empire. Additionally, it would embody the spiritual
> beliefs of the culture as well.
>
> However, at the time, these beliefs were largely
> based on Hinduism. As a result, the blade was to
> contain the shape of Java, and also three holes or
> round notches too. These three holes were
> representative of the "Trimurti, or the three
> aspects of the godhead of the Hindu religion, of
> which Kudo Lalean was a devoted votary. The three
> aspects or gods referred to are Brahma, Vishnu, and
> Shiva. The Hindu trinity was also represented by the
> three major kingdoms of that era, respectively, the
> kingdom of Pengging Wiraradya, located in the east
> of Java; the kingdom of Kambang Putih, located
> north-east of the island; and the kingdom of
> Pajajaran Makukuhan, located in the west."
> (Luxamore)
>
> Later as the religion of Islam began to become
> prominent throughout the empire, the Imams and
> teachers of Islam took this symbol of Hinduism and
> upon the pressing of Prabu Kian Santang, re-shaped
> it, converting it to a symbol of Islam. This was
> done primarily to begin to disseminate the doctrinal
> beliefs of Islam and remove the Hinduistic
> influences largely, and had little to do with the
> actual use of the weapon itself, though as you will
> see, it is still very effective. The major
> differences that the weapon undertook was the
> reshaping of the blade (by widening it) to represent
> the letter Syin that also still represented the
> shape of Western Java and its nationalistic
> representation as well and the addition of two more
> holes to represent the Five Pillars of Islam instead
> of the Trimurti.
>
>
> The Kujang Explored: Design and Islam
> The shape of the blade and handle derive from the
> Arabic phrase "bismillah er-Rahman ir-Rahim", this
> translates to "there is no god but Allah the Most
> Merciful, the Most Compassionate". Some may see this
> as a contradiction, a blade for killing referring to
> the "Mercy" and "Compassion" of Allah, however, this
> is far from the reality of the question, when one
> digs deeper into the psychological structure
> surrounding the use of the weapon.
>
> First, the blade serves as a reminder to the warrior
> that he must act from a position of mercy and
> compassion. Secondly, the blade evokes two of the
> "99 Names of Allah" found in the Holy Quran.
> Finally, the blade grants the adherent a sense of
> the self's position in the universe as an instrument
> of Allah's (God's) Mercy and Compassion here on
> Earth.
>
> To continue, in any warrior culture, there must be a
> balancing factor between the violence of the martial
> and the need to be of sound character. Most of what
> is available in the martial cultures of the west,
> fall far from the requirements necessary in filling
> this void. The spirituality that used to be common
> in warrior training is treated as passé or even
> worse, as a novelty. This has lead to training that
> is both incomplete and hollow. Thankfully, many
> silat practitioners recognize this need.
> Additionally, within silat there is at least one
> shining example of this necessary connection, the
> training in the use of the Indonesian weapon, the
> Kujang.
>
> Aside from the deep mundane training of the physical
> use of the weapon, the Kujang serves as a reminder
> to us. We must begin all positive actions with the
> focus of "bismillah/In the name of Allah". This
> reminds us that all of our actions must be in
> accordance with the will of Allah. With this in
> mind, we also must face the fact that we are human
> and therefore we are prone to failure. In the heat
> of combat, we may falter and follow the guidance of
> our nafs (lower self/ego) instead of focusing on
> Allah. In this instance, we still have the Kujang as
> a reminder. "er-Rahman, ir-Rahim" reminds us that we
> must act with mercy and compassion. The Kujang can
> therefore be seen as analogous to the Jihad
> Al-Akbar, or the Greater Jihad. This is the constant
> struggle against, in the words of the Prophet
> Muhammed (saws), " the greatest enemy of mankind
> that resides in our own ribcage".
>
> The ingenious use of the Kujang in Pencak Silat
> Zulfikari is coupled to the Jihad Al-Akbar via the
> teachings of es-Seyyid es-Shaykh Taner Ansari(RA) in
> Tariqa Qadiri-Rifa'i. Jihad al-Akbar means the great
> struggle which refers to the struggle against one's
> own empirical ego. This is the basis of the process
> of becoming a completed human being. In this
> training, the mental, spiritual and physical
> training is not separated. The training of the body
> is inextricably linked to the spiritual and mental
> training. Relegating the nafs to their proper
> subservient position allows us to realize our
> connection to Allah ta'ala. Finally, we come to the
> link between Pencak Silat and Islam. Al-Fatiha is
> the key to Islam. Contained in this beautiful short
> Sura (chapter) is the entire secret of the Holy
> Quran. Fatiha gives us the entire outline of the
> proper warrior life. The Kujang is an analogy of
> Fatiha. In short, the Kujang is symbolic of the key
> to understanding Islam and the warrior
> ethos embodied in the noble code of futuwah
> (Islamic Chivalry). The Kujang is a beautiful curved
> knife that follows the outline of the Arabic phrase
> "bismillah, er-Rahman, ir-Rahim". The undeniable
> truth evident in this phrase frees the warrior from
> slavery to his nafs. This freedom from slavery
> allows us to make the choice of completely
> submitting to the will of Allah and entering true
> freedom. This freedom is from the base animal that
> lives within all of us. This is mankind's true
> struggle and the Kujang is our battle standard in
> the jihad against the nafs.
>
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